Premier League drops Newcastle United & Sunderland fixture hint ahead of 2025-26 announcement
The countdown to the 2025-26 Premier League season is officially on, with Newcastle United set to learn their fixture schedule when the full list is released at 9am on Wednesday morning. Supporters and players alike will finally get a glimpse at the roadmap ahead for the Magpies, who will be looking to build on their recent performances under head coach Eddie Howe.
Pre-Season Preparations in Full Swing
Before the campaign officially kicks off, Eddie Howe’s squad will return to training for the start of pre-season on Monday, July 7. From there, Newcastle have lined up a competitive and globe-spanning pre-season schedule designed to fine-tune fitness levels and test the squad against elite opposition.
The Magpies’ warm-up games include high-profile friendlies against Celtic, Arsenal, the K-League All Stars, Tottenham Hotspur, and Atletico Madrid. The tour begins with a trip to Glasgow to face Celtic, followed by a journey across Asia that includes stops in Singapore and Seoul, where Newcastle will take on Arsenal, the K-League All Stars, and Spurs in front of international fans.
The final pre-season fixture will be a blockbuster clash at St. James’ Park against La Liga giants Atletico Madrid on Saturday, August 9, serving as the club’s last test before the Premier League kicks off.
When Does the New Premier League Season Begin?
The 2025-26 Premier League season is scheduled to begin over the weekend of Saturday, August 16, giving clubs ample time to prepare following the conclusion of the 2024-25 season. The campaign will then run through until Sunday, May 24, 2026, when the final round of fixtures will be played simultaneously to ensure fairness and drama on the final day.
In a bid to improve player welfare, the Premier League has confirmed that there will be no fixtures on December 24, 2025, and no match rounds will take place within 60 hours of each other over the congested festive period. This is part of an ongoing effort to manage the physical toll on players during a traditionally demanding stretch of the calendar.
The upcoming season will include 33 weekends of action, supplemented by five midweek rounds. The start date of August 16 ensures an 83-day break for players following the conclusion of the previous campaign, while the end date in May avoids any conflict with international call-ups for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Home or Away to Start the Season?
Under Eddie Howe, Newcastle United have traditionally begun the season at home. In fact, they’ve opened the campaign at St. James’ Park in each of Howe’s three full seasons, enjoying victories over Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa, and Southampton. However, that trend may be broken this year.
Due to logistical planning by the Premier League, it’s likely that Newcastle will begin the season away from home. This is primarily due to the scheduling needs of local rivals Sunderland, who must be away from home on the second weekend of the campaign because the Stadium of Light is set to host a Women’s Rugby World Cup fixture between England and the USA.
The Premier League has explained how certain clubs are designated as “partner clubs” — teams that cannot both play at home on the same weekend due to travel and policing concerns. Examples include Manchester United and Manchester City, or Liverpool and Everton. Similar precautions are considered across the Football League and the capital, where multiple London clubs must be strategically rotated to avoid transit congestion. This often affects fixture sequencing, and Newcastle could be impacted as part of this planning.
Despite this, Newcastle have started the season with a home match in 11 of the last 13 seasons. The only exceptions came in the 2013-14 season (away to Manchester City) and in 2020-21 (away to West Ham United).
The Tyne-Wear Derby Returns to the Premier League
One of the standout storylines of the upcoming season is the long-awaited return of the Tyne-Wear derby to the top flight. Sunderland’s promotion to the Premier League after an eight-year absence ensures that fans will once again witness one of English football’s most passionate rivalries on the biggest domestic stage.
The last time Newcastle and Sunderland met in the Premier League was during the 2015-16 season, while their most recent encounter in any competition came in the FA Cup in January 2024, when Newcastle ran out 3-0 winners at the Stadium of Light. Before that, the two sides hadn’t faced each other since a 1-1 draw at St. James’ Park in March 2016.
A Changing Landscape
The 2025-26 Premier League campaign will also see a reshaped roster of opponents. Alongside Sunderland, Leeds United and Burnley have also secured promotion from the Championship, injecting fresh competition and reviving historic rivalries. Meanwhile, Ipswich Town, Leicester City, and Southampton have dropped back down to the second tier, meaning some of Newcastle’s away days this season will involve shorter travel distances.
All eyes will be on how Newcastle navigates their early fixtures, especially with new arrivals, a reinvigorated squad, and the intense challenge of juggling domestic and potentially European ambitions. The release of the fixture list will mark the first step in what promises to be another thrilling chapter in the club’s modern era under Eddie Howe.