PDC World Darts Championship 2027

11 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 · Alexandra Palace (Great Hall), London

The PDC World Darts Championship 2027 takes place from 11 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 at Alexandra Palace in London – for the first time in the larger Great Hall and with a final on a Sunday. 128 players compete for the Sid Waddell Trophy and a share of the £5,000,000 total prize money.

The 2027 PDC World Darts Championship, officially the Paddy Power World Darts Championship, will be held from 11 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 at Alexandra Palace in London. It is the 34th edition of the tournament and at the same time the 20th staging at Ally Pally, spread across 20 days of play. Alexandra Palace has been the home of the PDC World Championship since 2008, but this year there is one major change: for the first time, play takes place in the Great Hall, which with over 5,200 spectators per session holds considerably more fans than the West Hall and its 3,200 seats, used for the past 19 years. The Great Hall is no new territory for darts – the News of the World Darts Championship was staged there from 1963 to 1976. In total a record allocation of 180,000 tickets is available, distributed for the first time in the tournament's history via a Wimbledon-style ballot. Sponsor Paddy Power has extended its contract until 2031, and the World Championship will remain at Alexandra Palace for just as long. As in the previous year, 128 players are at the start, all of whom enter the tournament in the first round. Qualified are the top 40 of the PDC Order of Merit – the top 32 of them are seeded – as well as the best 40 players from the Pro Tour Order of Merit not already qualified. Added to that are 48 international qualifiers who secure their place through regional qualifying events, a women's or a youth competition; for the first time Africa receives two guaranteed places, and with the Trans-Tasman Championship a fourth qualifying route for Oceania has been introduced. Via the Challenge Tour, Derek Coulson as runner-up and Germany's Daniel Klose as fourth in the final ranking secured their World Championship tickets at the end of September 2026; third-placed Tommy Morris is now in the field via the Pro Tour Order of Merit after reaching the final of Players Championship 32 in Den Bosch (4-8 against Chris Dobey), so that 16-year-old Archie Self moved up as fifth in the Challenge Tour ranking – mathematically, however, his World Championship debut is not yet definitively secure. A few days earlier, Self had thrown a nine-darter at the MODUS Super Series in Portsmouth, making him the youngest player to produce a perfect leg on British television. On 28 September 2026 Carl Wilson had already qualified: the 37-year-old Englishman, who has never held a Tour Card in his career, won the UK & IRE Tour Card Holder & Associate Member Qualifier with a 7-4 final victory over Shane McGuirk and is in the World Championship field for the first time. In early October 2026 Nitin Kumar sealed the Indian place: "The Royal Bengal" won both events on the first day of the Indian Darts Council's three-tournament qualification and had therefore already collected enough points before the closing day for his sixth World Championship appearance in all. On the first weekend of October the Development Tour was also decided in Wigan: Jurjen van der Velde, Cam Crabtree and Jamai van den Herik claimed their World Championship tickets as second, third and fourth in the final ranking, with van den Herik additionally securing a Tour Card for 2027 and 2028. The two German tour card holders Leon Weber and Dominik Grüllich missed out on qualification. A week later the Women's Series also ended in Wigan: Beau Greaves won all four events of the closing weekend and played a tournament average of 98.75 at the 23rd event; because she is qualified via the Pro Tour Order of Merit, the World Championship tickets went to Lisa Ashton, Fallon Sherrock, Gemma Hayter and Vicky Pruim, who moved into the field as second to fifth in the final ranking. Via the CDC Pro Tour, Fred Krueger as the best American and Brayden Hall as the best Canadian are now also confirmed, because the already qualified Adam Sevada and David Cameron no longer need their ranking places. On 31 October 2026 two more qualifiers were added: Raymond Smith won the ANZ Premier League Finals Night in Brisbane 10-2 against Tim Pusey and secured, alongside 30,000 Australian dollars in prize money, places at the Grand Slam of Darts and at the World Championship, while András Borbély took the Hungarian place with victory in the Hungarian Super League. Four further places will be awarded in the Tour Card Holder Qualifier, a one-day blitz event on 30 November 2026 in Leicester, immediately before the draw – originally two places were planned there, with the two tickets that remained open also put into this Last Chance Qualifier. Five women will be at the 2027 World Championship: Beau Greaves via the Pro Tour Order of Merit plus Ashton, Sherrock, Hayter and Pruim via the Women's Series. At stake is total prize money of £5,000,000, of which £1,000,000 alone goes to the world champion, who also receives the Sid Waddell Trophy. The defending champion is Luke Littler, who in January 2026 took his second World Championship title in a row with a 7-1 against Gian van Veen and who in 2026 also won the World Masters, UK Open, World Cup, World Matchplay and Premier League, among others. His toughest challengers include Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen and three-time world champion Michael van Gerwen, along with players such as Gerwyn Price, Josh Rock and Stephen Bunting. The tournament starts four days earlier than last year's edition, play continues right through before Christmas, and then comes the traditional Christmas break. After the turn of the year follow the quarter-finals (1 January) and semi-finals (2 January), before the final is held on a Sunday for the first time in World Championship history – on 3 January 2027 in the Great Hall. The World Championship is broadcast by Sky Sports, and in Germany by DAZN and Sport1.

