Darts season calendar
The professional darts year is built around a handful of televised majors run by the Professional Darts Corporation. It starts and ends at Alexandra Palace in London, where the World Championship runs across Christmas and the New Year.
The year at a glance
| When | Tournament | Where |
|---|---|---|
| 11 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 | World Championship | Alexandra Palace, London |
| February to May | Premier League | A different arena each week |
| March | UK Open | Minehead |
| July, ending 25 July 2027 | World Matchplay | Winter Gardens, Blackpool |
| 27 September to 3 October 2027 | World Grand Prix | Leicester |
| 26 to 31 October 2027 | European Championship | Dortmund |
| November | Grand Slam of Darts | Wolverhampton |
| November | Players Championship Finals | Minehead |
Dates are given where the organisers have announced them. The others are the usual months and should be checked nearer the time.
World Championship
The World Championship is the biggest event in the sport. The 2026/27 tournament runs from Friday 11 December to Sunday 3 January, with a break from 24 to 27 December.
This edition is the first to be played in the Great Hall at Alexandra Palace, which holds more than 5,200 spectators a session compared with about 3,200 in the hall used before. Tickets were allocated by ballot for the first time.
Matches are played in sets, and every leg must be finished on a double.
Premier League
The Premier League is an invitation event for a small group of leading players. It is played on Thursday nights from February to May, moving to a different city each week, and ends with a finals night.
UK Open
The UK Open is known as the FA Cup of darts. There are no seeds: the draw for each round is made at random, so the biggest names can meet early. It has the largest field of any major.
World Matchplay
The World Matchplay is played in legs, not sets, at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. It is a nine-day event in July and is regarded as the second most prestigious title after the World Championship.
World Grand Prix
The World Grand Prix is the one major played “double in, double out”. Players must hit a double to start scoring in every leg as well as to finish. A good scorer can lose a leg without getting off the mark.
Grand Slam of Darts
The Grand Slam begins with a group stage before the knockout rounds, which is unusual in darts. Players qualify by reaching finals and winning titles during the year.
How the calendar links to league darts
None of this affects a pub league directly, but the format is the same. A leg of 501 at Alexandra Palace follows the rules you play on a Tuesday night.