We may be mid-World Cup but Premier League excitement can begin with the fixtures being released on Friday morning.

The 2026/27 season is set to start on Saturday August 22. That is a week later than the previous campaign as domestic bosses look to ensure maximum player recovery following the World Cup in North America. The upcoming season will consist of 33 weekends and five midweek rounds. We will also see the return of Boxing Day football with December 26 falling on a Saturday this year.

The Premier League has stated that over the Christmas and New Year period, no two match rounds will take place within 60 hours “to address the congested Christmas and New Year schedule within the expanded international calendar”.

Arsenal will go into the season as defending champions for the first time since 2004/05 – that year they finished second. This will also be the first season in a decade where Manchester City are not led out by Pep Guardiola.

Elsewhere there’s plenty of intrigue around Liverpool and Chelsea, who both begin the campaign with new managers. Manchester United will also hope to continue with the momentum they built under Michael Carrick.

Mirror Football will bring you everything from fixture release day.

It’s really happening… and fans now don’t have long to wait until P.Louise City at Trafford Palazzo finally opens its doors

Beauty entrepreneur P.Louise has confirmed the opening date of her massive Trafford Palazzo all-pink beauty megastore after months of delays. The huge new beauty flagship will open at the shopping mall fresh from the major expansion of the beauty brand into Boots stores for the first time earlier this month.

The make-up brand was founded by inspiring Droylsden entrepreneur Paige Louise Williams, who forged her company from scratch and now steers what has become a multi-million turnover global brand. P.Louise City was due to open in October last year, but was hit by last minute delays.

But now Paige has confirmed the official opening date of what is billed as a “world first immersive superstore”. Huge queues are expected to head to the Trafford mall to be first through the doors, and security measures are already in place to prepare for the big opening.

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To celebrate the launch on Sunday, July 5, a major event is planned with more details set to be announced soon via the brand’s website, where fans can join a waitlist for more information.

Due to anticipated high demand, comprehensive security, crowd management and safety measures will be in place throughout the event to ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all attendees, organisers have told the M.E.N..

Paige has been sharing numerous updates about the build inside the store at Trafford Palazzo in recent months, whetting the appetites of her fans. It will feature a spectacular all-pink interior with vast beauty activations, a make-up studio and even a dance studio and theatre space inside.

Sharing the news of the opening P.Louise issued a statement last night saying: “There’s a moment in every Disney park when you walk through the gates and you feel what can only be described as magic. Very few brands have ever come close to recreating that feeling – until now.

“Following its nationwide Boots takeover, which transformed stores through pink castle facades, giant experiential gondolas, branded lorries, nationwide tannoy takeovers and community events, viral beauty powerhouse and TikTok’s No.1 brand P.Louise is continuing its mission to reinvent retail with the opening of P.Louise City, a highly-anticipated, world-first immersive beauty destination at Manchester’s Trafford Palazzo.

“Spanning 19,000 sq ft across two floors, P.Louise City is a fully realised beauty universe designed for beauty lovers, content creators and experience-seekers alike. Built to challenge everything consumers expect from traditional retail, the concept transforms shopping into an immersive destination in its own right.”

Shoppers are being told to expect a fully immersive “beauty playground” with a host of interactive experiences to “blur the lines between shopping and entertainment.”

The launch marks the next chapter in the brand’s rapid retail evolution. Earlier this month, the brand partnered with Boots to challenge traditional beauty retail through a series of industry-first activations, including pink castle store fronts, immersive shop-in-shop experiences, giant experiential displays, branded lorry takeovers and nationwide tannoy announcements. P.Louise takes that same thinking even further.

“We have had opportunities to go into retail before but I have always said we’d only do it if we could do it our way,” says Paige Williams, founder and CEO of P.Louise. “Launching in Boots was a huge milestone for us because it brought P.Louise to the high street for the very first time, but P.Louise City takes that experience to another level.

“This isn’t just a store, it is our world brought to life. Everything we do is about creating memorable moments for our community and giving them bigger and better ways to connect with the brand they love, and that’s exactly what P.Louise City is all about.”