At a glance

  • Participants: 128 players, all entering in round 1
  • Venue: Alexandra Palace, London – for the first time in the Great Hall (host of the World Championship since 2008)
  • Capacity: over 5,200 spectators per session (3,200 so far in the West Hall)
  • Defending champion: Luke Littler (7-1 win in the final against Gian van Veen in January 2026)
  • Official name: Paddy Power World Darts Championship
  • Total prize money: £5,000,000, including £1,000,000 for the winner
  • Trophy: Sid Waddell Trophy (since 2013), weight approx. 25 kg, value approx. €20,000
  • Final: for the first time in the tournament's history on a Sunday (3 January 2027, around 21:00 CET)
  • Tournament start: Friday, 11 December 2026 – four days earlier than last year's edition
  • Christmas break: according to Sky Sports no play from 24 to 27 December 2026; dartn.de already lists round 3 from Sunday, 27 December 2026
  • Tickets: Record allocation of 180,000 tickets, for the first time via a Wimbledon-style ballot: PDC/PDCTV annual members from 1 September (12:00 BST) to 7 September 2026, general ballot from 8 September (12:00 BST) to 14 September 2026 (23:59 BST). The ballot has since closed; selection is made at random and all applicants will be informed of the result between Monday 21 September and Friday 25 September 2026. Each application allowed up to two sessions with a maximum of six tickets per session, and preferred sessions could be prioritised or “Any Session” selected. Payment details were part of the application: successful applications are charged automatically, unsuccessful applications are not charged. Applying early brought no advantage, and submitted applications could no longer be changed or cancelled.
  • Women: five women players are taking part in the 2027 World Championship
  • Start times (CET): afternoon sessions usually at 13:30, evening sessions at 20:00, semi-finals at 20:30, final around 21:00; doors for the evening sessions open at 19:00 local time according to Alexandra Palace
  • Organiser: Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)
  • Prize money counts for: PDC Order of Merit
  • Edition: 34th edition of the PDC World Championship and at the same time the 20th at Alexandra Palace
  • Match days: 20 days of play from 11 December 2026 to 3 January 2027
  • 9-darter bonus: £60,000 for the player, £60,000 for a spectator in attendance and £60,000 for the British cancer charity – £180,000 in total
  • Accessible tickets: Accessible tickets are part of the ballot; if needed there is a free companion ticket, and proof is requested during the application process. Resale only via the official See Tickets fan-to-fan platform.
  • Sponsorship deal: Paddy Power has extended its sponsorship of the World Championship until 2031; Alexandra Palace also remains the venue until 2031
  • Great Hall: After 19 years in the West Hall, the World Championship is moving to the Great Hall, which already hosted the News of the World Darts Championship from 1963 to 1976
  • World ranking: For sponsorship reasons the PDC World Rankings are called the Werner Rankings Ladder and are compiled over a two-year period

Related rankings

FAQ

When does the 2027 World Darts Championship start and where is it held?

The Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2027 starts on Friday 11 December 2026 with the evening session and ends on 3 January 2027. It is played at Alexandra Palace in London, for the first time in the Great Hall, which holds over 5,200 spectators per session and therefore far more fans than the West Hall used so far with its 3,200 seats. It is the 34th edition of the tournament and the 20th at Ally Pally.

Who is the defending champion at the 2027 World Darts Championship?

