Key dates for 2026/27

The SPFL has today confirmed some key dates for the 2026/27 season, with the league campaign again kicking off on the first weekend in August.

The William Hill Premiership, William Hill Championship, William Hill League 1 and William Hill League 2 will all begin on August 1/2, 2026.

The William Hill Premiership will conclude on the weekend of May 15/16 and the final round of the William Hill Championship will take place on Friday April 30. William Hill League 1 and League 2 will finish on Saturday May 1, with the play-offs getting under way on Tuesday May 4.

The new FIFA calendar comes into effect next season and the amalgamation of the September/October international windows means there will be no William Hill Premiership matches scheduled for the weekends of September 26/27 and October 3/4.

The group stage of the Premier Sports Cup will begin on the weekend of July 11/12, with the final set for Sunday December 13. The quarter-finals will take place a week earlier next season – the weekend of September 12/13 – to allow William Hill Premiership matches to be scheduled for the weekend immediately preceding the extended international break.

The dates for the 2026/27 KDM Evolution Trophy will be confirmed in due course.

SPFL Chief Operating Officer Calum Beattie said: “It’s a hugely exciting time for Scottish football, with so much to play for across all four divisions of the SPFL in the coming months and the feel-good factor of Scotland’s dramatic win over Denmark to secure a World Cup place.

“We are pleased to be able to confirm some of the key dates for season 2026/27, including the full schedule for the Premier Sports Cup, to allow clubs and supporters to plan ahead. In the meantime, we are very much looking forward to the second half of the domestic campaign and the return of the men’s national team to the biggest stage for the first time since 1998.”

KEY DATES FOR SEASON 2026/27

WILLIAM HILL PREMIERSHIP

Fixture round 1
Weekend of August 1/2, 2026

Fixture round 33
Weekend of April 10/11, 2027

Fixture round 38
Weekend of May 15/16, 2027

William Hill Premiership play-off final
Thursday May 20 & Sunday May 23, 2027

WILLIAM HILL CHAMPIONSHIP

Fixture round 1
Weekend of July 31/August 1, 2026

Fixture round 36
Friday April 30, 2027

WILLIAM HILL LEAGUE 1 & WILLIAM HILL LEAGUE 2

Fixture round 1
Saturday August 1, 2026

Fixture round 36
Saturday May 1, 2027

PREMIER SPORTS CUP

Group stage
MD1: Weekend of July 11/12, 2026
MD2: Midweek of July 14/15, 2026
MD3: Weekend of July 18/19, 2026
MD4: Midweek of July 21/22, 2026
MD5: Weekend of July 25/26, 2026

Second round
Weekend of August 15/16, 2026

Quarter-finals
Weekend of September 12/13, 2026

Semi-finals
Weekend of October 31/November 1, 2026

Final
Sunday December 13, 2026