Celtic 2026/27 key dates: Premiership fixtures, European draws, cup schedules and transfer window deadlines
Everything you need to know about all the key dates in Scotland ahead of the 2027/27 football season.
It won’t be long till clubs across Scotland start to get a clearer picture of how the 2026/27 season will look as both domestic and European fixtures are confirmed.
Celtic, who are set to confirm that Martin O’Neill will be remaining as head coach, go into the new campaign aiming to defend the league title and the Scottish Cup. Hoops’ supporters will also be hoping they can qualify for the League Phase of the UEFA Champions League and go on a memorable run in that competition.
With all that in mind, we’ve outlined all the key dates we know so far that Celtic supporters need to look out for. Here are when the domestic and European football schedules will be confirmed plus important transfer window deadlines:
When are the 2026/27 Scottish Premiership fixtures released and when does the season start?
The Scottish Premiership fixtures for the 2026/27 season are set to be released on Thursday, June 18. The schedule for the the top flight, as well as the other SPFL divisions, will be announced at noon.
The season is due to kick off on the first weekend of August (Saturday 1st and Sunday 2nd). The final round of regular season fixtures (Round 33) is scheduled for April 10/11 2027 and the final round following the split (Round 38) is scheduled for May 15/16 2027.
Scottish Cup dates 2026/27
The Scottish Cup begins with three preliminary rounds before the first round which usually occurs in November. Celtic enter the competition at the fourth round which traditionally takes place in January.
The Scottish Cup semi-finals traditionally take place between round 33 and 34 of the Scottish Premiership season, the final pre-split and first post-split fixtures. The final is traditionally played once the Premiership season had concluded in May.
*The SFA has yet to officially confirm the dates for the 2026/27 Scottish Cup.
Premier Sports Cup 2026/27 key dates
The ‘group stage’ for the 2026/27 Scottish League Cup has been drawn and will begin next month on July 11. Celtic will enter this competition in the second round which is due to be played the weekend of August 15 and 16.
The draw for the second round will likely take place following the conclusion of the group stages with the final round of those matches to be played the weekend of July 25/26. Here are the full dates for the 2026/27 Premier Sports Cup:
- Group stage: MD1 - Weekend of July 11/12 to 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
When will Celtic learn European opponents? UEFA Champions League draw date
As the 2025/26 Scottish Premiership winners, Celtic enter the 2026/27 Champions League at the Play-off Round stage. That puts them just one tie away from reaching the League Phase.
Celtic will learn their opponents on Monday, August 3. The first leg of their tie will be played August 18/19 and second round on August 25/26.
Should the reach the League Phase, these are the dates for their matches:
- Matchday 1: 8–10 September 2026
- Matchday 2: 13–14 October 2026
- Matchday 3: 20–21 October 2026
- Matchday 4: 3–4 November 2026
- Matchday 5: 24–25 November 2026
- Matchday 6: 8–9 December 2026
- Matchday 7: 19–20 January 2027
- Matchday 8: 27 January 2027
Scottish Premiership transfer window deadlines 2026/27
The 2026 Summer Transfer Window for clubs in Scotland officially opens on June 15 and will shut at 11pm on Tuesday, September 1. The Winter Transfer Window will open on January 1 2027 and close at 11pm on February 1 2027.
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