The Premier League has confirmed a seven-match programme for Boxing Day this year, with fixtures spread across four different kick-off times on Saturday, 26 December.

Four games will begin at 15:00 GMT, while the remaining three are scheduled for 12:30, 17:30, and 20:00. The slate is a significant expansion on last year's festive offering, when only one Boxing Day match took place.

The full Boxing Day schedule

Aston Villa host Leeds at 12:30, before Everton face Sunderland, Ipswich take on Brentford, and Spurs welcome AFC Bournemouth — all three kicking off at 15:00. Hull host Liverpool at 17:30, and the day concludes with Newcastle against Manchester City at 20:00.

Three further fixtures follow on Sunday, 27 December: Coventry host Chelsea at 14:00, Manchester Utd take on Nottingham Forest at 16:30, and Crystal Palace face Arsenal at 19:00.

A packed festive window

Beyond Boxing Day and the 27 December card, the Premier League will run three additional rounds of fixtures through to Thursday, 7 January. Evening midweek games are lined up for 29–30 December, with Leeds hosting Everton at 20:00 as the sole match on New Year's Day. The rest of that round continues over the weekend of 2–3 January, and a final batch of matches is spread across the evenings of 5–7 January.

The league moved to announce the festive schedule earlier than usual following discussions with broadcast partners and the Football Supporters' Association, as well as representatives from club Fan Advisory Boards.

To manage the strain of a congested calendar — a consequence of the expanded European and international schedules — the Premier League has guaranteed clubs a minimum 60-hour rest period between matches during the festive stretch.

Television selections for Premier League fixtures have been confirmed through Monday, 2 November. Broadcast choices for the remaining matches in November and December will be revealed during the weeks beginning 21 September and 19 October respectively.