Leandra Dwyer, Asset Manager at Peel Retail & Leisure, said: “The opening of P.Louise’s first permanent flagship store at Trafford Palazzo marks a significant milestone for the brand and a proud moment for our team. The bold and immersive retail concept set to launch at P. Louise’s city store aligns seamlessly with the core vision of Trafford Palazzo – to deliver an extraordinary blend of experiential shopping and entertainment at TraffordCity, the UK’s foremost retail and leisure destination.”

P.Louise City forms a much wider evolution of retail for the brand. While traditional beauty retail historically has focused on transactions, P.Louise continues to champion an experience-led retail model, creating destinations where customers can fully immerse themselves into the P.Louise world.

Following the success of its Boots launch, P.Louise City represents the next step in the brand’s vision to “push the boundaries on shopping, entertainment, content and community” bosses say.

P.Louise City is due to open at Trafford Palazzo from Sunday, July 5.

Grammy-nominated producer Tay Keith has died at the age of 29.

The hip-hop star, who was behind Travis Scott’s Sicko Mode and Drake’s Nonstop, was found dead at his home in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday during a police welfare check.

The Metro Nashville police department has said that ‘no foul play is suspected’, and the cause of death is yet to be determined.

Keith has worked with some of the biggest names in the music industry, including Beyonce and Cardi B.

In 2018, he co-produced two of the biggest songs including Scott’s Sicko Mode, which reached No 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100, and Drake’s Nonstop, which came in at No 2 on the same chart in the same year.

In 2018, he also founded music label and creative space Drumatized Music Group, based in Memphis, alongside his manager, Cambrian Strong.

The duo were featured together on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 Music list in 2024.

Throughout his career, Keith received two Grammy award nominations, the first of which came in 2019 for Sicko Mode and the second in 2024 for his production on Drake and 21 Savage’s Rich Flex.

Born and raised in Memphis, Keith started producing music aged 14.

Alongside Drake and Beyonce, he has also worked with numerous other artists, including Eminem, Future, Lil Nas X and Miley Cyrus.

He most recently produced Megan Thee Stallion’s 2024 album Megan, Jack Harlow’s single Just Us featuring Doja Cat and Travis Scott’s single 4×4, both of which were released in 2025.

Taking to Instagram, rapper BlocBoy JB – who was one of Keith’s early collaborators – shared a photo of the pair with the caption: ‘Damn Cuz You Just Hurt Me Bad’ with a heart broken emoji.

He also shared a log of phone calls between the pair and added: ‘We talked everyday yeen tell me you was leaving.’

Further tributes have been paid by Memphis music producer Hitkidd and Florida-based DJ and producer DJ Scheme.

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Andy Burnham will return to Parliament as an MP after storming to victory in the Makerfield by-election.

The Greater Manchester Mayor won more votes than all the other parties put together, in a result that paves the way for a leadership coup against Keir Starmer.

The historic vote ended up being a two-horse race between Labour and Reform UK’s candidate Rob Kenyon.

Restore Britain came in a distant third place, while the Conservative Party won less than 1,000 votes.

Follow Metro’s live coverage of the Makerfield by-election results here.

The results were a huge change in fortune for Labour and Reform in Makerfield.

Just over a month ago, at the local elections, Reforum won the equivalent of 51 per cent of the vote, while Labour got 24 per cent.

Burnham’s victory means he has achieved a 23 point swing in just six weeks.

Turnout at the election was also unusually high, at 58.8 per cent.

More people actually voted in this poll than at the general election in 2024, which is unusual for by-elections.

Put together these results will be enough to persuade many Labour MPs that Burnham can beat Reform and revive their party’s political fortunes.

It is thought that Labour MPs, Cabinet members and the new Makerfield represenative himself will try convince Keir Starmer to resign on his own terms.

Burnham is thought to want to avoid a bruising leadership battle with the Prime Minister, who has so far vowed to fight any challenge.

Sir Keir did upload a rather short post congratulating his political rival.

He said on X: ‘Congratulations, Andy Burnham, Labour’s new MP for Makerfield.

‘Voters chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate.’

Sky Newschief political commentator Jon Craig labelled the post ‘miserable’ and ‘grudging’.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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Andy Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield byelection doesn’t simply mark the return of one of Labour’s most recognisable figures to parliament. With his clear ambitions to lead his party – and the country – it may also represent a landmark moment in English devolution. His thumping win – taking 55% of the votes and more than Restore UK and Reform Britain combined – means the political significance of metro mayors has never been higher.

