European Darts Trophy 2026

13 – 15 March 2026 · Lokhalle, Göttingen

Part of: European Tour

The European Darts Trophy 2026 – known as the Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Trophy for sponsorship reasons – took place from 13 to 15 March 2026 at the Lokhalle in Göttingen and was the second of 15 tournaments on the PDC European Tour 2026. Wessel Nijman won his first European Tour title with an 8-3 win in the final against Gerwyn Price.

The European Darts Trophy 2026 was held from 13 to 15 March 2026 at the Lokhalle in Göttingen and was the second of fifteen events on the PDC European Tour 2026. The field consisted of 48 players, with £230,000 in prize money on offer, of which £35,000 went to the winner. Defending champion Nathan Aspinall, who had won 8-4 against Ryan Joyce in 2025, did not enter and was therefore unable to defend his title. World number one Luke Littler also passed on taking part. The opening day already produced record marks: Kevin Doets beat Finnish debutant Jonas Masalin 6-0 with an average of 117.12, surpassing Michael van Gerwen's 115.13 from 2016 as the highest average in the tournament's history. Dave Chisnall turned a 0-5 deficit against Jeffrey de Zwaan into a 6-5 win, and host nation qualifier Paul Krohne celebrated his first European Tour victory with a 6-4 over Cameron Menzies. Last year's finalist Ryan Joyce went out 3-6 to Lukas Wenig. In the second round Niels Zonneveld provided the biggest surprise, knocking out three-time tournament winner Michael van Gerwen 6-2. Niko Springer came through 6-5 against Stephen Bunting in the deciding leg and was the only German player in the last 16, after Paul Krohne, Lukas Wenig and Martin Schindler had been eliminated. In total, eight Dutch players reached the last 16. On finals day Wessel Nijman and Gerwyn Price came through. Nijman beat Gian van Veen 6-1 with an average of 112.87, saw off Josh Rock 6-2 and dominated Niels Zonneveld 7-1 in the semi-final with an average of 110.41. Price survived a 6-5 against Danny Noppert, won 6-3 against Dirk van Duijvenbode and 7-5 against Damon Heta. In the final Nijman pulled away early to 3-0 and later to 6-1, winning 8-3 in the end – the first European Tour title of his career, in his first final on this series.

At a glance

  • Winner 2026: Wessel Nijman (Netherlands)
  • Final: Wessel Nijman 8:3 Gerwyn Price
  • Semi-finalists: Niels Zonneveld and Damon Heta
  • Tournament status: 2nd of 15 events on the PDC European Tour 2026
  • Venue: Lokhalle, Göttingen (tournament venue since 2017)
  • Title sponsor: Elten Safety Shoes
  • Organiser: Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) / PDC Europe
  • First edition: 2013
  • Total prize money: £230,000 (up on previous years as part of the 2026 prize money increase)
  • Highest checkout: 150 by Wessel Nijman
  • Caller: Kirk Bevins, Huw Ware, Philip Brzezinski, Franz Engerer
  • Spectators: 7,400 fans over the weekend
  • 180s: 310 180s thrown across the whole tournament
  • Highest average: 117.12 by Kevin Doets in round 1

Related rankings

FAQ

When and where did the European Darts Trophy 2026 take place?

The European Darts Trophy 2026 was held from 13 to 15 March 2026 at the Lokhalle in Göttingen. It was the second of 15 events on the PDC European Tour 2026.

Who won the darts tournament in Göttingen in 2026?

Wessel Nijman won the European Darts Trophy 2026 with an 8-3 win over Gerwyn Price in the final. It was the first European Tour title of his career, in his first final on this series.

How much prize money was on offer at the European Darts Trophy 2026?

A total of £230,000 was paid out. The winner received £35,000, the runner-up £15,000, the semi-finalists £10,000 each, the quarter-finalists £8,000 each and the first-round losers £2,000 each.

What format was played at the Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Trophy?

The tournament was played as a knockout with 48 players. The first four rounds were best of 11 legs, the semi-finals best of 13 legs and the final best of 15 legs, with every leg in double-out format.

How do you qualify for the European Darts Trophy?

The top 16 of the PDC Order of Merit are seeded and only enter in round 2, while the best 16 players from the Pro Tour Order of Merit who have not yet qualified start in round 1. The remaining 16 places go to the Tour Card Holder Qualifier (10), the Host Nation Qualifier (4), the Nordic & Baltic Qualifier (1) and the East European Qualifier (1).

Where was the EDT 2026 shown on TV and livestream?

DAZN showed all sessions live in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in German, and SPORT1 aired all sessions on German free-to-air TV. Internationally, the tournament was available via the PDC TV livestream.

Who was the defending champion and what records were set in Göttingen in 2026?

The defending champion was Nathan Aspinall, who had won 8-4 against Ryan Joyce in 2025 but did not take part in the European Darts Trophy 2026. In his 6-0 win over Jonas Masalin, Kevin Doets set the highest average in the tournament's history with 117.12, beating Michael van Gerwen's 115.13 from 2016.

Which German player went furthest at the European Tour event in Göttingen?

Niko Springer was the best German, reaching the quarter-finals, where he lost 5-6 to Damon Heta. After the defeats of Paul Krohne, Lukas Wenig and Martin Schindler, he was the only German player in the last 16.

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