Everton’s new era gets a date: Leeds away to open, Brighton to christen Hill Dickinson Stadium
The fixtures that will define Everton’s first season at their waterfront home are in. Released live from the Hill Dickinson Stadium on Wednesday morning, June 18, the announcement puts firm dates on a summer of anticipation. The opening act lands in prime time: Monday Night Football at Elland Road on August 18, 8pm BST, live on Sky Sports. Five days later, Brighton & Hove Albion will provide the opposition for Everton’s first competitive match at the new ground. That one kicks off at 3pm on Saturday, August 23—no TV slot yet, but that could change.
There’s a lot wrapped into this calendar beyond simple dates. After 139 years at Goodison Park, the club steps into a purpose-built, waterfront home with the weight of history and the promise of something sharper on matchdays. The schedule also hands David Moyes’ side an early reality check: an away opener in a hostile atmosphere, a short turnaround, then a debut in a brand-new stadium where everyone will want a piece of the occasion. If you were writing a script to stress-test a team’s rhythm, this is it.
August is clear enough. From there, the plots thicken. The first Merseyside derby arrives in September at Anfield—away, intense, and loaded with symbolism. The return fixture at the Hill Dickinson Stadium is inked in for Saturday, April 18, 2026, a date fans will circle and underline. December is heavy, with Chelsea and Arsenal back-to-back and two meetings with Nottingham Forest split across a busy month. There’s also a December 27 trip to Burnley, traditionally one of the more draining festive away days. The run-in points to a penultimate home game against Manchester City, then a final-day visit to Tottenham on Sunday, May 24, 2026.
The club has flagged the same caveat that follows every Premier League summer: all dates can shift for TV picks and any European commitments. Broadcast selections will reshape kick-off times, and midweek games could shuffle league rounds. The advice from the club is simple—sync the Premier League’s digital calendar and check for updates. For supporters planning travel, especially around Christmas and spring weekends, that’s not a nice-to-have—it’s essential.
Here’s the August layout as it stands:
- Monday, August 18: Leeds United (Away) – 8pm BST, live on Sky Sports
- Saturday, August 23: Brighton & Hove Albion (Home) – 3pm BST
- Saturday, August 30: Wolves (Away) – 3pm BST
That’s a quick-fire start: away, home, away. Leeds on a Monday night is no soft landing. Elland Road under the lights is loud and impatient, and the first MNF of the season usually comes with that extra edge. Then comes the club’s big day—Brighton at the new stadium—followed by a trip to Wolves, where games tend to be tight and decided by small details. It’s the sort of opening that asks for clean set-pieces, calm in transitions, and early chemistry in both penalty boxes.
What does all this mean for the wider season? The September derby shapes the early mood. Win at Anfield and Everton settle fast into their new surroundings. Lose, and the pressure shifts to building a fortress at the waterfront. Tottenham in North London on the final day suggests the season could go right to the wire, whether the fight is for Europe or something more basic. Manchester City arriving late in the home calendar adds another potential pivot point—City games often redefine the table for everyone around them.
There’s also the human side of this. Goodison Park was Everton’s spine for generations—tight angles, steep stands, and that sudden roar that could change games. New stadiums take time to breathe. Tottenham needed a few months to figure out rhythm when they moved, West Ham’s early years at the London Stadium were uneven, and Arsenal’s early Emirates seasons had a different cadence to Highbury. Everton’s challenge is to make the new place feel like home quickly—loud, close, and hard for visiting teams to enjoy. If the crowd carries over the old habits and the acoustics amplify it, visiting sides will feel it.
The short August turnaround is more than a simple footnote. Leeds on Monday to Brighton on Saturday means Moyes and his staff will have to rotate smartly in the second week of the season, especially if the summer brings a few late signings still building fitness. The third game at Wolves looks like the first “grind” fixture—away, balanced on set-pieces, the kind of afternoon where blocking counters and winning second balls decides the mood on the coach home.
