WWE is making some changes to its television schedule for Christmas week, and that means RAW and SmackDown will be sharing the same building. With Christmas Day falling on a Friday this year, the company has announced a special combined event that will likely see SmackDown taped several days before it airs.
WWE has confirmed that the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., will host a combined Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown event on December 21, 2026. RAW is expected to air live on Netflix that night, while SmackDown will likely be taped for its Christmas Day broadcast on December 25.
The announcement gives WWE a way to get both shows recorded before Christmas without requiring the roster to work on the holiday itself. Tickets for the December 21 event will go on sale Friday, November 6.
WWE is already advertising several major names for the Washington, D.C., show. Seth Rollins, Oba Femi, Liv Morgan, Sol Ruca, Penta, and The Usos are featured on the RAW side of the promotional graphic. Meanwhile, Cody Rhodes, CM Punk, Tiffany Stratton, Jade Cargill, Trick Williams, and Gunther are advertised for SmackDown.
And WWE isn’t stopping there. The company has another combined RAW and SmackDown event scheduled for December 28 in Tampa, Florida. That show is expected to follow a similar format, with the January 1, 2027 episode of SmackDown likely being taped in advance.
Neither SmackDown taping arrangement has been formally confirmed, but the scheduling would allow WWE to avoid running live Friday broadcasts on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.
WWE also has a busy holiday live event schedule planned. After taking Christmas Day off, the company will resume its Holiday Tour on December 26, with two house shows scheduled each day through December 30, except for December 28.
One of those events will take place at Madison Square Garden, bringing back WWE’s traditional post-Christmas appearance at the famous New York venue. The company skipped that annual December stop in 2025 after holding an episode of RAW at MSG in November instead.
WWE clearly isn’t planning to slow down much for the holidays. Between the combined television tapings and a packed Holiday Tour, the company will still have plenty happening during the final weeks of 2026. The biggest difference is that SmackDown viewers could be watching matches recorded days earlier instead of the usual live Friday broadcast.
What do you think about WWE combining RAW and SmackDown tapings during Christmas week? Would you rather see SmackDown air live on the holidays, or does taping the show early make more sense? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
