Premier League 2026/27 starts on 21 August with Arsenal against Coventry

The next Premier League season already has its dates, fixtures and format set. The kick-off is scheduled for the evening of Friday, 21 August 2026, at the Emirates Stadium, where Arsenal – the reigning champion – hosts Coventry City, promoted from the Championship. The start a week later than usual has a clear reason: to give players recovery time after the 2026 World Cup.

Super Cup and the close of the season

Before the championship itself begins, Arsenal face Manchester City in the traditional English Super Cup on Sunday, 16 August, at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. City enter the contest as winners of the 2026 FA Cup. The ball rolls at 15h (Brasília time, four hours behind BST).

The season ends on 30 May 2027, with all ten matches of the final round played simultaneously. The calendar was built to finish a week before the Champions League final.

Coventry returns to the top flight after years of absence. Ipswich Town secured the second direct promotion, while Hull City completed the trio of promoted sides by beating Middlesbrough in the playoff final. On the other side, West Ham, Burnley and Wolves were relegated in the previous cycle.

In the European race, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Manchester City and Manchester United go to the Champions League league phase, which begins between 8 and 10 September. Bournemouth and Sunderland entered the Europa League through their performance in the last round, while Crystal Palace will also play the competition after winning the Conference League. Brighton took the Conference League spot.

Transfer windows and cup calendar

The summer window opened on 15 June and closes on 1 September 2026, at 23h (UK time). The January one runs from 1 January to 1 February 2027. The FA Cup will hold its third round on the weekend of 9 and 10 January, with the final set for 22 May 2027, at Wembley. Christmas, which falls on a Saturday this year, promises a busier round than that of 2025, when only one game was available for live broadcast on Boxing Day. The Premier League confirmed that no two Christmas rounds will take place with less than 60 hours between them.