Derek McInnes walks into Tannadice on Friday, July 31, for his first league match as Rangers manager, and the whole country will be able to watch. Sky Sports will show all six Scottish Premiership matches of the 2026/27 opening weekend live, which has never happened before. The games run over four days, through Monday, August 3.
The schedule:
Friday, July 31: Dundee United v Rangers, 8pm.
Saturday, August 1: Falkirk v St Mirren, 3pm, then Aberdeen v Hearts, 5.30pm.
Sunday, August 2: St Johnstone v Kilmarnock, 2pm, then Hibernian v Motherwell, 4.30pm.
Monday, August 3: Celtic v Dundee, 7.30pm.
Hearts were runners-up last season and are looking for a replacement for McInnes, who has left for Rangers. St Mirren are now led by Craig McLeish. St Johnstone are back in the top flight, and Hibernian, entering the Conference League, face Motherwell. Celtic, who won the title on the last day of last season, start their defence under Martin O’Neill.
SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster called it “a first for Scottish football.” Gary Hughes, Sky Sports director of football, said the broadcaster wants to “showcase all 12 clubs” at the start of the season, and pointed to a rise of more than 20 per cent in viewing last season.
The dates that follow
The first Old Firm match is at Celtic Park on September 20, with the return at Ibrox on January 2, 2027, and a final pre-split meeting at Parkhead on February 27, 2027. The first Edinburgh derby is at Easter Road on September 2, when Hibernian host Hearts. Dundee United host Dundee on August 22 for the first Dundee derby.
That August 22 weekend is already thinned out. An SPFL rule lets any club in a European play-off tie move the league match that falls between the two legs, and Celtic have used it, so their game at St Johnstone will be moved. Rangers have asked to postpone their match against St Mirren to prepare for their own play-off.
There will be no top-flight games on the weekends of September 26/27 and October 3/4, because the September and October international windows have been merged. The regular season ends on the weekend of May 15/16, 2027.
