There will be no winter break in the Scottish Premiership next season, the SPFL have confirmed.

It comes as the key dates have been released for next season's Scottish football calendar.

The decision is as a result of the UEFA club competitions match days increasing from six to 10.

Both the Champions League and Europe League will now run until January going forward as part of the expanded format.

This means the Scottish Premiership will be unable to break over the winter period.

The Premiership, Championship, League One and Two seasons will all kick off on the weekend of August 2/3/4 and the top-flight will conclude on the weekend of May 17/18 2025.

All three lower divisions will finish at the beginning of May before the playoffs begin.

The League Cup will begin in the summer as usual with group stages commencing during the middle of July and the tournament will conclude on Sunday December 15, 2024.

SPFL Chief Operating Officer Calum Beattie said: “There is a huge amount to look forward to across all four divisions of the cinch SPFL in the coming months, followed by Scotland’s eagerly-awaited participation at the Euros in Germany this summer.

"However, we know that clubs and fans alike are always keen to plan ahead, and we are pleased to be able to confirm start and end dates for season 2024/25, as well as the Viaplay Cup schedule.

“It is fair to say that the additional slots required for the UEFA club competitions next season have made scheduling more challenging than usual. In particular, there is very limited flexibility within the Premiership fixture calendar, and we are therefore unable to accommodate a scheduled winter break.”

Key dates

Scottish Premiership

Opening weekend of fixtures - August 3/4, 2024

Final pre-split matches - April 12/13, 2025

Final weekend of games - May 17/18, 2025

Premiership play-off final - Thursday, May 22 & Sunday May 25, 2025

ViaPlay Cup

Matchday one -  July 13/14, 2024

Matchday two - July 16/17, 2024

Matchday three - July 20/21, 2024

Matchday four - July 23/24, 2024

Matchday five - July 27/28, 2024

Round of 16 - August 17/18, 2024

Quarter-finals - September 21/22, 2024

Semi-finals - November 2/3, 2024

Final - Sunday December 15, 2024

Scottish Championship

Opening weekend of fixtures - August 3/4, 2024

Final round of fixtures - Friday May 2, 2025