LaLiga announces 2026/27 calendar with El Clásico in October and the return of the Galician Derby
The 2026/27 season of the Spanish championship already has its dates. LaLiga released the full calendar during a joint event with the Royal Spanish Football Federation at Plaza de Colón, in Madrid. The competition kicks off on the weekend of 16 August 2026 and ends on 30 May 2027 — a window of almost ten months that promises classics on both sides of the calendar.
El Clásico, the Madrid Derby, and the season’s big clashes
The most anticipated duel in Spanish football, the clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid, is set for matchday 10, on the weekend of 25 October, with Catalan home advantage. The return match takes place in Madrid on matchday 35, on 9 May — a decisive stretch of the season, which promises to make the second clásico even more charged with tension.
The Madrid Derby between Atlético and Real also has its path traced. The first meeting will be at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, on the weekend of September, on matchday 7. The return leg at the Santiago Bernabéu is set for 4 April, on matchday 30 — when the title race is usually at its hottest.
The Seville “Granderbi,” the classic between Sevilla and Real Betis, opens its doors at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán on 22 November, on matchday 13, with the return leg at the La Cartuja Stadium on 7 February. The Basque Derby between Athletic Club and Real Sociedad is scheduled for 1 November in Bilbao, with the return meeting in San Sebastián in early May.
Barcelona vs Espanyol, the Valencia Derby, and the big Galician news
The Barcelona classic between Espanyol and Barcelona is set for 3 January, on matchday 18, at the RCDE Stadium. The return match takes place at the Spotify Camp Nou on 18 April. On that same matchday of 3 January, Levante and Valencia face off at the Ciutat de València Stadium — with the rematch at the Mestalla scheduled for 7 March.
The season’s big news comes courtesy of the Galician Derby, which brings back one of the most passionate derbies on the Iberian Peninsula. The first meeting between Celta de Vigo and Deportivo will be at Balaídos, also on 3 January, with the return match at ABANCA-RIAZOR on 18 April. Eight years of waiting for this — and now it happens on two of the busiest dates on the calendar.
What to expect this season
With El Clásico right on matchday 10 and the Madrid Derby already on matchday 7, LaLiga 2026/27 promises a lively start — no time to settle in. The distribution of the big games across the calendar reflects a league strategy to keep global interest alive at different stages of the competition. The return of the Galician Derby adds a new chapter to a story interrupted almost a decade ago. If Deportivo manages to establish itself in the top flight, the rivalry with Celta could once again become one of the championship’s most vibrant ingredients.