The defending champion is Luke Littler, who took his second World Championship title in a row in January 2026 with a 7-1 win in the final against Gian van Veen. In 2026 he also won the World Masters, UK Open, World Cup, World Matchplay and Premier League, among others.

How much prize money is there at the 2027 World Darts Championship?

At the Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2027 the total prize money is £5,000,000. The world champion gets £1,000,000 and the Sid Waddell Trophy, the runner-up £400,000; a first-round exit is worth £15,000. For a 9-darter there is an extra £60,000 for the player, £60,000 for a spectator in the crowd and £60,000 for the British cancer charity – £180,000 in total.

What format is played at the 2026/27 PDC World Championship?

It is played as a knockout in set format: rounds 1 and 2 are best of 5 sets, round 3 and the last 16 best of 7 sets, the quarter-finals best of 9 sets, the semi-finals best of 11 sets and the final best of 13 sets (first to 7). A set goes to whoever wins three legs first; in a deciding set you have to win by two clear legs from 2-2 in legs, and at 5-5 a sudden-death leg decides it. This rule has applied from the first round onwards since 2026.

Where is the World Darts Championship 2027 shown on TV and stream?

In the UK, Sky Sports shows every match of the Paddy Power World Darts Championship. In Germany, DAZN and Sport1 cover the championship; DAZN shows all matches live and in HD. The scope and broadcast times of Sport1's coverage of the 2027 championship have not been confirmed yet.

How do you qualify for the 2027 World Darts Championship?

The top 40 of the PDC Order of Merit are through automatically (cut-off: 29 November 2026, after the Players Championship Finals), with the top 32 seeded, plus the best 40 players not yet qualified from the Pro Tour Order of Merit. The remaining 48 places in the 128-player field go to international qualifiers from regional qualifying events as well as women's and youth competitions – for the first time with two guaranteed spots for Africa and with the new Trans-Tasman Championship as a fourth route for Oceania. Four tickets are handed out on 30 November 2026 at the Tour Card Holder Qualifier (Last Chance Qualifier) in Leicester, right before the draw.

Who has already qualified for the 2027 World Darts Championship?

Of the 48 international qualifiers, 31 had already been confirmed as of 29 October 2026 according to Wikipedia; on 31 October 2026 Raymond Smith as winner of the ANZ Premier League and András Borbély as winner of the Hungarian Super League were added. Those qualified include David Cameron (CDC Cross-Border Challenge), Adam Sevada (PDC North American Championship), Fred Krueger and Brayden Hall (best American and best Canadian on the CDC Pro Tour), Jesús Sálate (CDLC Tour), Mal Cuming (Trans-Tasman Championship), Ben Robb (DPNZ Pro Tour), Brody Klinge (ADA Tour), Kenya's David Munyua (North Africa Qualifier), Motomu Sakai (Steel Tour Japan), Nitin Kumar (Indian Darts Council Qualifier), Paolo Nebrida and Kam Weng Cheng (winner and runner-up of the PDC Asian Championship), Ryūta Arihara, Christian Perez, Haruki Muramatsu, Lok Yin Lee and Man Lok Leung (PDC Asian Tour), Daniel Larsson and Cor Dekker (PDC Nordic & Baltic Tour), Derek Coulson, Daniel Klose and Archie Self (Challenge Tour), Jurjen van der Velde, Cam Crabtree and Jamai van den Herik (Development Tour), Lisa Ashton, Fallon Sherrock, Gemma Hayter and Vicky Pruim (Women's Series) as well as Carl Wilson, who won the UK & IRE Tour Card Holder & Associate Member Qualifier 7-4 against Shane McGuirk on 28 September 2026. The ranking places on the PDC Order of Merit and the Pro Tour Order of Merit will only be finalised on the cut-off date of 29 November 2026.

Which women are playing at the 26/27 World Darts Championship?

Five women are in the field at the Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2027. As things stand, Beau Greaves is in via the Pro Tour Order of Merit, while Lisa Ashton, Fallon Sherrock, Gemma Hayter and Vicky Pruim qualified as second to fifth in the final standings of the PDC Women's Series, which ended in Wigan on 10/11 October 2026. Sweden's Pruim took the last available World Championship spot in fifth place and makes her Ally Pally debut at the age of 52.

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