Scottish Premiership will officially start in July as Celtic, Rangers and Hearts learn 2026/27 fixtures

The 2026/27 Scottish Premiership season will officially kick off in July as defending champions Celtic, rivals Rangers and runners’ up Hearts learn the opening fixtures of the campaign.

Celtic pipped Hearts to the Scottish Premiership title on the final day of the season last month.

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Goals from Arne Engels, Daizen Maeda and Callum Osmand saw the Bhoys beat the Jam Tarts to the punch with a 3-1 win at Parkhead.

Rangers, meanwhile, ended the season in third place as they lost four of their last five matches to finish 10 points off the pace.

The Gers made a managerial change on Wednesday as former Hearts boss Derek McInnes succeeded Danny Rohl at the Ibrox helm.

And last season’s top three have learned their fate for the opening weeks of the 2026/27 campaign.

When does the 2026/27 Scottish Premiership season start?

The 2026/27 Scottish Premiership campaign gets underway on Friday 31 July when McInnes takes his Rangers side to Dundee United.

Hearts play their first game of the post-McInnes era on Saturday 1 August when they face Aberdeen at Pittodrie.

Celtic, meanwhile, kick off their title defence with a trip to Dundee on Monday 3 August.

The opening round of fixtures and kick-off times can be found below.

Defending champions Celtic, however, are not happy about the scheduling of their opening game of the season, which clashes with the Champions Flag Day scheduling.

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“Celtic Football Club has been informed that its first match will be played on Monday, August 3, 2026 in the forthcoming league season,” the club said in a statement.

“With the fixtures being officially released today, it is important that supporters are aware of this as early as possible and the background to this decision, which is out of our control.

“Clearly, our priority will always be our supporters and, against any measure, staging the Champions Flag Day on a Monday evening is disappointing.

“We have made repeated representations to Police Scotland and to the SPFL to avoid this scheduling, however, surprisingly, we have been told that there is no choice owing to Police Scotland being unable to support the fixture on a weekend which co-incides with other events.

“Through positive dialogue with the SPFL and Sky Sports, however, it has been agreed that in recognition of the demands placed on our travelling supporters, particularly from Ireland, the kick off will be brought forward to the earlier time of 7.30pm from the previously designated 8pm start, something which is significant for travel connections.

“While it will never detract from the team’s phenomenal and most deserving achievement, we feel strongly that a weekend timing should have been facilitated in the interests of both teams, both sets of supporters and the status of the fixture.

“Regardless of these disappointing circumstances we will still ensure that this a very special day for our supporters as we celebrate our fifth consecutive Premiership title.”

When are the Old Firm games?

One of the most anticipated games of the Scottish Premiership calendar is the Old Firm meeting between fierce rivals Celtic and Rangers.

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The Glasgow giants won’t have to wait long for the first clash between the pair with the opening meeting of the season taking place at Parkhead on Sunday 20 September, and is pencilled in for a midday kick off.

The pair are then scheduled to meet one another at Ibrox on Saturday 2 January 2027, though that is subject to change.

And they face off once again at Parkhead on Saturday 27 February in a match that is expected to be rescheduled as it’ll be expected to be shown live on TV.

The fourth Old Firm is then set to then take place once the league splits for the final five games of the season.

Last season’s Old Firm in March was marred by fan violence after supporters stormed the pitch.

McInnes, meanwhile, will face former employers Hearts for the first time on Wednesday 28 October.

Is there a Winter Break?

There will be no winter break again this season given the increase in demands of the European schedule.

As things stand, champions Celtic are the only side guaranteed European football beyond the Champions League qualifiers next season.

Martin O’Neill’s side fell at the play-off hurdle to Kairat Almaty last season, and again need to navigate a play-off in order to book a spot in Europe’s elite club competition.

Celtic are yet to learn their opponents, and discover their qualifying fate on 3 August, with their two-legged tie taking place later that month.

Defeat at that stage will see them, as they did last season, drop into the Europa League once more.

Hearts begin their European adventure the round before Celtic in the second round of Champions League qualifying, while Rangers enter in the third round of Europa League qualifying.

In the first round of UEFA Conference League qualifiers, meanwhile, Motherwell face Havnar Boltfelag of the Faroe Islands.

Hibs will take on the winner of Albanian side Vllaznia and Malisheva of Kosovo in the second round of qualifiers.