And then there’s December. Two games against Nottingham Forest in the same month can be a test of concentration—same opponent, new wrinkles each time. Chelsea and Arsenal in quick succession is as heavy as it sounds. Layer on a trip to Burnley on December 27 and you have the classic English winter—wet pitches, tight margins, and recovery sessions that matter just as much as tactics. It’s the patch where squads that pace themselves smartly usually come out with a points haul others envy.
Looking further ahead, the April 18 derby at the Hill Dickinson Stadium will be about more than points. It will be the first time the neighbors walk out at Everton’s new ground for a league match. That afternoon will carry a lot of emotion and a lot of noise. For a new home to really feel like Everton’s, a derby has to live there. The details—early intensity, clean exits from the back, winning duels in midfield—will matter, but the atmosphere could tip the balance.
Fixture release day also tells you something about broadcast interest. An opening Monday night pick signals that TV producers see storylines they like—new era, new ground, and a manager with a track record of organization. Expect a steady stream of live slots, especially around the derby, the festive run, and that late visit from Manchester City. More live games mean more disrupted routines, which is the trade-off: exposure on one side, shorter turnarounds on the other.
For traveling fans, a few dates stand out. Leeds on a Monday night is a late return. Burnley on December 27 is a holiday squeeze with winter roads. Tottenham on the final day can be a logistics knot with demand high and routes busy. The club’s nudge to use the official calendar isn’t box-ticking—rail times, hotels, even simple things like family plans hinge on a kickoff moving by two hours.
The bigger picture is about momentum. New stadiums can create a bounce if results arrive early. A clean first month—seven to nine points from three games—and the narrative turns fast. Drop points, and the questions come: bedding-in pains, sightlines, wind off the river, routines that haven’t settled yet. Moyes’ job is to make the pitch feel normal for his players and new for everyone else. Short, sharp training blocks between August fixtures will help, so will clarity on roles. It sounds basic, but the early weeks of a season often reward teams that keep it simple.
One thing the calendar can’t show is how opponents will treat the new stadium. Most will try to slow the game, take their time on restarts, and kill the noise. That’s where the crowd matters. A fast start against Brighton—winning duels, finding early width, pinning second balls in the final third—gives the stands something to feed on. That’s how a place gets its voice.
For those scanning dates to plan the year, here are the headline markers again, alongside the August trio:
- First Merseyside derby: September (Anfield)
- Home Merseyside derby: Saturday, April 18, 2026 (Hill Dickinson Stadium)
- Festive run: Chelsea and Arsenal back-to-back; Nottingham Forest twice in December; Burnley away on December 27
- Penultimate home game: Manchester City (date TBC)
- Final day: Tottenham Hotspur away, Sunday, May 24, 2026
All of it, of course, is tagged with “subject to change.” Broadcasters will re-shape some weekends. Any European commitments will shift kickoffs. Domestic cup runs can add midweeks or move league ties. That’s the modern calendar. The constant is the stage: the Hill Dickinson Stadium is now the club’s address, and the Premier League will come calling.
On paper, this is a balanced slate with spikes where you’d expect them—derbies, Christmas, and the finish line. In practice, the season will come down to what happens in the five-day window between Leeds and Brighton, the ferocity of September, the discipline of December, and the nerve of April. There’s history at the door and new ground underfoot. That’s a powerful mix. And for all the planning and plotting over fixtures, the truth is simple: big teams set the tone at home. That’s where the Hill Dickinson Stadium can change everything.
If you’re syncing calendars now, start with August and block out those marker dates. Keep an eye on broadcast picks, especially after the first international break. And if you care about the small stuff, watch the first throw-in against Brighton and the first set-piece delivery in front of the South Stand. That’s where the feel of a new home really shows. The rest of the season—derbies, winter, the run-in—will flow from there. For now, the headline is clear: the Everton fixtures are set, the doors are almost open, and a new chapter has a kickoff time.