Town’s return to the Championship will get under way with a Friday night live Sky Sports-screened trip to newly promoted Birmingham City on Friday 8th August (KO 8pm) with Southampton, another of last season’s relegated Premier League sides, visiting Portman Road a week later.
The Midlanders were promoted as champions of League One having amassed 111 points last season and will have high expectations for their first year back in the second tier. Town last began a season against Birmingham in August 2017 when they got their campaign up and running with a 1-0 home victory.
The Saints, who finished bottom of the Premier League, are at Portman Road on Saturday 16th August with a Carabao Cup first round tie on the Wednesday between the first two Championship games. The draw takes place this afternoon at 4.30pm live on Sky.
A week later, the Blues make the long trip to Preston, before the first month of the season ends with Derby County at Portman Road on Saturday 30th August.
Following the first international break of the campaign, Town host Sheffield United, third in the division in 2024/25 before losing in the play-off final, on Saturday 13th September.
The Blues make a second early-season trek to Lancashire to take on Blackburn Rovers a week later, then Portsmouth are in Suffolk on Saturday 27th September with a visit to Bristol City three days later.
October starts with the first derby of the season against Norwich City at Portman Road, currently scheduled for Saturday 4th October, with the trip to Carrow Road pencilled in for Saturday 11th April, although with those matches potentially set for a move for TV coverage along with many others.
Town are at Millwall on Boxing Day, which is a Friday, having faced Sheffield Wednesday at home on the preceding Saturday, then visit Coventry City on Monday 29th December. Oxford United visit Portman Road on New Year’s Day.
The Easter games at the start of the run-in are Southampton away on Good Friday, April 3rd, and Birmingham at home on Easter Monday, April 6th.
The Norwich match follows at the weekend, before Middlesbrough at Portman Road on Saturday 18th April, newly promoted Charlton at the Valley on Wednesday 22nd April, West Brom away on Saturday 25th April and then finally QPR at home on Saturday 2nd May, a day which fans will hope will be one of celebration.
The only new stadium for most fans will be Wrexham’s Racecourse Ground, the Blues last visited in the FA Cup in 1995, with the trip to North Wales currently set for Saturday 21st February. The Red Dragons and their Hollywood entourage visit Suffolk on Saturday 22nd November.
Midweek away trips include the September visit to Bristol City, Hull City at the MKM Stadium on Tuesday 25th November, Watford at Vicarage Road on Tuesday 24th February, Stoke City on Tuesday 10th March and that late season game at Charlton.
In addition to the September international break, there will be no Championship matches over the weekends of Saturday 11th October, Saturday 15th November and Saturday 28th March.
The EFL will confirm TV details for the opening six rounds of games by next Thursday, 3rd July, then TV matches and fixture changes prior to the FA Cup third round on Saturday 10th January will be announced before the beginning of the season. Moves in the second half of the campaign will be set in November.
A full list of Town’s 2025/26 Championship fixtures can be found here.