Here is the festive run as it stands in mid-November. On Boxing Day, Saturday 26 December, Liverpool are away at Hull City (5.30pm) and Everton are at home to Sunderland (3pm). Everton then host Manchester City on Tuesday 29 December, Liverpool go to Aston Villa on Wednesday 30 December, Everton play the only New Year’s Day fixture at Leeds United (8pm), and Liverpool are home to Coventry City on Saturday 2 January. Times can still move for television, so treat the details below as the current schedule rather than a promise.
The fixtures, side by side
| Date | Liverpool | Everton |
|---|---|---|
| Sat 26 Dec | Hull City (a), 5.30pm | Sunderland (h), 3pm |
| Tue 29 Dec | – | Manchester City (h), 8.15pm |
| Wed 30 Dec | Aston Villa (a), 8.15pm | – |
| Fri 1 Jan | – | Leeds United (a), 8pm |
| Sat 2 Jan | Coventry City (h), 3pm | – |
These dates and kick-off times come from Sports Illustrated’s full 2026/27 Christmas schedule, published after the league announced its broadcast picks in September. The same schedule has both clubs in action again on 5 January, Liverpool away at Sunderland and Everton at home to Aston Villa.
Boxing Day is properly back
Supporters have grumbled for a while about short Boxing Day lists. When the league released this season’s fixtures in June it promised a fuller schedule of Boxing Day matches, along with a guaranteed minimum of 60 hours’ rest between fixtures for every club over Christmas and New Year. The result is seven games on Saturday 26 December and three more on Sunday the 27th.
For Evertonians, a 3pm kick-off at home on Boxing Day is about as traditional as it gets, with the twist that it is now at the waterfront rather than in L4. For Liverpool supporters, a 5.30pm start in Hull means a late return across the Pennines, with all the usual questions about how many trains will be running on a bank holiday.
Travel: the part that needs planning now
Christmas week is the worst time of year to leave transport to chance.
Hull v Liverpool
Boxing Day rail services are limited and sometimes absent on key routes, and engineering work often fills the gap. Check what is actually running before you buy a match ticket you cannot reach, and consider whether a coach or a shared car is more reliable. Remember that a 5.30pm kick-off finishes around 7.30pm, so you are looking at a late night home.
Everton v Sunderland
Home fans have the easy one on paper. In practice, Merseyrail and bus timetables on 26 December are not the same as a normal Saturday. If you usually get the train to Sandhills, check whether services are running at your usual time, and have a back-up plan for the walk.
Midweek evenings
Everton v Manchester City on the Tuesday and Aston Villa v Liverpool on the Wednesday are both 8.15pm starts. For the Villa game that means a late drive or a last train from Birmingham. For City at home, the shuttles and trains should run as for any evening match, but the period between Christmas and New Year has its own quirks, so check closer to the time.
Leeds v Everton, New Year’s Day
An 8pm kick-off on 1 January is the one fixture that will test the travelling Blues. It is the only Premier League game that day, which means plenty of eyes on it and very little else competing for the television audience. It also means a late return over the M62 or a very late train, on a day when many people are not at their freshest.
Why fixtures still move
The league aims to give at least six weeks’ notice of fixture changes up to the end of the calendar year, and five weeks from January onwards. Most festive selections were made in September, but cup replays, European fixtures and broadcaster choices can still nudge things. A useful rule: do not book non-refundable travel for a festive away game until the club confirms the date on its own website, and even then go for flexible fares where you can.
Watching from the sofa
Many of these games are live on UK television, and the 3pm Boxing Day kick-off at Everton may not be, because of the long-standing Saturday afternoon blackout on live football in the UK. If you are planning a Christmas at home around the football, check the listings closer to the day; we have a separate guide to how coverage is split between Sky Sports and TNT Sports this season.
If the family is divided, there is the small matter of Sunderland at 3pm and Hull at 5.30pm on the same afternoon. One telly, two matches, and a turkey sandwich negotiation that could rival any derby. Our piece on how the derby splits households covers the emotional side; the scheduling side you will have to sort out among yourselves.
If you are coming from out of town
Christmas is when exiled Scousers come home and plenty of visitors book a festive weekend around a game. If that is you, sort accommodation early, because hotels near the city centre fill up on matchday weekends in December. Plan to eat away from the stadium approach roads, and leave plenty of time for transport that runs on holiday timetables. Our local’s guide for visiting fans covers the walk in, food and the pubs worth your time, and most of it applies whichever ground you are heading for.
A note for families taking children
Festive fixtures are often a child’s first live game, and the evening kick-offs are cold. Layers, a hat and gloves matter more than a new replica shirt worn on its own. Eat before you go, because concourse queues at Christmas are long. If it is a first visit, a home game at 3pm on Boxing Day is a gentler introduction than an 8pm away trip.