The full schedule for this season’s Premier League festive fixtures has been revealed, with there being a bumper 40 fixtures in just 15 days across Christmas and New Year. Here, football writer Tom Hancock looks are some of the key things to look out for.
Festive fixtures start with a bang
The Premier League’s 2025/26 festive programme all gets under way on Saturday 20 December, with Chelsea travelling to Newcastle United for the lunchtime kick-off. Ten other sides are in action that day, with Liverpool’s early-evening trip to Tottenham Hotspur the other standout match.
Three more games follow on Sunday, with Arsenal making their first visit to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium and Manchester United heading to Aston Villa, before Fulham host Nottingham Forest in the final Monday night fixture of 2025.
Forty games in 15 days
It will, as ever, be a time of rotation for managers, with every team playing four games in barely two weeks. It will also be a time of fixation for Premier League fans: there is at least one live televised match in the UK on 10 of the 15 days making up the top flight’s festive period.
Some sides may be less affected by the thick and fast nature of the fixtures – perhaps none more so than Spurs, who don’t leave London at all. After entertaining Liverpool, Spurs travel to Crystal Palace and then Brentford, before a home encounter with Sunderland to begin 2026.
Only one match on Boxing Day - but it's a cracker
There will be just one Premier League fixture this Boxing Day, with Man Utd taking on Newcastle under the lights at Old Trafford.
All of the other Matchweek 18 fixtures take place on 27 and 28 December.
No Christmas Eve match this year
Only two Premier League matches have ever played on 24 December: Wolverhampton Wanderers v Chelsea in 2023 and Leeds United v Man Utd in 1995. There will be no such Christmas Eve match this year, with the final game before Christmas Day this time around falling on Monday 22 December.
2025 ends in style
The final Premier League matches of 2025 take place on Tuesday 30 December, with 12 teams in action that evening.
Four matches kick off at 19:30 GMT, including Chelsea v AFC Bournemouth, before two 20:15 GMT kick-offs bring down the curtain on the calendar year: Arsenal entertain Villa, while Man Utd host Wolves.
A bumper New Year’s Day
The games keep coming thick and fast as the Premier League enters 2026, and it all gets under way at 17:30 GMT with a London derby between Crystal Palace and Fulham while Liverpool welcome Leeds to Anfield.
There are two more matches later on New Year’s Day, with the 20:00 GMT action seeing Spurs head to Brentford in another London derby and Manchester City visit Sunderland.
Festive fixtures end on 4 January
This season’s festive schedule draws to a close on Sunday 4 January, which sees no fewer than six fixtures across the day.
It all begins at 12:30 GMT with a mouthwatering contest between Leeds and Man Utd at Elland Road, while Man City v Chelsea at 17:30 GMT rounds things off.