When does Premier League Darts 2026 start, all venues

When Does Premier League Darts 2026 Start, All Venues, and How Do You Get Tickets?

The BetMGM Premier League Darts returns for its 22nd season with a dazzling 17-week roadshow across the UK and Europe—and if you haven’t secured your tickets yet, you’re running out of options fast.

When It Starts and Ends

Premier League Darts 2026 kicks off on Thursday, February 5 at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle, with defending champion Luke Humphries and back-to-back world champion Luke Littler headlining an eight-player field that promises fireworks from opening night through to the grand finale.

The season runs every Thursday night until May 28, when The O2 Arena in London hosts Finals Night—the climactic showdown where the top four players from the league stage battle for the £350,000 winner’s prize and the coveted title.

With total prize money hitting a record £1.25 million, this year’s Premier League represents the biggest financial commitment in the tournament’s history, reflecting the explosive growth of darts as a mainstream sporting spectacle.

All 17 Venues—Including Belgium Debut

The 2026 Premier League introduces a significant change to the calendar, with Antwerp, Belgium making its debut in place of Exeter. It marks the first time the tournament has visited Belgian soil, expanding the European footprint alongside established stops in Germany and the Netherlands.

Here’s the complete venue-by-venue breakdown:

Night 1 – Thursday, February 5 Utilita Arena, Newcastle The traditional season opener returns to the North East, where capacity crowds of around 11,000 pack the venue that’s hosted Premier League action every year since 2007 (except Covid-affected 2020-21). Littler faces Gian van Veen in a rematch of January’s World Championship final.

Night 2 – Thursday, February 12 AFAS Dome, Antwerp, Belgium History in the making as Belgium joins the Premier League circuit for the first time. The marquee quarter-final pits Littler against Humphries in an early clash of titans.

Night 3 – Thursday, February 19 OVO Hydro, Glasgow Scottish darts fans get their first taste of 2026 action at one of the UK’s premier indoor venues, with Van Gerwen facing Littler in the headline quarter-final.

Night 4 – Thursday, February 26 SSE Arena, Belfast Northern Ireland’s stop on the tour sees Josh Rock make his Premier League debut on home soil, facing Van Veen in one of four quarter-finals.

Night 5 – Thursday, March 5 Utilita Arena, Cardiff The Welsh capital witnessed Littler’s nine-darter in 2025’s sold-out spectacular and will be hoping for similar heroics when Premier League returns. Already sold out for 2026.

Night 6 – Thursday, March 12 Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham Sold out. The Midlands venue hosts its first of two Premier League nights this season.

Night 7 – Thursday, March 19 3Arena, Dublin Irish darts fans get their traditional Premier League fix as the roadshow crosses the Irish Sea.

Night 8 – Thursday, March 26 Uber Arena, Berlin Germany’s contribution to the European leg, with league standings determining quarter-final matchups based on the table after seven nights.

Night 9 – Thursday, April 2 AO Arena, Manchester One of darts’ biggest party venues, Manchester’s capacity for over 20,000 makes it a highlight of the calendar.

Night 10 – Thursday, April 9 Ahoy Rotterdam, Rotterdam Dutch fans get their chance to see Van Gerwen and Van Veen compete on home soil in one of continental Europe’s most passionate darts markets.

Night 11 – Thursday, April 16 Utilita Arena, Birmingham The second Midlands stop, Birmingham has become a Premier League staple with its central location and electric atmospheres.

Night 12 – Thursday, April 23 Brighton Centre, Brighton The South Coast gets its annual dose of Premier League action.

Night 13 – Thursday, April 30 P&J Live, Aberdeen Scotland’s second venue brings the tour back north, with Nathan Aspinall having won here in 2025’s sold-out spectacular.

Night 14 – Thursday, May 7 First Direct Arena, Leeds Humphries triumphed in Leeds last year, defeating Littler in a last-leg shootout before the sold-out Yorkshire crowd.

Night 15 – Thursday, May 14 Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham Nottingham’s second appearance, with the league table taking shape ahead of the crucial final league night.

Night 16 – Thursday, May 21 Utilita Arena, Sheffield The penultimate league night sees quarter-finals drawn based on standings after Night 15, with playoff positions on the line.

Night 17 – Thursday, May 28 The O2 Arena, London (Finals Night) The grand finale. The top four players compete in knockout semi-finals and final, with the champion crowned before over 15,000 fans in one of the world’s most iconic venues.

How to Get Tickets—Your Options in February 2026

Here’s the reality: if you’re reading this and don’t have tickets yet, you’re facing an uphill battle. General sale tickets sold out months ago for most—if not all—venues, testament to the “Littler effect” and darts’ surging popularity. But don’t despair. Options remain, though they’ll cost you more than standard admission would have.

Option 1: Official Venue Box Offices

Check individual venue websites for any returned tickets or last-minute releases. The PDC’s official ticket page provides direct links to each arena’s box office. Availability is scarce, but venues occasionally release seats from production holds or VIP allocations that went unsold.

Newcastle, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Berlin, Manchester, Rotterdam, Birmingham, Brighton, Aberdeen, Leeds, Nottingham, Sheffield, and London all have official box office pages where you can join waiting lists or check for resale tickets.

