World Darts Championship 2026 schedule and results as Luke Littler looks to defend crown at Alexandra Palace

A record 128 of the world’s best darts players contend for the world title at Alexandra Palace this year

The PDC World Darts Championship gets underway on Thursday, 11 December as Alexandra Palace once again plays host to the biggest event in darts.

A record 128 of the sports’ best players will contest the world title in London, with world number one Luke Littler up and running as defending champion after beating Michael van Gerwen in the 2025 final.

Littler will face stiff competition from van Gerwen and 2024 champion Luke Humphries, while the likes of Gerwyn Price and Dutch youngster Gian van Veen will also look to cause a shock in the capital, though the 18-year-old remains the favourite as he bids for a second world title.

The tournament sees darts action almost daily for three weeks from 11 December, with the final taking place on the evening of Saturday, 3 January.

Here’s everything you need to know about the latest matches and results from Alexandra Palace.

World Darts Championship schedule

All times in GMT

First round (Best of five sets)

Thursday, 11 December

Evening session (19:00)

• Kim Huybrechts 1-3 Arno Merk
• Michael Smith (28) 3-0 Lisa Ashton
• Luke Littler (1) 3-0 Darius Labanauskas
• Madars Razma 3-1 Jamai van den Herik

The top 32 will enter at the first round of the tournament rather than the second this year (Getty Images)

Friday, 12 December

Afternoon session (12:30)

• Niels Zonneveld 3-0 Haupai Puha
• Ian White 3-2 Mervyn King
• Ryan Searle (20) 3-0 Chris Landman
• Rob Cross (17) 3-0 Cor Dekker

Evening session (19:00)

• Ross Smith (12) 2-3 Andreas Harrysson
• Ricky Evans 3-0 Man Lok Leung
• Gian van Veen (10) 3-1 Cristo Reyes
• Damon Heta (16) 3-1 Steve Lennon

Saturday, 13 December

Afternoon session (12:30)

• Mario Vandenbogaerde 1-3 David Davies
• Andrew Gilding 3-0 Cam Crabtree
• Luke Woodhouse (25) 3-1 Boris Krcmar
• Gary Anderson (14) 3-2 Adam Hunt

Evening session (19:00)

• Jeffrey de Graaf 1-3 Paul Lim
• Wessel Nijman (31) 3-0 Karel Sedlacek
• Luke Humphries (2) 3-1 Ted Evetts
• Gabriel Clemens 3-0 Alex Spellman

Sunday, 14 December

Afternoon session (12:30)

• Ritchie Edhouse (27) 0-3 Jonny Tata
• Dom Taylor 3-0 Oskar Lukasiak
• Richard Veenstra 2-3 Nitin Kumar
• Joe Cullen (32) 3-0 Bradley Brooks

Evening session (19:00)

• Lukas Wenig 1-3 Wesley Plaisier
• Dimitri van den Bergh (23) 0-3 Darren Beveridge
• Stephen Bunting (4) 3-2 Sebastian Bialecki
• James Hurrell 3-1 Stowe Buntz

Monday, 15 December

Afternoon session (12:30)

• Brendan Dolan v Tavis Dudeney
• Cameron Menzies (26) v Charlie Manby
• Mensur Suljovic v David Cameron
• Peter Wright (30) v Noa-Lynn van Leuven

Evening session (19:00)

• Martin Lukeman v Max Hopp
• Dirk van Duijvenbode (29) v Andy Baetens
• Jonny Clayton (5) v Adam Lipscombe
• Connor Scutt v Simon Whitlock

Tuesday, 16 December

Afternoon session (12:30)

• Alan Soutar v Teemu Harju
• Nick Kenny v Justin Hood
• Scott Williams v Paolo Nebrida
• Chris Dobey (8) v Xiaochen Zong

Evening session (19:00)

• Ricardo Pietreczko v Jose de Sousa
• Danny Noppert (6) v Jurjen van der Velde
• Gerwyn Price (9) v Adam Gawlas
• Niko Springer v Joe Comito

Wednesday, 17 December

Evening session (19:00)

• Matt Campbell v Adam Sevada
• Raymond van Barneveld v Stefan Bellmont
• James Wade (7) v Ryusei Azemoto
• Martin Schindler (13) v Stephen Burton

Thursday, 18 December

Afternoon session (12:30)

• Callan Rydz v Patrik Kovacs
• Thibault Tricole v Motomu Sakai
• Ryan Joyce v Owen Bates
• Mike de Decker (18) v David Munyua

