Cymru Premier: When do the 2026/27 fixtures come out?
The Cymru Premier fixtures are due to come out this week. (Pic by Sam Eaden/FAW)
Looking ahead to the Cymru Premier 2026/27 season?
With the new Cymru Premier season approaching, attention is turning to key dates, including the fixture release and the start of competitive action across Wales’ top flight.
Below is a full breakdown of the important information ahead of the 2026/27 campaign.
When does the 2026/27 Cymru Premier season begin?
Unlike previous seasons, when the Cymru Premier often began later than the Cymru North and Cymru South, the 2026/27 campaign will kick off on the same weekend across all tiers.
The opening fixtures are scheduled for the weekend commencing 31 July to 2 August 2026.
This alignment brings a more unified start to the Welsh football pyramid, with all divisions beginning competitive action simultaneously.
What clubs are competing in the 2026/27 Cymru Premier?
The 2026–27 JD Cymru Premier will feature a 16-club lineup made up of Airbus UK Broughton, Ammanford, Barry Town United, Briton Ferry Llansawel, Caernarfon Town, Cambrian United, Cardiff Met, Colwyn Bay, Connah’s Quay Nomads, Flint Town United, Haverfordwest County, Holywell Town, Llandudno, Penybont, The New Saints and Trefelin.
Among them, Airbus UK Broughton are back after a three-year absence, while Holywell Town return to this level for the first time since the 1998/99 season. The season also marks historic first-time top-division appearances for Ammanford, Cambrian United and Trefelin from the South. At the same time, Llandudno’s return to the Cymru Premier signals a comeback to the top tier for the first time since 2018/19.
Cymru Premier schedule
The 2026/27 Cymru Premier season begins with the opening weekend scheduled for 31 July to 2 August 2026. The campaign then pauses for a winter break between 8 and 21 January 2027 before resuming later in the year.
The final round of Phase One fixtures will take place on 26 March 2027, with Phase Two beginning shortly after on 2 April 2027. The season then moves towards its conclusion, with the final round of Phase Two fixtures scheduled for 23 to 25 April 2027.
The end-of-season play-offs follow, starting with the European Play-Off Quarter-Finals on 27 April 2027, followed by the Semi-Finals on 30 April 2027. The European Play-Off Final will be held on 7–8 May 2027, while the Promotion/Relegation Play-Off Final is scheduled for 7–9 May 2027.
European football could affect schedule
Four Cymru Premier clubs, Caernarfon Town, Connah’s Quay Nomads, Penybont, and The New Saints, will begin their competitive seasons earlier than others due to European competition commitments.
The New Saints are in UEFA Champions League qualifying, whilst the other three of the clubs are in the UEFA Conference League, meaning their competitive schedules will start well before the domestic league opener.
Their first qualifying round matches are expected to take place on 9 and 16 July, ensuring they are in action throughout the middle of the month.
Should any of the Welsh clubs progress in Europe, further scheduling changes may follow as UEFA commitments continue.
In particular, The New Saints FC’s domestic fixtures are likely to be most affected. Even if they are eliminated by Azerbaijani champions Sabah FC, they will drop into the UEFA Conference League qualifying pathway, with matches scheduled for 23 and 30 July.
This means their early-season fixture list could be significantly adjusted depending on their European progress.
When do I find out who my club is playing?
The full Cymru Premier 2026/27 fixtures will be officially released on Thursday, 2 July at 10:00 am.
From that point, supporters will be able to see the league schedule for the upcoming season, including opening-day fixtures, key derbies, and the calendar up until the Phase Two split, which is to take place in early April.
A change in format
This season sees a major change to the Cymru Premier, with the league expanding to 16 teams following the promotion of six clubs from the Cymru North and Cymru South.
Each team will play every other team twice, once at home and once away, before the competition splits after Matchday 30.
After 30 matches, the league divides into three separate groups:
Championship Race (Top 6)
The top six teams play each other once more.
- The team finishing first after Matchday 35 is crowned champion
- Teams finishing 2nd–6th qualify for the European play-offs
European Challenger (7th–10th)
These four teams also play each other once more.
- The team finishing 7th secures the final spot in the European play-offs
Survival Zone (11th–16th)
The bottom six teams battle to avoid relegation.
- 15th and 16th are automatically relegated
- 14th enters a relegation play-off
Relegation play-off
The team finishing 14th faces a play-off against the runner-up from either the Cymru North or Cymru South, with the winner earning a place in the next season’s Cymru Premier.