For much of the post-war era, ambitious British politicians followed a familiar path. Success meant climbing the Westminster ladder through ministerial office, shadow cabinet positions and party leadership contests. Burnham’s career has taken a more unusual route.

First elected as MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester in 2001, Burnham quickly established himself as one of Labour’s rising stars. Following his re-election in 2005, he embarked on a run of ministerial and shadow ministerial appointments, serving in cabinet under Gordon Brown and later holding senior opposition roles. By the mid-2010s he appeared to be a perennial contender for the Labour leadership, finishing fourth to Ed Miliband in 2010 and later competing in the contest won by Jeremy Corbyn in 2015.

At that point, Burnham’s political trajectory appeared to have stalled. Yet his decision to leave Westminster and contest the new Greater Manchester mayoralty in 2017 would ultimately transform his fortunes.

What initially looked like a retreat from national politics became an opportunity for political reinvention. As mayor, Burnham acquired something that many Westminster politicians lack: executive authority over a place.

While the powers of England’s metro mayors remain modest by international standards, they provide direct responsibility for transport, economic development, housing and strategic planning across large urban regions.

The COVID pandemic was particularly significant. Burnham’s confrontation with Boris Johnson’s government over lockdown restrictions and financial support for Greater Manchester elevated him to a national figure.

For supporters, he became a voice for local autonomy and regional interests. For critics, he was a skilled political operator using devolved office to challenge central government. Either way, the mayoralty gave him a platform distinct from Westminster.

This matters because Burnham’s return raises a broader question: could England’s metro mayors become an alternative route to national leadership?

Historically, Britain has been unusual in the extent to which political power has been concentrated in national institutions. While local government has produced influential politicians, it has rarely served as a direct launching pad to the highest offices. Unlike in many other democracies, municipal leadership has generally been viewed as subordinate to national politics, rather than a parallel route.

Across much of the world, however, mayoral office is recognised as a pathway to national leadership. France offers perhaps the closest comparison. Former presidents including Jacques Chirac, Nicolas Sarkozy and François Hollande all combined local executive experience with national ambitions. Among former prime ministers, Pierre Mauroy was mayor of Lille, Alain Juppé was mayor of Bordeaux, Jean-Marc Ayrault was mayor of Nantes and Édouard Philippe is currently mayor of Le Havre.

More recently, leaders including Matteo Renzi in Italy, Joko Widodo in Indonesia and Claudia Sheinbaum in Mexico have demonstrated how governing major urban areas can provide a route to national office.

But not every mayoral career results in a successful leap into national leadership. New York’s Rudy Giuliani, Michael Bloomberg and Bill de Blasio all failed to convert municipal prominence into success on the national stage. And Paris mayors Bertrand Delanoë and Anne Hidalgo fell short in bids for higher office. Yet the fact that their ambitions were considered plausible shows the stature that executive city leadership can confer.

Not the Boris Johnson route

England’s metro mayor system is relatively young. Most combined authority mayors have held office for less than a decade, meaning the political consequences of devolution are still unfolding. Burnham may represent the first genuine test of whether these institutions have matured enough to produce a credible contender for national leadership.

The comparison with Boris Johnson is often made. Yet Johnson’s route to Downing Street still passed through parliament and the Foreign Office following his tenure as mayor of London. Burnham’s trajectory is different. Rather than rebuilding his reputation through shadow cabinet appointments or Westminster manoeuvring, he rebuilt it by governing Greater Manchester. In that sense, this twist in his career owes as much to devolution as it does to parliament.

Burnham is unusual in another respect. His appeal rests not simply on electoral popularity but on the kind of political experience he has accumulated as mayor. The governance of a combined authority requires continual negotiation between councils, business leaders, public agencies and central government. Success depends less on party discipline than on coalition-building, consensus and partnership.

These are skills that national politics increasingly appears to value. At a time when public trust in Westminster remains fragile and the challenges facing government cut across departmental silos, experience of assembling broad civic coalitions may prove as valuable as parliamentary combat.

None of this guarantees Burnham success in parliament or in leadership. Nor is he a typical metro mayor. Unlike many other mayors, he entered local executive office after a long parliamentary and ministerial career. His experience gives him a political profile that few other mayors possess.

