Rangers 2026-27 fixture release: Dates to look out for as Derek McInnes made to wait for Hearts return
Rangers will open the 2026-27 Scottish Premiership season away at Dundee United, as Derek McInnes plots his path to glory.
There's no greater remedy to a frustrating end to last season than fixture release day for the upcoming campaign.
Indeed, Rangers fans will be all too happy to forget about how 2025-26 finished, with an exciting, albeit unexpected, era starting at Ibrox.
McInnes has penned a three-year contract to replace Danny Rohl as Gers boss, with the German ditching Govan to take the RB Salzburg post.
With the former Hearts gaffer now in place, Rangers supporters will be expecting Andrew Cavenagh and the 49ers to really back their man in the summer transfer market.
2026-27 has the potential to be a special season under McInnes' leadership, and Ibrox News has picked out all the key dates for fans to make a particular note of.
What are Rangers' first five games of the 2026-27 season?
Released at 12pm noon on Thursday, the SPFL website has revealed to fans up and down the Scottish Premiership what their respective teams' 2026-27 season fixtures will be.
With Rangers of course looking to mount another title charge as always, getting off to a good start, especially under a new manager, is going to be key.
So, opening the new season away at Dundee United on 31 July isn't ideal, as welcoming McInnes to Ibrox for the first game of term would've been a special occasion.
Overall though, supporters will be pretty pleased with how Gers' first five games of 2026-27 look, having avoided the likes of Celtic and Hearts.
When are the Old Firm derbies?
The first fixtures that Rangers fans always look for when the new season's schedule drops is the Old Firm clashes.
For 2026-27, Gers' first renewal of this historic Glaswegian rivalry with Celtic will take place on 20 September at Parkhead.
Both teams will have to wait a while to get their hands on one another in the league though, with the next game booked in for 2 January 2027 at Ibrox.
The turnaround for the third and final regular season Old Firm derby isn't as long, however, with another Parkhead contest scheduled for 27 February.
When will McInnes get to take on Hearts?
One of the big storylines of the 2026-27 Scottish Premiership season will be the potential title battle between McInnes' Rangers and his former side, Hearts.
Unfortunately, we will have to wait until 28 October for the two sides to first meet in the league, with that game taking place at Tynecastle.
Rangers then welcome the Jambos to Ibrox on 19 December, before contesting the third and final regular season game at Tynecastle again on 20 March 2027.
Other important dates for Rangers fans to circle
Boxing Day football is one of the great days in the footballing calendar on these shores, but Rangers fans won't get to enjoy at Ibrox next season.
That's because Gers will travel to Kilmarnock on 26 December, but they do have a date with Dundee booked in on 30 December just before New Year.
Rangers' final regular season game of the 2026-27 season is scheduled to take place on 10 April 2027, which will be away at Dundee.
The post-split fixtures are booked in to start on 24 April next year, with the final one of those set for 15 May respectively.