Option 2: Hospitality Packages

This is your best bet for guaranteed entry. Multiple venues still have hospitality packages available, offering premium experiences that include:

• Priority seating (often table seating)
• Fast-track entry
• Access to VIP lounges
• Complimentary food and drink
• Meet-and-play opportunities with darts legends (select packages)

Official hospitality providers include:

Seat Unique: Official partner offering packages across all venues. Prices vary by location and package tier, typically ranging from £100-£200+ per person. Mobile tickets delivered 2-4 days before the event.

Sport & Music: Official PDC partner with exclusive access to premium inventory. They emphasize guaranteed authenticity and packages that aren’t available elsewhere, including “Meet & Play” experiences with former world champions.

Individual Venue Ticketing: Venues like Glasgow (OVO Hydro), Belfast (SSE Arena), and London (The O2) sell their own hospitality packages through Ticketmaster and AXS, often branded as “Venue Premium” or specific lounge experiences (Belfast’s “Heineken Green Room,” for example).

Option 3: Verified Resale Platforms

If you’re hunting for standard tickets rather than hospitality, verified resale is your safest route:

AXS Official Resale: For O2 Arena (Finals Night) and select other venues using AXS ticketing. This is the only legitimate resale platform for AXS-issued tickets. Tickets purchased through unauthorized platforms will not be valid.

TicketPort: UK-based official resale platform offering tickets for Liverpool and Sheffield dates, with partner availability for other venues. Prices include all fees and may be above or below face value.

SeatGeek: International resale platform with buyer guarantee, Deal Score ratings, and interactive seat maps. Prices fluctuate based on demand, with potential deals emerging 24-48 hours before events.

Venue-specific resale: Some arenas operate their own official resale exchanges. Check with individual venues.

Option 4: Join the Waiting List

Register on the PDC’s official Premier League tickets page. While most general sale tickets are gone, venues sometimes release additional inventory closer to event dates, and registered users get first notification.

What You Need to Know Before Buying

Mobile Tickets: Most venues use mobile-only ticketing through venue apps or AXS. Physical tickets are rarely issued. Expect electronic delivery 2-4 days before your event.

Pricing Reality: General sale tickets that sold months ago ranged from £30-£50 for standard seating. Current resale and hospitality options start from around £100 and climb steeply depending on venue, seating location, and demand.

Age Requirements: Check individual venue policies, particularly for hospitality areas. Most require smart casual attire in VIP sections.

Parking: Hospitality packages typically don’t include parking. Plan ahead, as venue car parks fill quickly on event nights.

Scam Warning: Only purchase through official box offices, authorized hospitality partners (Seat Unique, Sport & Music), or verified resale platforms (AXS Official Resale, TicketPort, SeatGeek, Ticketmaster Resale). Tickets from Facebook groups, Craigslist, or unknown websites carry significant risk of being fake or invalid.

The Format—What You’re Actually Watching

Since 2022, each Premier League night operates as a mini-tournament. Eight players compete in four quarter-finals, with winners advancing to semi-finals and then a nightly final. The night’s champion collects five points plus a £10,000 bonus, with three points for the runner-up and two points for semi-finalists.

Players meet each other once in quarters during weeks 1-7, again in weeks 9-15, with weeks 8 and 16 drawn based on league standings. After 16 weeks, the top four qualify for Finals Night at The O2, where 1st plays 4th and 2nd plays 3rd in knockout semi-finals, with winners meeting in the championship match.

The Players—Why Tickets Are Impossible

Eight players make up the 2026 field:

Automatic Qualifiers (top 4 on Order of Merit):

• Luke Littler (World No. 1, reigning World Champion)
• Luke Humphries (defending Premier League champion)
• Gian van Veen (European Champion, Premier League debutant)
• Michael van Gerwen (seven-time Premier League champion)

Wildcard Selections:

• Gerwyn Price (2021 World Champion)
• Jonny Clayton (2021 Premier League champion)
• Stephen Bunting (World No. 7, six PDC titles in 2025)
• Josh Rock (Premier League debutant, Northern Ireland’s rising star)

This lineup explains why tickets vanished instantly. Littler’s “Littlermania” phenomenon has transformed darts attendance, with his matches routinely selling out within minutes. Add Humphries’ rivalry, Van Gerwen’s legend status, and emerging stars like Van Veen and Rock, and you have the most compelling Premier League field in years.

How to Watch If You Can’t Attend

Sky Sports broadcasts every night live from 7pm GMT, with coverage on Sky Sports Arena and often Sky Sports Main Event. The season runs through May 28, making it a 17-week Thursday night ritual for darts fans.

For those outside the UK, check local PDC broadcast partners or consider PDCTV, though availability varies by region for televised events.

The Bottom Line

If you’re determined to experience Premier League Darts 2026 in person, hospitality packages through Seat Unique or Sport & Music represent your best remaining option. Yes, you’ll pay significantly more than standard tickets would have cost, but you’ll also enjoy premium seating, VIP treatment, and guaranteed entry to what promises to be the most electric Premier League season yet.

For those on tighter budgets, monitor verified resale platforms for potential deals in the final 48 hours before events—though this strategy carries risk, as prime matchups may never see prices drop.

Alternatively, mark your calendar for October 2026, when tickets for the 2027 Premier League will likely go on sale. Learn from this year’s chaos: register early for pre-sale access, and don’t hesitate when tickets drop. In the age of Littler, darts tickets have become as hot a commodity as any major sporting event in Britain.

One thing is certain: whether you’re there in person or watching on Sky Sports, Premier League Darts 2026 promises 17 weeks of unmissable drama, world-class talent, and the electric atmospheres that have made it the roadshow event no darts fan wants to miss.