The Six Nations Championship is poised for a historic revamp in 2026, with organisers confirming a series of firsts in next year’s fixture list – including the tournament’s inaugural Thursday night match and Wales’ first Friday night clash in Dublin.
Since the introduction of Friday night matches in 2009, only France and Wales have taken up hosting duties under the lights. However, with broadcasters increasingly favouring primetime slots, Ireland will now join that list, welcoming Wales to the Aviva Stadium in Round 4 on Friday, 6 March.
France, who have embraced Friday fixtures in recent years – including their opener against Wales in Paris this year – will host the tournament’s first-ever Thursday night encounter. The 2026 Championship will begin with a blockbuster clash between France and Ireland on Thursday, 5 February, kicking off at 8.10pm. However, the specific venue for that historic game has yet to be confirmed.
Wales’ campaign will get off to a challenging start, travelling to Twickenham to face England on Saturday, 7 February. Gatland’s side will be looking to make amends after ending this year’s tournament with a record 68-14 defeat at the hands of their old rivals.
The following weekend sees Wales return to Cardiff for a Sunday afternoon fixture against France, before welcoming Scotland to the Principality Stadium the weekend after.
Next year’s tournament has been shortened by a week, with only one rest weekend included in the schedule. As a result, the opening three rounds will be played across consecutive weekends. Following the solitary break, Wales will make the trip to Dublin for their Friday night clash with Ireland – a venue they have visited before on a Friday, albeit behind closed doors during the Covid-affected Autumn Nations Series in 2020.
The 2026 edition will conclude with the traditional ‘Super Saturday’ finale on 14 March. Wales will host Italy in Cardiff at 4.40pm, sandwiched between Ireland v Scotland in Dublin and the final showdown of the tournament – France v England under the lights at 8.10pm.
While Ireland have previously played Friday night fixtures against the likes of New Zealand and Argentina during the autumn internationals, this will mark the first time the Six Nations will see a Friday night crowd in Dublin.
Below is the full fixture list for the 2026 Six Nations Championship, with all kick-off times listed in GMT:
Six Nations 2026 Fixtures in Full
Round 1
France v Ireland – Thursday 5 February, 8.10pm
Italy v Scotland – Saturday 7 February, 2.10pm
England v Wales – Saturday 7 February, 4.40pm
Round 2
Ireland v Italy – Saturday 14 February, 2.10pm
Scotland v England – Saturday 14 February, 4.40pm
Wales v France – Sunday 15 February, 3.10pm
Round 3
England v Ireland – Saturday 21 February, 2.10pm
Wales v Scotland – Saturday 21 February, 4.40pm
France v Italy – Sunday 22 February, 3.10pm
Round 4
Ireland v Wales – Friday 6 March, 8.10pm
Scotland v France – Saturday 7 March, 2.10pm
Italy v England – Saturday 7 March, 4.40pm
Round 5
Ireland v Scotland – Saturday 14 March, 2.10pm
Wales v Italy – Saturday 14 March, 4.40pm
France v England – Saturday 14 March, 8.10pm
