London’s Alexandra Palace has once again become the global capital of darts as the Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2025/26 runs from 11 December 2025 to 3 January 2026, bringing together 128 players from more than 40 countries to compete for a record-breaking £1 million winner’s prize and the iconic Sid Waddell Trophy. For the first time in the tournament’s history, nations such as Kenya and Argentina are represented, underlining how the sport has expanded far beyond its British and European roots. The championship is led by Luke Littler of England, the reigning world champion and the youngest title-holder the sport has ever produced, alongside former champions Luke Humphries (England), Michael van Gerwen (Netherlands), Gary Anderson (Scotland) and Peter Wright (Scotland). As The WP Times reports, citing the official PDC World Championship website, this edition carries a total prize fund of £5 million, the highest ever awarded in professional darts.
Having lifted the title aged just 17 last season, Littler returns as world number one and top seed, attempting to do what only three players in the tournament’s 32-year history have managed — successfully defend the world crown. With a deeper international field than ever and multiple former champions still in contention, the 2025/26 championship is widely regarded inside the sport as the most competitive staging in its history.
What is happening now
The tournament has now reached the Fourth Round (Last 16) stage, with decisive matches being played on Tuesday 30 December at Alexandra Palace in north London. Among the headline ties are:
- Michael van Gerwen (Netherlands) vs Gary Anderson (Scotland)
- Luke Humphries (England) vs Kevin Doets (Netherlands)
- Charlie Manby (England) vs Gian van Veen (Netherlands)
These matches will determine who advances to the quarter-finals on New Year’s Day, before the semi-finals on 2 January and the World Championship Final on Saturday 3 January, when the Sid Waddell Trophy will be awarded in front of a sell-out Ally Pally crowd.
Why this championship matters for Britain
The World Darts Championship has become one of Britain’s most valuable and widely followed annual sporting events. With live sessions regularly filling Alexandra Palace and millions watching on television, darts now rivals traditional winter sports for audience reach and commercial value.
England and Scotland remain at the heart of the competition. Between them they account for five current or former world champions in this year’s field, while a new generation — including Littler and rising English talents such as Charlie Manby — is reshaping the balance of power inside the PDC.
Record prize money
The financial scale of the 2025/26 championship reflects the growth of the sport:
| Stage | Prize |
|---|---|
| Winner | £1,000,000 |
| Runner-up | £400,000 |
| Semi-finalists | £200,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | £100,000 |
| Last 16 | £60,000 |
| Last 32 | £35,000 |
| Last 64 | £25,000 |
| Last 128 | £15,000 |
With a £5 million total prize fund, the tournament now sits among the richest individual sporting competitions held annually in the United Kingdom.
The final stages will decide whether Luke Littler can secure back-to-back world titles or whether one of the established greats — or a new challenger — will take the sport’s most prestigious prize. The champion will be crowned in London on 3 January 2026, closing a championship that has already set records for prize money, international participation and global attention.
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