Magic Weekend 2026
Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July, Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool. Six Round 17 fixtures across two days. Plus the new French Magic event for Catalans and Toulouse.
Magic Weekend is Super League's annual festival round — an entire round of fixtures played at one venue across one weekend. Six matches, every Super League club represented except the two French sides, and a single ticket gets you into all three games on either day. After three years at St James' Park in Newcastle and a stint at Headingley in Leeds, Magic moves to Liverpool for 2026.
When and where
Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July 2026 at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Everton's new ground in Liverpool. This is the seventh venue to host Magic Weekend since the concept launched in 2007 (Cardiff, Edinburgh, Manchester, Newcastle, Anfield, Leeds, now Hill Dickinson). It's the second time Magic has been in Liverpool — Anfield hosted it in 2019.
Hill Dickinson Stadium hosted the second England vs Australia Ashes Test in October 2025 (a 14-4 Australia win in front of 52,106) — making rugby league the first non-football event at the venue. The combination of a sell-out crowd and a brand new stadium was enough to bring Magic to the venue for 2026.
The full Magic Weekend 2026 schedule
Saturday 4 July:
- Huddersfield Giants vs York Knights — York's first ever Magic Weekend appearance
- Hull KR vs Hull FC — the Hull derby, with reigning champions Hull KR
- Leigh Leopards vs Warrington Wolves — expected play-off contenders
Sunday 5 July:
- Wakefield Trinity vs Castleford Tigers — West Yorkshire derby
- Leeds Rhinos vs Bradford Bulls — their first Magic meeting since 2012, with newly-promoted Bradford back in the top flight
- Wigan Warriors vs St Helens — the headliner, the most decorated rivalry in Super League history
Kick-off times to be confirmed.
Where to watch Magic Weekend on TV
UK and Ireland: Every match live on Sky Sports, with NOW carrying the Sky stream for those without a satellite subscription. NOW's Sport Day Pass (around £14.99) covers the whole weekend if you don't want a monthly contract.
Australia: Every match live on Fox League and Kayo Sports. The time zone makes it tough — UK afternoon kick-offs are early hours of the morning in Sydney — but the on-demand replay drops on Kayo immediately afterwards.
France: Rugbyrama carries selected Super League matches free-to-air; whether all six Magic fixtures are available depends on the schedule. Super League+ is the comprehensive option.
USA, Canada, New Zealand, Pacific, rest of world: Super League+ is the international answer. Every Magic match live or on-demand. Super League+ details →
The new French Magic event
For the first time, Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique — the two French Super League clubs — will play a separate Magic fixture in France rather than crossing the Channel for the Liverpool weekend. The match is expected on Friday 3 July at a neutral French venue (still to be confirmed at the time of writing). This both reduces travel for the French clubs and creates a marquee Super League event in France — a useful step for the sport's growth in the country.
Rugbyrama is expected to carry the French Magic match, with Super League+ also providing coverage internationally.
Tickets and attending
Single-day tickets cover all three Saturday or all three Sunday matches at Hill Dickinson Stadium — you stay in the stadium for the whole afternoon. A "weekend pass" covering both days is also typically available. Magic Weekend went on sale in December 2025 and reportedly hit record sales, with over 70,000 tickets gone before the season started. If you're planning to attend, book early.
The Magic format includes a Plaza fan zone with entertainment, music, and fan games — visitors with day tickets get a pass-out system to leave the seating bowl and explore.
What is Magic Weekend?
Magic Weekend launched in 2007 at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium as a way to take Super League to a city outside the rugby league heartland and fit an entire round of fixtures into one venue. The format has remained largely the same: every Super League club represented (except the French clubs from 2026 onwards), all matches in one stadium, and a festival atmosphere intended to attract neutral fans alongside club supporters.
Past venues: Cardiff (2007–08), Edinburgh (2009–10), Manchester Etihad (2012–14), Newcastle St James' Park (2015–19, 2022–25), Anfield (2019), Leeds Headingley (2024). 2026 brings Hill Dickinson Stadium for the first time.
Round 17 implications
Magic Weekend is Round 17 of Super League 2026 — roughly the halfway point of a 27-round season after the format expansion to 14 teams. By July, the play-off picture is starting to take shape; teams below the play-off cut-off will be looking at Magic as a chance to grab points against direct rivals in front of neutral fans.
For the full Super League season picture, see our Super League 2026 streaming guide or the current Super League ladder.
Stream rugby league on any TV
Sky Sports, NOW, Watch NRL, Kayo, Super League+ and BBC iPlayer all run as apps on these. The cheapest way to turn an HDMI TV into a smart streaming setup — typically £30–£70 / A$50–A$100.
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