Crystal Palace and Brighton are not neighbours by any normal English football definition. Selhurst Park and the Amex sit roughly 40 miles apart, joined mainly by the motorway that gives the fixture its name. And yet the M23 derby, sometimes called the A23 derby, draws the kind of tension usually reserved for clubs sharing a postcode.
There is no obvious explanation for it beyond decades of proximity, promotion battles and a shared corner of the football map that neither side wanted to give up. With Selhurst Park’s 25,486 capacity and strong demand for this fixture, supporters often plan ahead when looking to attend. So, to avoid being locked out, many fans use comparison platforms to find Crystal Palace tickets before matchday.
But where did this rivalry come from? To have one of the biggest rivalries in the English league is no easy feat to come by, but the two teams make it work.
A rivalry built on distance, not closeness
The two clubs have been meeting since 1905, but the modern edge to this fixture took shape through the 1970s and 1980s. This is when Palace and Brighton spent long stretches fighting each other for promotion out of the old Second and Third Divisions. Crowd trouble and confrontations between managers became part of the folklore from that era, and the nickname stuck long after the incidents that inspired it had faded from memory.
For a long period the sides barely crossed paths. Brighton's slide down the pyramid meant only a handful of league meetings between 1990 and 2011. However, promotion battles in the Championship kept the rivalry alive through the 2000s and early 2010s.
One of the sharpest moments came in 2013, when Palace needed only a draw against Brighton on the final day of the regular season to secure a play-off spot. The match finished 0-0. Palace went on to win promotion through the play-offs, and the result still gets brought up whenever the two sides meet.
What revived the rivalry completely was Brighton's climb back up, culminating in their return to the Premier League in 2017. This put both clubs in the same division on a regular basis for the first time in a generation. Since then, the rivalry has become a regular highlight of the Premier League calendar.
A head-to-head record that refuses to settle
So far, the overall head-to-head across all competitions is close to even, with Brighton holding a slight edge in total league wins. That balance is part of why the derby still carries weight: neither club has managed to pull clear of the other.
Few Premier League derbies stay this close for this long. After their most recent meeting in February 2026, the all-time record across 146 matches sits at:
- Crystal Palace: 54 wins
- Brighton: 51 wins
- Draws: 42
Since Brighton's promotion to the Premier League, Palace hold a modest edge: six wins to Brighton's four across 18 meetings. The April 2025 match is the one still mentioned by fans who were there. Two extra players on the pitch and Brighton still went home empty-handed against nine-man opposition. A scoreline that tells its own story about how hard Palace are to break down at Selhurst Park once a lead is in hand.
Why the 2026/27 season carries extra weight
Both clubs arrive at the fixture mid-overhaul, which tends to sharpen a derby rather than dull it. Pierre Sage took charge at Palace in June 2026 after Oliver Glasner departed following an FA Cup and Conference League double. The squad he inherited was reshaped almost entirely over one transfer window, with Ebere Eze leaving for Arsenal and Maxence Lacroix moving to Chelsea.
On the other side, Brighton head into the fixture managing their own turnover. Fabian Hurzeler's side finished eighth in each of the last two seasons, the club's best run since returning to the top flight. The team was built on a defence that conceded only 46 goals last term, its tightest record in five years.
That foundation lost some of its key pieces over the summer. Midfielder Carlos Baleba was sold to Manchester United, and centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke joined Tottenham for a similar fee. Additionally, top scorer Danny Welbeck, who had 13 of Brighton's league goals last season, moved to Chelsea.
Neither side is settled. That usually means this fixture leans more toward chaos than control, which is exactly what the recent results back up. And with both clubs undergoing changes, the latest chapter of the M23 derby is likely to be shaped by fine margins. For fans attending Selhurst Park, knowing the rivalry’s background adds context to one of English football’s most distinctive encounters.
FAQ section
When will Crystal Palace play Brighton in the 2026/27 season?
Crystal Palace will face Brighton twice during the 2026/27 Premier League campaign. The first meeting takes place at the Amex Stadium on 17 October 2026, while Brighton travel to Selhurst Park on 15 May 2027 for the return fixture.
What should fans know before attending Crystal Palace vs Brighton at Selhurst Park?
Fans should plan travel early, check transport updates and arrive with enough time before kick-off due to increased matchday activity around the stadium.
What makes the 2026/27 Crystal Palace vs Brighton fixture important?
Both clubs enter the season after significant changes, making the two derby meetings an important test of how quickly their squads adapt.
How can fans find Crystal Palace tickets for the Brighton fixture?
Fans looking to attend the Crystal Palace vs Brighton fixture can explore available ticket options through platforms such as SeatPick, which allows supporters to compare listings from different marketplaces when planning their visit.
