World Darts Championship: When does it start, TV channel, schedule, order of play, odds and tickets

Everything you need to know about the World Darts Championship

Reigning world champion Rob Cross and Anastasia Dobromyslova will compete at the Alexandra Palace this month (Getty)

The World Darts Championship kicks off on Thursday evening as the main event on the calendar gets underway at the Alexandra Palace for the 26th consecutive year, with defending champion Rob Cross looking to repeat his incredible victory last year and a past winner looking to bow out on a high.

The action begins this week with Cross opening his account against the winner of the tournament’s opening match between Jeffrey de Zwaan and Nitin Kumar, with the rest of the seeded players slowing rolling out throughout the first week.

From Friday, the action doubles up with an afternoon session as well as the evening one, before the second round gets underway fully on Wednesday 19 December.

It all culminates on New Year’s Day when the final takes place and the new world champion is crowned, while over the next few weeks the sport will also say goodbye to one of its favourites as five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld, one of the most successful players in history, will retire after the World Championship.

For the first time, there will be female competitors among the field as both Anastasia Dobromyslova and Lisa Ashton, the four-time BDO world champion, will be among the qualifiers competing for a place in the second round.

Rob Cross was the surprise winner in 2017 (Getty)

Here’s everything you need to know about the World Darts Championship, including full schedule, ticket details and when the action in on television.

When is the World Darts Championship on?

The action begins on Thursday 13 December and runs through to Tuesday 1 January, taking a three-day break for Christmas over 24-27 December as well as New Year’s Eve.

Where can I watch it?

Every minute of the darts will be shown live on Sky Sports Arena (Sky channel 408, Virgin channel 508).

Can I still buy tickets?

Tickets are still available for all days except Friday 28 December – which are already sold out – and can be purchased through the seetickets.com website or by calling 08448718807.

Customers can by a maximum of six tickets per person per session for table seats, 10 per person for tiered seats and tables of 10 for hospitality.

Raymond van Barneveld will make his final appearance before retirement (PA)

Odds

Michael van Gerwen - 13/8

Gary Anderson - 7.2

Peter Wright - 10/1

Michael Smith - 14/1

Mensur Suljovic - 16/1

Rob Cross - 20/1

Daryl Gurney - 30/1

Gerwyn Price - 35/1

James Wade - 40/1

Adrian Lewis - 80/1

Raymond van Barneveld - 80/1

(Odds provided by Betfair)

Full schedule and order of play

Thursday, December 13 (7pm)

Jeffrey de Zwaan v Nitin Kumar (First Round)

Martin Schindler v Cody Harris (First Round)

Jan Dekker v Lisa Ashton (First Round)

Rob Cross v De Zwaan/Kumar (Second Round)

Cross features on the first night of the World Darts Championship (Getty)

Friday, December 14

Afternoon Session (12:30)

Michael Barnard v Jose De Sousa (First Round)

Alan Tabern v Raymond Smith (First Round)

Paul Nicholson v Kevin Burness (First Round)

Jamie Lewis v Schindler/Harris (Second Round)

Evening Session (7pm)

Danny Noppert v Royden Lam (First Round)

Simon Stevenson v Ted Evetts (First Round)

Chris Dobey v Boris Koltsov (First Round)

Gary Anderson v Nicholson/Burness (Second Round)

Saturday, December 15

Afternoon Session (12:30)

Richard North v Robert Marijanovic (First Round)

Mickey Mansell v Jim Long (First Round)

Josh Payne v Jeff Smith (First Round)

Max Hopp v Noppert/Lam (Second Round)

Evening Session (7pm)

Toni Alcinas v Craig Ross (First Round)

Ryan Searle v Stephen Burton (First Round)

Keegan Brown v Karel Sedlacek (First Round)

Michael van Gerwen v Tabern/Ray Smith (Second Round)

Van Gerwen begins his campaign on Saturday night (Getty)

Sunday, December 16

Afternoon Session (12:30)

Gabriel Clemens v Aden Kirk (First Round)

William O'Connor v Yordi Meeuwisse (First Round)

Brendan Dolan v Yuanjun Liu (First Round)

Dave Chisnall v Payne/J Smith (Second Round)

Evening Session (7pm)

Luke Humphries v Adam Hunt (First Round)

Matthew Edgar v Darius Labanauskas (First Round)

Ross Smith v Paul Lim (First Round)

Peter Wright v Alcinas/Ross (Second Round)

Monday, December 17 (7pm)

Vincent van der Voort v Lourence Ilagan (First Round)

Wayne Jones v Devon Petersen (First Round)

Ryan Joyce v Anastasia Dobromyslova (First Round)

Raymond van Barneveld v Edgar/Labanauskas (Second Round)

The 51-year-old will play through to next year's World Championship (Getty)

