A month after the conclusion of the 2024-25 Premier League, the 2025-26 campaign is already in sight, with 20 clubs vying for varying levels of success in England’s top tier next season.
Liverpool will come into the new campaign as champions, while Sunderland are back in the big time for the first time in almost a decade, joining Leeds United and Burnley in coming up from the Championship.
There are multiple storylines to keep an eye on over the coming campaign, with nine English clubs in Europe, Manchester United facing a do-or-die season under Ruben Amorim, and Everton walking out for a home game away from Goodison Park for the first time in 133 years.
Here, Sports Mole runs through all the important dates you need to add to your diary ahead of the 2025-26 Premier League season.
When is the opening day of the 2025-26 Premier League season?
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk with the Premier League trophy, on May 26, 2025
The 2025-26 Premier League campaign gets underway on Friday, August 15, when champions Liverpool welcome Bournemouth to Anfield, and the action continues over the following three days.
Burnley and Sunderland make their top-flight returns on August 16, while the pick of the opening fixtures takes place on August 17, as Manchester United host Arsenal.
The opening weekend concludes with a Monday night game under the lights at Elland Road between newly-promoted Leeds United and Everton on August 18.
When is the final day of the 2025-26 Premier League season?
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola on April 12, 2025
As is customary in the Premier League, all 10 fixtures on the final weekend of the season will kick off simultaneously at 4pm on Sunday, and the date for those games in 2025-26 will be May 24.
Title-favourites Liverpool and Manchester City are both at home, facing Brentford and Aston Villa, respectively, while Arsenal will hope to be in contention, facing Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
Other notable final-day outings include Tottenham Hotspur versus Everton, and Sunderland versus Chelsea, as the latter could have implications at both ends of the table.
On what days do the festive fixtures fall during the 2025-26 Premier League season?
Mikel Arteta of Arsenal after his side's match against Leicester City, on February 15, 2025
Fans of the Boxing Day tradition have been left disappointed as no games, as of yet, have been penned in for December 26, with December 27 falling on a Saturday, but it is likely one or two matches could be moved forward for TV coverage.
The Premier League often tries to keep travel to a minimum around the festive period, and that means there will be two London derbies on that weekend, and another two when the 20 clubs are in action again three days later on December 30.
There is no let up, as more Premier League fixtures will be upon us on January 3, and TV selections could see matches moved to January 1-2 in addition to this.
When will the 2025-26 Premier League Tyne-Wear derbies take place?
Sunderland's Tom Watson celebrates scoring on May 24, 2025
The one derby that many neutrals will be excited for ahead of the 2025-26 Premier League is the return of the Tyne-Wear derby between Newcastle United and Sunderland.
Sunderland will have the honour of hosting the first meeting at the Stadium of Light on the weekend of December 13, while the two will reconvene at the St James’ Park on the weekend of March 21, as the season enters the final straight.
When will the 2025-26 Premier League Merseyside derbies take place?
Everton's James Tarkowski dives in studs-up on Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister on April 2, 2025
There will also be plenty of intrigue around the 2025-26 Merseyside derbies, because for the first time in over 133 years, Everton’s home clash with Liverpool will not take place at Goodison Park.
The Toffees’ new home at Bramley-Moore Dock will be open for the 2025-26 campaign, but champions Liverpool will have to wait until mid-April to make their first visit, barring any matchups in either cup competition.
Anfield will host the first Merseyside derby of the 2025-26 season, when Everton make the short trip to the champions on the weekend of September 20.
When will the 2025-26 Premier League Manchester derbies take place?
Manchester City's Ruben Dias in action with Manchester United's Alejandro Garnacho on April 6, 2025
The first meeting of the two Manchester giants comes early in the 2025-26 campaign, as City will welcome United across town to the Etihad on the weekend of September 13, around the same week Pep Guardiola’s side will begin their Champions League adventure, while Ruben Amorim’s men will likely be playing their second EFL Cup fixture of the season.
United will host City at Old Trafford in mid-January, meaning local bragging rights for the 2025-26 season will be decided early in that particular footballing hotbed.
When will the 2025-26 Premier League London derbies take place?
Tottenham Hotspur's Guglielmo Vicario and Arsenal's Jurrien Timber clash on September 15, 2024
There are a number of derbies in London for the capital’s respective clubs to look forward to in the 2025-26 season, most notably the North London derby between Arsenal and Spurs, which will take place at the Emirates on the weekend of November 22, and at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on the weekend of February 21.
Chelsea’s first four games of the season are all against fellow London clubs, but their big local derby will also be against Spurs, and Enzo Maresca’s men will go to North London on November 1, before welcoming them back to Stamford Bridge on the penultimate weekend of the season.
Other notable dates for the 2025-26 Premier League diary:
Everton's new Hill Dickinson Stadium, built at Bramley-Moore Dock
A piece of history will be made during the second weekend of the 2025-26 season, as that will see Everton walk out at their brand-new waterfront stadium for the first time in a competitive meeting against Brighton & Hove Albion, during a stacked weekend of fixtures that also includes Newcastle versus Liverpool, and Man City versus Spurs.
The weekend later, the first of the potential title battles will take place, as Liverpool and Arsenal go head-to-head at Anfield at the end of August, before the two will face off again in midweek in early January.
Man City will expect to compete once more after an underwhelming campaign in 2024-25, and their clashes against Liverpool are set to be vital, with them falling on November 8 (home) and February 7 (away) this coming season.
Liverpool versus Man United is always a notable date in the English calendar too, and the first north-west clash will take place at Anfield on the weekend of October 18, before the champions go to Old Trafford at the start of May.
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