Premier League 2026/27 season start date: the confirmed opening weekend and the calendar around it
The Premier League 2026/27 season is due to start on Saturday, August 22, 2026. That date appears in transfer-window coverage and sits just over two months after the summer window opens on Monday, June 15, 2026.
The Premier League has separately confirmed the 2026/27 summer and winter transfer windows, with deals commencing from Monday, June 15 this summer. England’s winter transfer window opens on January 1, 2027 and closes on February 1, 2027 at 11pm.
Key dates
| Event | Confirmed date | Source/publication | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League 2026/27 season start | Saturday, August 22, 2026 | Premier League transfer-window coverage | This is the opening weekend for the 2026/27 campaign. |
| Summer transfer window opens | Monday, June 15, 2026 | Premier League website | Clubs can begin summer business from this date. |
| Winter transfer window opens | January 1, 2027 | Premier League website | January recruitment begins at the start of the new year. |
| Winter transfer window closes | February 1, 2027 at 11pm | Premier League website | This is the deadline for winter deals in England. |
What is already live on the Premier League site
The official Premier League website already has 2026/27 fixtures, results and live matches pages live, and also a 2026/27 table/standings page live. The league’s season pages are already live, while exact fixture timings often arrive in stages.
ESPN’s 2025-26 fixtures explainer noted that kick-off times were only confirmed for August in that release cycle. That gives a useful guide for how schedule details can be rolled out in phases rather than all at once.
Sunderland’s pre-season schedule
Sunderland are one of the promoted clubs, and Sky Sports already lists three summer friendlies for them before the Premier League starts on August 22.
| Date | Match | Location | Kick-off time (BST) | Source/publication |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 25, 2026 | Sunderland vs Liverpool | Nashville | 11pm BST | Sky Sports |
| July 30, 2026 | Sunderland vs Leeds | New Jersey | 12.30am BST | Sky Sports |
| August 2, 2026 | Sunderland vs Wrexham | Philadelphia | 6pm BST | Sky Sports |
What this means for the run-up to opening weekend
The calendar is already set around the Premier League 2026/27 season start date. Transfer business begins on June 15, the league’s season pages are live, and Sunderland’s pre-season dates fill the late-July and early-August window before opening weekend.
That leaves Saturday, August 22, 2026 as the key date to circle, with the winter window then arriving on January 1, 2027 and closing on February 1, 2027 at 11pm.