International Darts Open 2026: FAQ

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.