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.

Photo: Action Images

Rimsy added 12:03 - Jun 26 Well, there's a shocker
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ArmaghBlue added 12:04 - Jun 26 Nice easy win to get us started
2

Cavendish_Blue added 12:07 - Jun 26 Told ya.Each team home and away!
2

Miaow added 12:08 - Jun 26 When we got relegated in 2002, we started with an away game at a West Midlands club (Walsall) and then played our first home game against a fellow relegated side (Leicester). Let's hope we don't finish 7th...
2

blues1 added 12:08 - Jun 26 Armaghblue. Assume ur joking. Thats a tough start
2

WhoisJimmyJuan added 12:10 - Jun 26 That's a stinker of a start!
3

itfc2024 added 12:10 - Jun 26 tough start birmingham will be on a massive high where we could be on a massive downer we should never listen to leaks regarding fixtures or transfer as only come back to make u look silly
0

ruds added 12:10 - Jun 26 We have to play everyone twice, so who cares if it's Sunderland vibes!! If we're good enough and up to speed with recruitment we'll be fine this season. COYB!!!
3

ashp19 added 12:12 - Jun 26 Bring it on!
0

Paulc added 12:12 - Jun 26 Our run in April/May is about as hard as it gets!!
1

Paulc added 12:12 - Jun 26 Our run in April/May is about as hard as it gets!!
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bucket99 added 12:16 - Jun 26 Blimey, 8 months between the two Birmingham games, and 1 month between the two against Oxford! Funny old game.
1

ArmaghBlue added 12:18 - Jun 26 @ blues1 So you don’t think we will be getting promoted then?
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chepstowblue added 12:19 - Jun 26 The opening fixtures are so contrived. Hand picked by sky for tv coverage.
8

John_Grose added 12:20 - Jun 26 That is the worst possible opening fixture in my opinion. They are on a massive high and think they are going to walk it, hopefully we will spoil the party.
2

PackwoodBlue added 12:20 - Jun 26 On SKY presumably? What a coincidence..
-1

NorthStandOracle added 12:21 - Jun 26 Tough start but not as intimidating as Liverpool at home and City away
6

ArnieM added 12:24 - Jun 26 I dont know about it being a tough start. Has anyone clocked April !! I hope its not close at that point in time, because that's a helluva run in we've got to contend with.
0

algy added 12:44 - Jun 26 Opportunity to go top of the league straight away Or bottom
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Gazelle added 12:52 - Jun 26 Tough first game, for Birmingham.
3

trevski_s added 12:56 - Jun 26 Away at Norwich in April, its okay we would have already secured promotion by then. That win would just seal the title
0

bluebullet29l added 12:58 - Jun 26 Probably be bottom of the league on Saturday...
0

darkhorse28 added 13:16 - Jun 26 A great test for McKenna, a chance to measure if relegation is indeed ‘progress’. Motivation and momentum are SO crucial in football, we have more quality, and spent a fortune. At least we’ll know where the character of the side is at, early on, which is good.
1

timbousa added 13:27 - Jun 26 Nice. Birmingham will be on League 1 speed, like Ipswich were for the first half vs. Sunderland 2 years ago. Ipswich will be in Premier League mode but quickly realising that Birmingham are not Liverpool. Clearly a 4-0 away win on the cards! And we may get the odd spectacle of Tom Brady sitting next to Ed Sheeran watching a Championship match.
1

ThaiBlue added 13:28 - Jun 26 It's a tough season for them teams who will have to play us,fancy us big time to win this league.
2

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