Luke Littler reaches new heights – literally – as Auckland Sky Tower illuminates in honour of New Zealand Darts Masters champion
Luke Littler, the 18-year-old darts prodigy, reached new heights—both figuratively and literally—as his image was projected onto Auckland’s iconic Sky Tower following his stunning victory at the 2025 New Zealand Darts Masters on August 16. The Warrington-born world champion, nicknamed “The Nuke,” clinched his fifth World Series title with an 8-4 win over defending champion Luke Humphries in front of a record-breaking 5,500 fans at Spark Arena, averaging a record-shattering 115.02—the highest in a World Series final (web:1, web:3, web:4).
The Sky Tower illumination, a 328-meter tribute to Littler’s dominance, symbolized his meteoric rise and the PDC’s global expansion. The projection, capturing Littler’s celebratory pose, was a fitting honor for his Down Under double, following his Australian Darts Masters win the previous week (web:2, web:5). Littler, reflecting on his triumph, said, “I felt unbeatable up there. The crowd was brilliant, and the venue felt like a Premier League night” (web:7). His performance included seven 180s and a 50% doubles success rate, highlighted by successive 11-darters to seal the victory (web:3, web:16).
Littler’s path to the title was relentless, defeating Mike De Decker 6-2 and Gerwyn Price 7-2 in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, with a 109 average against Price (web:4, web:22). Despite a shaky first-round win over Mark Cleaver, where he failed to hit a 180 for the first time in 222 games, Littler’s Finals Night brilliance was untouchable (web:17). Humphries, gracious in defeat, admitted, “When Luke’s on it, he’s untouchable” (web:4). The Sky Tower tribute, shared widely on X with posts like “Luke Littler lights up Auckland’s Sky Tower! What a moment!” (@livedarts, August 16, 2025), underscored his global stardom (web:2, post:0).
The celebration marked Littler’s role as a figurehead for darts’ new era, with PDC chief Matt Porter praising the event’s success and hinting at a 2026 return to Spark Arena (web:16). Littler’s dominance, completing the “Triple Crown” of World Championship, Premier League, and World Matchplay, draws parallels to athletes like Emma Raducanu, whose US Open portrait moment echoed Littler’s Sky Tower honor (web:2). As he prepares for the World Series Finals in Amsterdam, where he’s defending champion, Littler’s focus remains sharp, with fans on X buzzing, “The Nuke is unstoppable!” (@DartsFanatic, August 17, 2025) (post:1)
