Newcastle United summer plans take shape after controversial Arsenal ticket decision

Newcastle United’s first confirmed pre-season match sees them face Premier League rivals Arsenal at the 55,000-capacity Singapore National Stadium in Singapore on Saturday, July 27.

Tickets for the match went on sale earlier this month, and the game is set to be a lucrative one for both clubs with Newcastle away supporter tickets priced from £113 (S$198) based on the current conversion rate. Ticket prices were fixed as part of the Singapore Festival of Football 2025.

It will be the first time Newcastle have visited Singapore since 1996 when Kevin Keegan’s side played in front of a 50,000 crowd at the Old National Stadium in a 5-0 win over Singapore’s ‘S-League All Stars’. That match saw then world record signing Alan Shearer presented to the crowd before kick-off.

Newcastle face Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium in their penultimate match of the 2024-25 Premier League campaign as they look to secure Champions League qualification. The Gunners are almost certain to finish in the top five, while Newcastle sit five points behind them in third with four games left to play.

The Magpies will be hoping pre-season will be preparing them for a return to Champions League action after missing out on Europe last season. And more fixtures are set to be announced as their pre-season schedule takes shape.

Further pre-season dates set to be confirmed for NUFC

Newcastle will aim to play at least six pre-season fixtures in total ahead of the 2025-26 Premier League season, which starts on August 16.

Ahead of the trip to Singapore, Newcastle are set to face Scottish champions Celtic at Celtic Park in July. A return to Adidas HQ in Germany has also been mooted.

Following the Arsenal friendly, Newcastle are set to travel to South Korea with a friendly against Tottenham Hotspur in Seoul set to be confirmed. Spurs will attract plenty of attention in Seoul as captain Son Heung-min is also captain of the South Korea international team.

It will be Newcastle’s second successive pre-season tour of Asia after visiting Japan last summer.

The Magpies have also pencilled in a third annual Sela Cup to take place at St James’ Park on the weekend of August 9. Dates, kick-off times and opposition will be confirmed in due course.

Eddie Howe looks ahead to NUFC pre-season

On the upcoming pre-season trip, Newcastle head coach Eddie Howe said: "Pre-season is all about setting the right challenges to ensure we are ready for the new season. So we’re pleased to be playing against high-calibre opposition in an iconic stadium.

“Having Singapore as part of our pre-season will provide a special experience for supporters in Asia, and we’re looking forward to seeing them and playing in front of them in July.”

Newcastle United set for PSR boost in pre-season

Like last year’s trips to Australia and Japan, Newcastle’s trips to Singapore and South Korea this summer is commercially driven once again.

As chief commercial officer Peter Silverstone explained.

"This will be one of the standout pre-season matches taking place anywhere in Asia this summer,” Silverstone said. “The National Stadium in Singapore is a magnificent setting and we’re expecting a packed stadium given the love for the Premier League and for both clubs that exists across Asia.

"On the pitch, the team will have access to elite facilities, while off the pitch we have another wonderful opportunity to meet and engage with our supporters and partners in an exciting market.

“We want to thank the tour promoter TEG and the Singapore Tourism Board for inviting the club to be part of the Festival of Football.”

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