The Leeds United festive fixtures puzzle has finally been solved. The Premier League have confirmed dates and kick-off times for four of the Whites’ games across Christmas and the New Year, and the headline is a Boxing Day lunchtime at Villa Park followed by a run of three floodlit nights that will keep Elland Road busy well into January.
Leeds United festive fixtures in full
As reported by the Yorkshire Evening Post, the confirmed schedule reads:
- Saturday 26 December, 12.30pm — Aston Villa v Leeds United (TNT Sports)
- Tuesday 29 December, 7.30pm — Hull City v Leeds United (Sky Sports)
- Friday 1 January, 8pm — Leeds United v Everton (Sky Sports)
- Wednesday 6 January, 8.15pm — Leeds United v Manchester City (Sky Sports)
Three of the four have been picked up by Sky Sports, with TNT Sports taking the Boxing Day trip. It means every one of Daniel Farke’s festive fixtures will be beamed out live — a reminder of how quickly the Whites have become a broadcaster’s pick again in their second successive season back in the top flight.
Boxing Day moves to a Villa Park lunchtime
Gameweek 17 had originally been pencilled in for a 3pm start on Saturday 26 December. The date has not moved, but the clock has: Leeds will now kick off at 12.30pm, the first of seven Premier League games scheduled for the traditional Boxing Day slot.
For travelling supporters, a lunchtime kick-off on 26 December is the sort of scheduling decision that gets discussed long before the football does. There is no easy way to get to Birmingham on Boxing Day morning, and an earlier start makes the trip harder rather than simpler — though it does at least return Leeds fans home at a sensible hour.
Hull away, Everton on New Year’s Day, City under the lights
What follows is a genuinely punishing 12 days. Back-to-back away trips take Leeds to Villa and then to the MKM Stadium on Tuesday 29 December, a 7.30pm kick-off against a Hull City side who now count former Elland Road forward Joe Gelhardt among their number after his £6.5m summer move.
The Everton game has been shifted from its original slot to Friday 1 January, an 8pm start on New Year’s Day, before Manchester City visit Elland Road at 8.15pm on Wednesday 6 January. Four games in 12 days, three of them in evening slots, and the small mercy of two home ties to close the run.
What it means for Farke’s squad
Squad depth was the whole argument behind a seven-signing summer, and a December like this one is where that investment gets tested. Farke’s side have made a solid start — five points from their opening three league games, with a win at Nottingham Forest and draws against Brentford and Brighton — but their Carabao Cup exit at Chelsea on Wednesday night removed one route to extra fixtures, which at least means a cleaner December calendar than a cup run would have brought.
It is also the second piece of fixture reshuffling Leeds have had to absorb this month, after the home game against Crystal Palace was moved because of the opposition’s European commitments. For anyone plotting travel or working out which subscription they need, our guide to watching Leeds United on TV breaks down the channels and streaming options for the season.
Ethan Ampadu’s side now have four dates to circle in the diary. Whether the festive run defines the campaign or merely dents it, Leeds know exactly when and where it begins: Villa Park, 12.30pm, Boxing Day.
