International Darts Open 2026

22 – 24 May 2026 · WT Energiesysteme Arena, Riesa, Deutschland

Part of: European Tour

The 2026 International Darts Open were held from 22 to 24 May at the WT Energiesysteme Arena in Riesa as the seventh of 15 events on the PDC European Tour 2026. Ross Smith beat Ryan Searle 8-3 in the final to win his first European Tour title.

The 2026 International Darts Open – staged as the Elten Safety Shoes International Darts Open for sponsorship reasons – took place from 22 to 24 May 2026 at the WT Energiesysteme Arena in Riesa. Organised by PDC Europe, the ranking tournament was the seventh of 15 events on the 2026 European Tour within the PDC Pro Tour. The field featured 48 players and a total of £230,000 in prize money, £35,000 of which went to the winner. Riesa is one of the most tradition-rich venues on the PDC Europe calendar: this was already the eleventh European Tour event at this arena since the tournament was first held in 2015. Defending champion Stephen Bunting, who had beaten Nathan Aspinall 8-5 in the 2025 final, opened with a 6-2 win over Krzysztof Ratajski and an average of 102.54, but then went out in the third round, losing 2-6 to Rob Cross. Several seeds departed early: seventh seed Danny Noppert lost 5-6 to Ricardo Pietreczko, Josh Rock (No. 6) went down 4-6 to Cameron Menzies, and Chris Dobey (No. 9) was beaten by Kim Huybrechts, who posted an average of 104.66. Gerwyn Price, the record winner in Riesa with four titles, had withdrawn after the draw and was replaced by Christian Kist; earlier, Luke Humphries and Michael Smith had already been replaced by Rob Cross and Maik Kuivenhoven, which moved Luke Woodhouse up to the 16th seeded position. On finals day, Ross Smith and Ryan Searle came through. Searle beat Kim Huybrechts 6-1, knocked out top seed Gian van Veen 6-3 in the quarter-finals and won a high-quality semi-final against Rob Cross 7-6, sealing it with a 130 checkout on the Bullseye. Smith defeated Ricardo Pietreczko 6-4, edged out Michael van Gerwen 6-5 in the deciding leg and brushed Cameron Menzies aside 7-0 in the semi-final. In the final, Smith took control after an even start, led 3-1 and 4-2 and ultimately won five of the last six legs for an 8-3 victory. His average was 90.81 compared with 90.11 for Searle. After four lost finals, it was Smith's first European Tour title and his ninth PDC ranking win; with 14 maximums he also hit the most 180s of the tournament. For Searle it was a second European Tour final after the 2024 Swiss Darts Trophy.

At a glance

  • Winner 2026: Ross Smith (England)
  • Final: Ross Smith 8:3 Ryan Searle
  • Semi-finalists: Rob Cross and Cameron Menzies
  • Defending champion: Stephen Bunting, beaten 2:6 by Rob Cross in the 3rd round
  • Event number: 7th of 15 events on the PDC European Tour 2026
  • Field: 48 players
  • Total prize money: £230,000 (significantly increased for 2026)
  • Venue: WT Energiesysteme Arena in Riesa – 11th European Tour event at this location
  • First staged: 2015
  • Sponsor name: Elten Safety Shoes International Darts Open
  • Withdrawals: Luke Littler, Jonny Clayton, Gary Anderson and Nathan Aspinall did not enter; Luke Humphries and Michael Smith withdrew (replacements: Rob Cross and Maik Kuivenhoven); Gerwyn Price withdrew after the draw and was replaced by Christian Kist
  • Winner's best stat: First European Tour title for Ross Smith after four lost finals – his ninth PDC ranking title
  • German involvement: Ricardo Pietreczko was the only German to win in round one; he and Martin Schindler reached the 3rd round
  • European Tour 2026 winners sequence: Ross Smith was the seventh different winner in the first seven European Tour events of 2026

Related rankings

FAQ

When and where did the International Darts Open 2026 take place?

The Elten Safety Shoes International Darts Open 2026 were held from 22 to 24 May 2026 at the WT Energiesysteme Arena (SACHSENarena) in Riesa. It was the seventh of 15 events on the PDC European Tour 2026.

Who won the 2026 darts tournament in Riesa?

Ross Smith won the International Darts Open 2026 with an 8-3 victory over Ryan Searle in the final. It was his first European Tour title and his ninth PDC ranking win, after previously losing four European Tour finals. He was also the seventh different winner in the first seven European Tour events of 2026.

How far did defending champion Stephen Bunting get in Riesa?

Stephen Bunting, who had beaten Nathan Aspinall 8-5 in the 2025 final, started with a 6-2 win over Krzysztof Ratajski with an Average of 102.54. In the third round he lost 2-6 to Rob Cross.

How much prize money was there at the Elten Safety Shoes International Darts Open 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 last-16 players £5,000 each.

What format was played at the IDO 2026?

The International Darts Open 2026 were played as a knockout tournament with 48 players. From round 1 to the quarter-finals it was best of 11 Legs, best of 13 Legs in the semi-finals and best of 15 Legs in the final, each in double-out format.

How could you qualify for the International Darts Open 2026?

The top 16 of the PDC Order of Merit were seeded and only entered in round 2, while the 16 highest-ranked players not yet qualified from the ProTour Order of Merit started in round 1. The remaining 16 places went to the Tour Card Holder Qualifier (10), the Host Nation Qualifier (4), the Nordic & Baltic Qualifier (1) and the East Europe Qualifier (1).

Where was the 2026 European Tour event in Riesa shown on TV and stream?

DAZN showed all sessions of the International Darts Open live in German in Germany, Austria and Switzerland; the tournament was also available free of charge on the DAZN Darts X Pluto TV channel. Internationally it could be watched via the PDC TV live stream for subscribers with original commentary.

How did the German players fare in Riesa?

Ricardo Pietreczko was the only German to win in the first round (6:2 against Maik Kuivenhoven) and reached round 3 after a 6:5 against Danny Noppert, where he lost 4:6 to Ross Smith. Martin Schindler also reached round 3 after a 6:5 against Karel Sedláček and lost 2:6 there to Cameron Menzies; all four host nation qualifiers went out in round 1.

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