When does the Premier League start? | Key dates for 2026/27

Jonathan Victoria • 30 Jul 2026 Features

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A brand new Premier League season is almost upon us and we can’t wait!

Between a thrilling World Cup summer and some blockbuster transfers, the new campaign is shaping up to be one for the history books. 

With the start of the new season coming up quickly, we’re starting our flurry of Premier League content by looking at when it all gets underway, plus the key dates for the season ahead.

When does the Premier League start?

The first Premier League game will be held as usual on a Friday, specifically this year on Friday 21st August, with reigning champions Arsenal welcoming newcomers and Championship winners Coventry City to the Emirates.

Also as standard, the season will run for nine months from that first Friday until the final round of games, which will be played on Sunday 20th May 2027.

Week 1 matchups

That Friday will kick things off for the year, with the rest of the weekend playing out like a normal Premier League weekend, with one early kickoff on Saturday, followed by three 3pm games (fitting, right?), rounded off with a late kickoff that day.

Super Sunday will feature three games - two at 2pm and one at 4:30pm - while the remaining fixture of Matchday 1 will be played that Monday night.

Here is the full list of fixtures for matchday 1:

Friday 21st August

• Arsenal vs Coventry City - 8pm on Sky Sports

Saturday 22nd August

• Hull City vs Manchester United - 12:30pm on TNT Sports
• Everton vs Crystal Palace - 3pm
• Ipswich Town vs Sunderland - 3pm
• Nottingham Forest vs Leeds United - 3pm
• Brentford vs Tottenham Hotspur - 5:30pm on Sky Sports

Sunday 23rd August

• Brighton vs Aston Villa - 2pm on Sky Sports
• Manchester City vs Bournemouth - 2pm on Sky Sports
• Newcastle United vs Liverpool - 4:30pm on Sky Sports

Monday 18th August

• Fulham vs Chelsea - 8pm on Sky Sports

As always, the 3pm fixtures each Saturday for every matchday during the season will not be shown live in the UK.

Key games in the year

Throughout the year, there will be games that have elevated importance, be that a title contenders clash or a storied rivalry.

Manchester Derby

One of the most famous derbies in the world. The last 10 years has seen a large dominance from City, but after a resurgence with club legend Michael Carrick at the helm, United are looking at a potential new dawn for the club.

• Man United vs Man City, Old Trafford - Sunday 13th September 2026
• Man City vs Man United, Etihad Stadium - Saturday 20th March 2027

North London Derby

Arguably London’s biggest rivalry, the North London enemies Arsenal and Tottenham are no stranger to a fierce duel in this matchup.

Despite a large difference in fortunes last season, what with Arsenal going on to break their league title drought while Spurs were embroiled in the relegation battle for some time, this derby always comes with fire and turmoil.

• Tottenham vs Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium - Saturday 5th December 2026
• Arsenal vs Tottenham, Emirates Stadium - Saturday 1st May 2027

Merseyside Derby

The city of Liverpool is forever divided into two colours; red for Liverpool and blue for Everton. The pair's rivalry runs deeper than football, so when they clash it is always a must-see occasion.

• Everton vs Liverpool, Hill Dickinson Stadium - Saturday 28th November 2026
• Liverpool vs Everton, Anfield - Saturday 30th January 2027

Manchester United vs Liverpool

The neighbouring cities of Manchester and Liverpool have harboured a strong rivalry with their two historically main teams.

Man United and Liverpool are two of England's most successful clubs of all time, and their rivalry runs deeper than many others.

• Liverpool vs Manchester United, Anfield - Saturday 21st November 2026
• Manchester United vs Liverpool, Old Trafford - Saturday 23rd January 2027

Tyne-Wear Derby

The Tyne-Wear Derby is a true showcase of an English red-hot rivalry, with Sunderland and Newcastle fans alike always pining for the upperhand over their opponent.

Last season was the first time the pair competed together in the same league since 2016, and surprisingly it was Sunderland who came out on top.

• Newcastle vs Sunderland, St James’ Park - Saturday 5th December 2026
• Sunderland vs Newcastle, Stadium of Light - Saturday 1st May 2027

Transfer window dates

The transfer windows are the most exciting time of the year for news. Keeping up with Fabrizio Romano and seeing what rumours are swirling about your team is a massive part of the fun!

The summer transfer window is currently open and has been since Monday 15th June. It will then close on Tuesday 1st September at 11pm BST.

The winter window will then come as standard during January, officially beginning Friday 1st January 2027 and ending on Monday 1st February 2027. Official opening and closing times are yet to be confirmed.

International breaks

There will be several Internationals breaks throughout the season to break it up, with the first coming at the start of September, shortly after the season has just started (major buzzkill).

• 21st September - 6th October 2026
• 9th - 17th November 2026
• 22nd - 30th March 2027
• 7th - 15th June 2027

As well as the standard international breaks, there are also the international cup competitions for certain confederations that will be contested during the season. 

The 2026/27 season will feature three such competitions, with the AFC Asian Cup, Concacaf Gold Cup and the African Cup of Nations (AFCON, as it’s better known) all taking place this campaign.

Fortunately for teams, the Gold Cup and AFCON will be played at the end of the domestic season so as to not interrupt the European seasons.

The Asian Cup is still being played during the campaign, however, meaning some teams will have to do without key members of the dressing room.

Asian Cup - 7th January 2027 - 5th February 2027

Concacaf Gold Cup - 18th June 2027 - 11th July 2027

Africa Cup of Nations - 19th June 2027 - 17th July 2027

Will there be a winter break?

To accommodate for the mid-August start, there is no winter break scheduled for the upcoming season.

Once again after being introduced two seasons ago, the clubs have been assured that they will not play twice in less than 60 hours over the course of the Christmas and New Year period, which is notoriously known for its busy schedule due to league games, Carabao Cup and FA Cup fixtures.

FA Cup dates

Speaking of the FA Cup, the third round, the stage which all the Premier League clubs are introduced in, will take place on the weekend of Saturday 9th January 2027.

Premier League on Sky Sports

Sky Sports have retained the rights to show the majority of games this season, with another 215 games shown live.

This includes all Friday and Monday night fixtures, as well as the 5:30pm kickoffs on Saturdays, and Super Sunday (two fixtures every Sunday, 2pm & 4:30pm).

If you’re not already a Sky customer and want to enjoy the Premier League this season without having to always be going down to your local pub, you’ll need to get Sky Sports for your TV at home.

There are multiple options for you to choose from so you can enjoy the services that Sky has to offer.

With any Sky Sports package, you won’t just get Premier League football, but all Sky Sports channels, which includes a total of 12 channels and features exclusive sports such as Formula 1, PGA Tour golf, ATP & WTA Tour tennis and more.

Premier League on TNT Sports

Sky Sports isn’t the only provider to be showing games this season. TNT Sport is the only channel that will show the early kickoff games on Saturdays, plus they’ll have some midweek games at points throughout the campaign.

You can check out the TNT Sports packages we have available, or TNT Sport can be added to your Sky Sports package if you are looking to customise it.