The countdown is nearly over as the Paddy Power PDC World Darts Championship returns to Alexandra Palace, bringing three weeks of drama, rivalries and the biggest prize fund the sport has ever seen. The 2026 edition, which begins on Thursday 11 December 2025 and runs until Saturday 3 January 2026, promises to be the most competitive and lucrative World Championship in darts history.
This year, the PDC has expanded the field to 128 players, making it the largest World Championship ever staged. For the first time, all players — including the top 32 seeds — will enter from Round One, removing the traditional byes and adding even greater unpredictability to the early rounds.
Full Tournament Schedule
The action unfolds across multiple sessions, with the competition pausing briefly over the Christmas period. Here’s how the tournament is structured:
Round One & Round Two
🗓 11–23 December 2025
The opening fortnight features a packed schedule, with dozens of matches each day as 128 players battle to reach the last 64.
Christmas Break
🗓 24–26 December (no play)
A traditional pause for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Round Three
🗓 27–29 December 2025
The quality sharpens as the seeded players attempt to assert control.
Round Four
🗓 29–30 December 2025
The final matches of the year determine who returns for the New Year’s knockout finale.
Quarter-Finals
🗓 1 January 2026
A New Year’s Day full of high-stakes drama at the Palace.
Semi-Finals
🗓 2 January 2026
The Final
🗓 3 January 2026
A new world champion will be crowned — or reigning champion Luke Littler could once again make history.
Record-Breaking £5 Million Prize Fund
A historic milestone awaits the players this year as the tournament boasts a £5,000,000 total prize pot, the richest ever seen in darts.
Key Prize Fund Highlights:
- Winner: £1,000,000
- Runner-up: A substantial six-figure sum
- Increased payouts across all rounds
- Significant financial boosts for debutants and international qualifiers
The £1 million champion’s cheque remains one of the largest single-event prizes in world sport — a testament to the global surge in darts’ popularity.
How to Watch Around the World
Whether you’re in the UK or following from overseas, there are multiple ways to enjoy every dart thrown at Ally Pally.
United Kingdom
- Sky Sports
The exclusive broadcaster for the tournament, showing every match live across its channels and streaming platforms.
International Broadcasts
Coverage is shared across:
- DAZN
- Viaplay
- Other regional partners depending on your location.
Online Streaming
- PDCTV streams the full tournament in most countries.
Note: PDCTV coverage is not available in the UK, Ireland, Germany, Austria or Switzerland due to broadcast rights.
Fans can also follow real-time scores, statistics and highlights across PDC’s social channels and official website.
A Historic Championship Awaits
Between the expanded 128-player field, the record prize fund, and the presence of global stars like Luke Littler, Michael van Gerwen, Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price, the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship is shaping up to be a landmark edition.
With shocks guaranteed, new names emerging, and the world’s best battling on the sport’s biggest stage, Alexandra Palace is once again set to deliver a festive spectacle like no other.
