Boxing Day 2026: seven matches on 26 December, and how to get in

Boxing Day is the one matchday every English football fan wants to be at, which is precisely why it is the hardest to get into. On 26 December 2026 the Premier League plays seven matches, from a 12:30 kick-off in Birmingham to a 20:00 finish at St James' Park. We hold official tickets for most of them.

And it does not stop there. Between 26 December and 7 January the league gets through four complete matchdays — the densest stretch of the entire season, and the only time of year when two matches on two consecutive days need no cross-country dash.

Which matches are played on Boxing Day 2026?

Because 26 December falls on a Saturday, the fixtures are spread across the whole day rather than bunched at three o'clock. All times are local.

• 12:30 — Aston Villa v Leeds United at Villa Park, tickets from 109 euros
• 15:00 — Everton v Sunderland, from 209 euros
• 15:00 — Fulham v Brighton & Hove Albion, from 149 euros
• 15:00 — Ipswich Town v Brentford at Portman Road
• 15:00 — Tottenham Hotspur v Bournemouth, from 149 euros
• 17:30 — Hull City v Liverpool
• 20:00 — Newcastle United v Manchester City closes the day

The following afternoon brings three more: Coventry City v Chelsea at 14:00, Manchester United v Nottingham Forest at 16:30 and Crystal Palace v Arsenal at 19:00.

How much does a Boxing Day ticket cost?

The cheapest way in over this weekend is Aston Villa against Leeds United at 109 euros. At the other end, the London fixture of the period — Arsenal v Ipswich Town on 2 January — starts at 699 euros.

As a rule of thumb across the whole stretch: seats at the smaller hosts run between 100 and 250 euros, matches at the leading clubs between 350 and 700 euros. All prices are per person and buy an official ticket, not a resale listing. Adding a hotel costs 35 to 70 euros per person per night depending on the city.

Two matches in one trip: London or the North West

The fixture list makes two clusters possible, and they suit different travellers.

London. Over Christmas there is Tottenham v Brighton on 29 December, then two matches on 30 December — Fulham v Arsenal and Crystal Palace v Bournemouth, both at 19:30. The first weekend of January brings Arsenal at home on the Saturday and Chelsea v Newcastle United on the Sunday, and on 6 January Crystal Palace v Chelsea and Fulham v Tottenham both kick off at 19:30.

The North West. Liverpool and Manchester are fifty kilometres apart, an hour by train — close enough to work both cities from one hotel. Everton host Sunderland on Boxing Day, Manchester United host Nottingham Forest the next afternoon. Between the years, Everton v Manchester City on 29 December is followed by Manchester United v Sunderland on the 30th. On 2 January Liverpool v Coventry City is at Anfield, with Manchester City v Tottenham the following day.

For anyone flying in from Ireland, Scandinavia or the Benelux, both clusters are a two-night trip rather than a week. Manchester and Liverpool have the shorter connections; London has the greater choice of fixtures.

Why London is the stronger option this year

Because the PDC World Darts Championship runs at Alexandra Palace at the same time. The tournament starts on 11 December, breaks over Christmas and resumes on 27 December with an afternoon and an evening session every day.

That produces a combination available nowhere else. On Saturday 2 January, Arsenal kick off at 15:00 at the Emirates and the darts semi-final begins three hours later at Ally Pally — both in north London, half an hour apart. On Sunday 3 January, Chelsea host Newcastle in the afternoon and the world darts final closes the evening.

What to know before you book

Kick-off times can still move. The league schedules the Christmas fixtures earlier than usual for the broadcasters, but a shift of a day remains possible. If a match moves, your ticket stays valid and we rebook the hotel at no cost.

Nothing runs on 25 December. No trains, no London Underground, and a reduced service on Boxing Day itself. Anyone attending on the 26th should arrive on the 24th at the latest.

Hotels go before tickets do. London is full over New Year in any case, and the darts brings tens of thousands more into the city. The room, not the seat, is usually what decides whether a trip happens.

Every match listed here is available as a ticket on its own or with a hotel. Tell us the city and the dates you have in mind and we will put it together.