Tuesday, December 18

Afternoon Session (12:30)

Robert Thornton v Daniel Larsson (First Round)

Ricky Evans v Rowby-John Rodriguez (First Round)

Krzysztof Ratajski v Seigo Asada (First Round)

Darren Webster v Van der Voort/Ilagan (Second Round)

Evening Session (7pm)

Steve Lennon v James Bailey (First Round)

Ron Meulenkamp v Diogo Portela (First Round )

Dimitri Van den Bergh v Chuck Puleo (First Round)

Daryl Gurney v Ross Smith/Lim (Second Round)

Wednesday, December 19

Afternoon Session (12:30)

Nathan Aspinall v Geert Nentjes (First Round)

Jeffrey de Graaf v Noel Malicdem (First Round)

Joe Cullen v Dolan/Liu (Second Round)

Kim Huybrechts v Thornton/Larsson (Second Round)

Evening Session (7pm)

James Wilson v O'Connor/Meuwisse (Second Round)

Simon Whitlock v Joyce/Dobromyslova (Second Round)

Michael Smith v Meulenkamp/Portela (Second Round)

James Wade v Ratajski/Asada (Second Round)

Thursday, December 20

Afternoon Session (12:30)

Jermaine Wattimena v Barnard/De Sousa (Second Round)

Alan Norris v Lennon/Bailey (Second Round)

Stephen Bunting v Humphries/Hunt (Second Round)

Steve Beaton v Dobey/Koltsov (Second Round)

Evening Session (7pm)

Cristo Reyes v Evans/Rodriguez (Second Round)

Mervyn King v Dekker/Ashton (Second Round)

Adrian Lewis v Stevenson/Evetts (Second Round)

Mensur Suljovic v Searle/Burton (Second Round)

Friday, December 21

Afternoon Session (12:30)

Benito van de Pas v Mansell/Long (Second Round)

John Henderson v Clemens/Kirk (Second Round)

Steve West v North/Marijanovic (Second Round)

Kyle Anderson v De Graaf/Malicdem (Second Round)

Evening Session (7pm)

Ian White v Jones/Petersen (Second Round)

Jelle Klaasen v Brown/Sedlacek (Second Round)

Gerwyn Price v Aspinall/Nentjes (Second Round)

Jonny Clayton v Van den Bergh/Puleo (Second Round)

Gary Anderson is among the favourites this year (Getty) (Getty Images)

Saturday, December 22

Afternoon Session (12:30)

Whitlock/Joyce/Dobromyslova v Norris/Lennon/Bailey (Third Round)

Chisnall/Payne/J Smith v Huybrechts/Thornton/Larsson (Third Round)

Gurney/Ross Smith/Lim v J Lewis/Schindler/Harris (Third Round)

Evening Session (7pm)

Suljovic/Searle/Burton v Wilson/O'Connor/Meeuwisse (Third Round)

G Anderson/Nicholson/Burness v Wattimena/Barnard/De Sousa (Third Round)

Van Gerwen/Tabern/Ray Smith v Hopp/Noppert/Lam (Third Round)

The World Darts Championship is the biggest event on the calendar (Getty)

Sunday, December 23

Afternoon Session (12:30)

Webster/Van der Voort/Ilagan v Beaton/Dobey/Koltsov (Third Round)

Cullen/Dolan/Liu v King/Dekker/Ashton (Third Round)

Wade/Ratajski/Asada v Klaasen/Brown/Sedlacek (Third Round)

Evening Session (7pm)

A Lewis/Stevenson/Evetts v Van Barneveld/Edgar/Labanauskas (Third Round)

Price/Aspinall/Nentjes v K Anderson/De Graaf/Malicdem (Third Round)

Cross/De Zwaan/Kumar v Reyes/Evans/Rodriguez (Third Round)

Thursday, December 27

Afternoon Session (12:30)

White/Jones/Petersen v West/North/Marijanovic (Third Round)

Clayton/Van den Bergh/Puleo v Bunting/Humphries/Hunt (Third Round)

M Smith/Meulenkamp/Portela v Henderson/Clemens/Kirk (Third Round)

Evening Session (7pm)

Wright/Alcinas/Ross v Van de Pas/Mansell/Long (Third Round)

Fourth Round v Fourth Round

Fourth Round v Fourth Round

Friday, December 28

Afternoon Session (12:30)

Fourth Round v Fourth Round

Fourth Round v Fourth Round

Evening Session (7pm)

Fourth Round v Fourth Round

Fourth Round v Fourth Round

Fourth Round v Fourth Round

Saturday, December 29

Afternoon Session (12:30)

Quarter-Finals x2

Evening Session (7pm)

Quarter-Finals x2

Sunday, December 30 (7pm)

Semi-Finals

Tuesday, January 1 (8pm)

Final