Manchester City fans will travel to Newcastle United on Boxing Day as the traditional festive fixture returns to the calendar for the 2026/27 season. Last year, supporters were left frustrated as only one Premier League game, Manchester United's home clash with Newcastle, was scheduled for December 26.
In England, the Boxing Day match is seen as a tradition for supporters and while the EFL had a full list of matches on December 26, the Premier League did not. Explaining the decision in a statement, the Premier League said: "The Premier League would like to acknowledge the circumstances that have led to a reduced number of matches on Boxing Day this season – impacting an important tradition in English football."
"There are now several challenges to Premier League fixture scheduling rooted in the expansion of European club competitions – which led to a revision of our domestic calendar ahead of last season, including changes to the FA Cup. This ultimately left the Premier League as a 33-weekend competition – fewer than previous seasons, despite being a 380-match competition since 1995."
"With fewer weekends to work with, the League is bound by how the calendar falls. The Premier League can give an assurance that next season there will be more Premier League matches on Boxing Day – as the date falls on a Saturday."
"As with previous years, and in keeping with our commitment to clubs, special arrangements have been made to allow more time between games played across the festive period. This will allow greater time for players to recover with the rest periods between rounds 18, 19 and 20 being increased to ensure that no club plays within 60 hours of another match."
The Premier League has stuck to their word so far with all ten matches currently pencilled in for Boxing Day. However, fixtures could still be moved from Saturday, December 26, due to TV selections.
City's trip to Newcastle makes up a busy festive schedule for the Blues. While Boxing Day returns to the calendar, there are currently no games scheduled for New Year's Day, but that is likely to change when TV picks are confirmed.
Manchester City's festive schedule in full
- Hull City (H) - December 19
- Newcastle United (A) - December 26
- Everton (A) - December 30
- Tottenham Hotspur (H) - January 2
- Leeds United (A) - January 6
