WDF World Darts Championship 2026

Late November to early December 2026 · Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green

The WDF World Darts Championship 2026 will once again be held at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green. The defending champion in the Open competition is Jimmy van Schie, who beat Mitchell Lawrie 6-3 in the 2025 final.

The WDF World Darts Championship 2026 will once again be held at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green in the county of Surrey. The Lakeside has been the permanent home of the tournament organised by the World Darts Federation (WDF) since the first edition in 2022; before that, the hall hosted the BDO World Darts Championship from 1986 to 2019. The tournament is played in set format, and since 2024 the date has fallen between late November and early December. The WDF World Championship was created as the successor to the BDO World Championship after the British Darts Organisation was liquidated in September 2020 following financial problems. Alongside the PDC World Darts Championship, it is one of two world championships in darts. Four titles are awarded under the umbrella of the tournament: Open, Women's, Youth and Girls – the former "Men's" and "Boys'" categories were renamed "Open" and "Youth" in 2025. The defending champion in the Open competition is Jimmy van Schie, who beat the then 15-year-old Mitchell Lawrie 6-3 in the 2025 final. The other reigning world champions are Deta Hedman (Women's), Mitchell Lawrie (Youth) and Zehra Gemi (Girls). The Open title was previously won by Neil Duff (2022), Andy Baetens (2023) and Shane McGuirk (2024). The 2026 field is made up of ranking and race places plus two qualifying tournaments. At the first qualifier in July in Las Vegas during World Masters week, Berry Pater, Liam Maendl-Lawrance and Sophie McKinlay were among those to book their tickets; the last six places were awarded on 1 November directly at the Lakeside. The WDF has confirmed the prize money for 2026 – according to the federation it remains the highest outside the PDC.

At a glance

  • Organiser: World Darts Federation (WDF)
  • Venue: Lakeside Country Club, Frimley Green, Surrey, England
  • First edition: 2022
  • Date: Since 2024 from late November to early December
  • Format: Set format (Sets)
  • Competitions: Open, Women, Youth and Girls
  • Defending champion Open: Jimmy van Schie (6-3 against Mitchell Lawrie in the 2025 final)
  • Predecessor tournament: BDO World Darts Championship (1978–2020), also at the Lakeside from 1986 to 2019

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FAQ

When and where does the WDF World Championship 2026 take place?

The WDF World Darts Championship 2026 will once again be held at the Lakeside Country Club in Frimley Green (Surrey, England). Since 2024 the tournament has run from the end of November to the beginning of December.

Who is the defending champion at the WDF Darts World Championship 2026?

The defending champion in the Open competition of the WDF World Darts Championship is Jimmy van Schie. He won the 2025 final 6-3 against the then 15-year-old Mitchell Lawrie.

How much prize money is on offer at the WDF World Championship 2026?

The World Darts Federation has confirmed the prize money for 2026; according to the association it remains the highest outside the PDC. For comparison: in 2025 the total prize fund of the WDF World Darts Championship was £221,000, of which £146,000 was in the Open competition.

What format is played at the WDF World Championship?

Matches are played in sets. Four titles are awarded under the umbrella of the WDF World Darts Championship: Open, Women's, Youth and Girls.

How do you qualify for the Lakeside World Championship 2026?

Most of the places are allocated via the WDF rankings and the Lakeside Race – by mid-September 2026, 27 players had already secured qualification. On top of that came two qualifying tournaments: in July in Las Vegas and on 1 November at the Lakeside, where the last six places were awarded.

Who are the reigning champions in the other WDF World Championship competitions?

Deta Hedman is the reigning women's world champion, Mitchell Lawrie the Youth world champion and Zehra Gemi the Girls world champion. All three won their titles at the WDF World Darts Championship 2025.

How long has the WDF World Darts Championship been around?

The first edition took place in 2022. The tournament is the successor to the BDO World Darts Championship after the British Darts Organisation was liquidated in September 2020, and alongside the PDC World Championship it is one of two world championships in darts.

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