PDC World Darts Championship 2027: FAQ

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.