Evening session (19:00)

• Jermaine Wattimena (19) v Dominik Gruellich
• Dave Chisnall (21) v Fallon Sherrock
• Michael van Gerwen (3) v Mitsuhiko Tatsunami
• Krzysztof Ratajski v Alexis Toylo

Friday, 19 December

Afternoon session (12:30)

• Kevin Doets v Matthew Dennant
• Ryan Meikle v Jesus Salate
• Mickey Mansell v Leonard Gates
• Josh Rock (11) v Gemma Hayter

Evening session (19:00)

• William O'Connor v Krzysztof Kciuk
• Daryl Gurney (22) v Beau Greaves
• Nathan Aspinall (15) v Lourence Ilagan
• Keane Barry v Tim Pusey

Three-time winner Michael van Gerwen is one of nine previous champions playing in this year's competition (Getty Images)

Second round (Best of five sets)

Saturday, 20 December

Four matches in afternoon session (12:30 GMT) and evening session (12:30 GMT) – order to be confirmed

• Winner of Dobey/Zong v Andrew Gilding
• Stephen Bunting v Nitin Kumar
• Winner of Van Duijvenbode/Baetens v James Hurrell
• Ryan Searle v winner of Dolan/Dudeney
• Winner of Clayton/Lipscombe v Dom Taylor
• Michael Smith [28] v Niels Zonneveld
• Andreas Harrysson v winner of Tricole/Sakai
• Winner of Chisnall/Sherrock v winner of Pietreczko/De Sousa

Sunday, 21 December

Four matches in afternoon session (12:30 GMT) and evening session (12:30 GMT) – order to be confirmed

• Luke Littler (1) v David Davies

• Joe Cullen v winner of Suljovic/Cameron
• Damon Heta v winner of Van Barneveld/Bellmont
• Rob Cross v Ian White
• Luke Woodhouse v winner of Lukeman/Hopp
• Winner of Price/Gawlas v Wesley Plaisier
• Winner of Joyce/Bates v winner of Ratajski/Toylo
• Winner of Schindler/Burton v winner of Barry/Pusey

Monday, 22 December

Four matches in afternoon session (12:30 GMT) and evening session (12:30 GMT) – order to be confirmed

• Luke Humphries v Paul Lim
• Wessel Nijman v Gabriel Clemens
• Winner of Aspinall/Ilagan v winner of Mansell/Gates
• Winner of De Decker/Munyua v winner of Doets/Dennant
• Winner of Wade/Azemoto v Ricky Evans
• Winner of Menzies/Manby v winner of Campbell/Sevada
• Gian van Veen v winner of Soutar/Harju
• Darren Beveridge v Madars Razma

Tuesday, 23 December

Four matches in afternoon session (12:30 GMT) and evening session (12:30 GMT) – order to be confirmed

• Winner of Van Gerwen/Tatsunami v winner of O'Connor/Kciuk
• Winner of Wright/Van Leuven v Arno Merk
• Gary Anderson v winner of Scutt/Whitlock
• Winner of Wattimena/Gruellich v winner of Williams/Nebrida
• Winner of Noppert/Van der Velde v winner of Kenny/Hood
• Jonny Tata v winner of Meikle/Salate
• Winner of Rock/Hayter v winner of Springer/Comito
• Winner of Gurney/Greaves v winner of Rydz/Kovacs

24-26 December - No matches

Third round (Best of seven sets)

Saturday, 27 December

Afternoon session (12:30)

• Three matches

Evening session (19:00)

• Three matches

Sunday, 28 December

Afternoon session (12:30)

• Three matches

Evening session (19:00)

• Three matches

Monday, 29 December

Afternoon session (12:30)

• Three matches

Fourth round (Best of seven sets)

2024 champion Luke Humphries is expected to be the main challenger to Littler (Getty Images)

Evening session (19:00)

• One third-round match
• Two fourth-round matches

Tuesday, 30 December

Afternoon session (12:30)

• Three matches

Evening session (19:00)

• Three matches

Wednesday, 31 December – No matches

Quarter-finals (Best of nine sets)

Thursday, 1 January

Afternoon session (12:30)

• Two matches

Evening session (19:00)

• Two matches

Semi-finals (Best of 11 sets)

Friday, 2 January

Evening session (19:30)

• Two matches

Final (Best of 13 sets)

Evening session (20:00)

• One match