Yet that should not obscure the wider significance of his return. Whatever happens to Burnham’s leadership ambitions, England’s metro mayors have moved beyond their original role as administrators of transport and economic development. Less than a decade after most of the offices were created, they are becoming independent centres of political authority potentially capable of producing national leaders.

For decades, local government was viewed primarily as a stepping stone to Westminster. Burnham’s career suggests a more complex relationship is emerging. Ambitious politicians may come to view city-regional government not as an alternative to Westminster, but as a route through it.

The question raised by Burnham’s return is not simply whether he can lead Labour. It is whether England’s experiment with devolution has reached the point where governing a city-region can be considered preparation for governing the country.

The London Marathon will be held across two days in a special one-off edition of the event in 2027.

Organisers confirmed earlier this year that they were exploring ways to enable more people to take part, after a record 1.33 million people entered the ballot for next year’s event.

The two events – on Saturday, 24 and Sunday, 25 April – will allow 100,000 people to take part in the London Marathon in 2027, effectively doubling the chances of success for those who entered the ballot.

The move is also expected to raise more than £150m for charities and provide a £400m boost to the UK economy, according to Hugh Brasher, chief executive of London Marathon Events (LME).

Everyone who applied to take part next year will be entered into a ballot for both the Saturday and Sunday, with the ballot results announced in early July.

“The 2027 London Marathon Double is our most ambitious evolution to date – a once-in-a-generation one-time-only reimagining of what a marathon and city-wide celebration of activity can be,” said Brasher.

“By expanding to 100,000 runners across two days, we’re opening the door for more people, more charities and more communities to take part in the world’s greatest marathon. We believe that more than £150m can be raised for good causes and the UK economy will have a £400m social and economic benefit.

“We are grateful for the vision and support of the Mayor of London, the councils on the route, the emergency services, and all the stakeholders involved who have given their support to enable this world first event to be held for London and the UK.”

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, said: “London is the sporting capital of the world and I am delighted that, for one year only in 2027, the world famous London Marathon will expand into a two-day event.

“The London Marathon showcases the very best of our capital and we will continue working closely with London Marathon Events and our partners to ensure appropriate measures are in place for the entire weekend as we build a better, more prosperous London for everyone.”

A total of 1,338,544 people applied for the 2027 London Marathon, breaking the record of 1,133,813 applicants for the 2026 event.

The London Marathon had a record 59,830 finishers in 2026 and was the biggest annual one-day fundraising event in the world, with more than £90m raised to date for charity by 2026 participants.

History was also made on the course at this year’s event, as Kenya’s Sabastian Sawe became the first athlete to run a sub-two-hour marathon in a competitive race.

Brasher has remained adamant that the expanded two-day event will be for one year only, following what he described as an “astonishing total of applicants” hoping to take part in 2027.

He told BBC Sport the two-day event has been nine years in the making, but after the initial idea was formed in 2017, with the intention to hold it in 2020, they failed to gain permission.

The plan is for the elite women, elite female para-athletes, championship and ‘good for age’ women to lead the mass event one day, with the elite men, elite male para-athletes, championship and ‘good for age’ men leading the mass event on the other.

However, London Marathon organisers said all format details will be confirmed in the coming months.

All 100,000 participants across the two days will run on the normal London Marathon route from Greenwich to Westminster.

Brasher clarified to the BBC that a ballot draw will first be held for the Sunday – the day on which the marathon is normally held – before a second draw takes place for the Saturday.

The Mini London Marathon will be held on the Friday, with more than 20,000 young participants.

Organisers say all additional income generated by the two-day format will be distributed by the London Marathon Foundation to projects that inspire activity for children and young people across London and the UK.

There were 1.6million jobs being advertised, according to the latest data

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Occupations which saw an increase in job adverts in recent weeks included driving instructors, dental practitioners and welfare and housing staff, new research suggests. Recruiters said jobs for chefs, catering and bar managers and sports and leisure assistants also increased.

Job adverts with the biggest fall included exam invigilators, nannies and au pairs, said the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). Its research found there were more than 1.6 million jobs being advertised in May, slightly up on the previous month.

REC chief membership and innovation officer Maxine Bligh said: “Any sign of an Iran–US agreement will ease one of the global pressures holding back hiring and investment. But domestic political uncertainty and looming employment law changes still leave many firms without the confidence they need to accelerate recruitment.

