European Championship Darts 2026: Dates, