Celtic fixtures: Flag Day details, Rangers date change likely, seven-match month, Champions League schedule

Celtic have discovered who they will begin their title defence against – and the dates for the all-important Old Firm derbies – following the publication of the William Hill Scottish Premiership fixture list for the 2024-25 season.

The new campaign gets underway on Saturday, August 3 but Brendan Rodgers’ side will have to wait until the Sunday to kick things off when they host Kilmarnock on Flag Day in front of their home supporters for a 4.30pm kick-off, live on Sky Sports.

The flag commemorating last season’s title success will be unfurled ahead of the game in a tradition that Celtic have taken part in across 12 of the past 13 seasons in what has been a period of dominance for the Parkhead side in the Scottish top flight.

Celtic kick off their Scottish Premiership title defence against Kilmarnock on Sunday, August 4. (Photo by Craig Foy / SNS Group)

Their first away match follows six days later when they travel to Easter Road for Hibs’ home opener under new manager David Gray on Saturday, August 11, kick-off 12.30pm. A Viaplay Cup last 16 clash follows on the weekend of August 17-18 before a trip to Paisley to face St Mirren on Saturday, August 24.

The prospect of the first Old Firm match being played at a neutral venue has been avoided with the opening instalment of the Glasgow derby set to take place at Celtic Park on Saturday, August 31 at 3pm. Building delays on the Copland Stand mean that Rangers may not have been able to host the game at Ibrox that weekend with the club currently in the process of seeking alternative venues for their home matches in the early weeks of the season.

No TV arrangements have been announced for this fixture so a date and/or time change is likely once either Premier Sports or Sky Sports – the SPFL’s two main broadcast partners for Premiership matches – confirm their plans for live coverage.

The first international break of the season follows in early September with league action resuming with the visit of Hearts to the east end of Glasgow on Saturday, September 14 in a month that will see just two Premiership fixtures take place.

That is in contrast to December’s schedule which is traditionally the busiest month on the calendar and next season is no different. Celtic are due to play six league matches with a Champions League group stage clash on December 10 or 11 taking that up to a seven-match month. There will no winter break to recuparate either with the expanded European schedule putting paid to the traditional two-week Premiership shutdown.

The festive period will see Celtic host Motherwell on Boxing Day, before making their first trip of the season to Ibrox – assuming the stadium is back operational by then – for the New Year derby against Rangers on Thursday, January 2, at 3pm, live on Sky Sports.

Celtic then host the third and final Old Firm fixture before the split on Saturday, March 15 – subject to change – meaning Rangers will have home advantage for the potentially title-deciding post-split derby clash in a reverse of the season just past.

Celtic will be once against be juggling domestic duties with European group-stage commitments. The match dates for the revamped Champions League – with a single 36-team league replacing the 32-team group phase – fall on September 17-18, October 1-2, October 22-23, November 5-6, November 26-27, December 10-11, January 21-22 and January 29.

Celtic are due to play five pre-season friendlies before the league action gets underway. Rodgers’ men face Ayr United at Somerset Park on Friday, July 5 taking on Queen’s Park at the City Stadium on Wednesday, July 10. They then embark on a US tour that will see them face DC United on Sunday, July 21, Manchester City on Wednesday, July 24 and Chelsea on Saturday, July 27, before returning to Glasgow for the league opener the following weekend.

Celtic Scottish Premiership fixtures 2024-25 (subject to change)

August

4 – Kilmarnock (h) live on Sky Sports, 11 – Hibs (a) live on Sky Sports, 24 – St Mirren (a), 31 – Rangers (h).

September

14 – Hearts (h), 28 – St Johnstone (a).

October

5 – Ross County (a), 19 – Aberdeen (h), 26 – Motherwell (a), 30 – Dundee (h).

November

2 – Dundee United (h), 9 – Kilmarnock (a), 23 – Hearts (a), 30 – Ross County (h).

December

4 – Aberdeen (a), 7 – Hibs (h), 14 – Dundee (a), 21 – Dundee United (a), 26 – Motherwell (h), 29 – St Johnstone (h).

January

2 – Rangers (a) live on Sky Sports, 5 – St Mirren (h), 11 – Ross County (a), 25 – Dundee (h).

February

1 – Motherwell (a), 15 – Dundee United (h), 22 – Hibs (a), 26 – Aberdeen (h).

March

1 – St Mirren (a), 15 – Rangers (h), 29 – Hearts (h).

April

5 – St Johnstone (a), 12 – Kilmarnock (h).