“We are likely to see some growth in the job market, but not at full speed, with many businesses continuing to rely on temporary staff until the outlook becomes clearer.”

The Premier League 2026 fixture list is set to be released on Friday morning and Manchester United could have to make do without some big names for their opening game

Excitement is mounting among Manchester United supporters ahead of the Premier League fixture release on Friday morning, with the schedule poised to provide the first look at life under new permanent manager Michael Carrick. The Old Trafford faithful are optimistic about a successful campaign after Carrick surpassed expectations last term.

Appointed on an interim basis in January following the exit of Ruben Amorim, the former United midfield legend steered the side to a third-place finish in the Premier League, delivering a return to the Champions League for the first time since 2023. However, Carrick may face an early selection dilemma, with several first-team stars in danger of being unavailable for the opening match of the campaign.

The issue stems from the FIFA World Cup 2026, which got underway in spectacular fashion in North America last week. The extended six-week tournament will reach its climax with the final in New Jersey on July 19, just over a month before the first round of Premier League fixtures begins on August 22.

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That date has been delayed to allow players additional recovery time following the World Cup. However, those competing in the latter stages of the competition are still unlikely to be completely rejuvenated before needing to get back into shape for the new season.

The situation is made worse by the fact the World Cup kicked off shortly after the domestic campaign concluded, meaning United stars selected by their nations went straight into pre-tournament training camps. The predicament could leave Carrick with little option but to rest some of his biggest names at the start of the season – especially if they reach the final.

United have plenty of representation in the US, Canada and Mexico, and that includes nine important players who could go deep into the tournament. A final between England and Portugal could prove particularly problematic for Carrick and his coaching staff, with four players potentially involved.

Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot are in the Portugal squad, while Kobbie Mainoo and outcast Marcus Rashford are representing England. Every other United player at the tournament is the sole representative of the club in their respective national side.

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Key United players at World Cup 2026:

Matheus Cunha – Brazil

Diogo Dalot, Bruno Fernandes – Portugal

Amad – Ivory Coast

Senne Lammens – Belgium

Kobbie Mainoo, Marcus Rashford – England

Noussair Mazraoui – Morocco

Lisandro Martinez – Argentina

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Manchester United are considering a move Croatia midfielder Martin Baturina. The silky Como star stuck himself in the shop window with a fine equalising goal for the Croatians against England.

Now according to Sky Sport in Italy, the former Dinamo Zagreb star has become a transfer target for United, who are looking to bulk up their midfield department this summer. In his first season at Como under Cesc Fabregas, he contributed six goals and three assists in 29 Serie A appearances under the ex-Chelsea midfielder.

Baturina also proved to be somewhat of a Swiss army knife by featuring as a false nine, as a left-winger, as an attacking midfielder and as a deeper-lying playmaker for Fabregas.

The service has been described as a ‘community asset’

Cambridge locals have been left “dismayed” after an NHS trust confirmed the closure of a “community asset” that supports adults with learning disabilities. Darwin Nurseries and Farm Shop in Teversham, will close within the next two years, according to the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough NHS Foundation Trust.

The trust said that in a “challenging financial environment” with “rising site costs” it has “needed to prioritise its limited resources towards core NHS services”. The trust will not extend its contract at Darwin Nurseries and Farm Shop beyond its conclusion in April 2028.

Adults with learning disabilities and mental health challenges have worked in the shop, and helped with farming, gardening, and taking care of animals at the site, for more than 25 years.

In a statement by the trust, a spokesperson said: “We are proud that Darwin Nurseries and Farm Shop has made a valued and lasting contribution to people’s lives in our local community. In a challenging financial environment with rising site costs, the Trust has needed to prioritise its limited resources towards core NHS services.”

Councillor Matthew Morgan said the service is a “community asset that is very dear to many village residents, and the principle of helping individuals with learning disabilities and autism to work, whilst providing genuinely good, hardy plants is very well loved”.

He said he is hoping to speak with the trust and Cambridgeshire County Council officers to understand the “rationale” behind the decision. Alternatively, he hopes they can ensure there are other provisions for the workers affected.

A spokesperson for Teversham Action Group (TAG) said they are aware that many people have been “upset and dismayed” by the announcement. The trust added it would “continue to work with Cambridgeshire County Council to ensure continuity of care for all individuals who attend the service”.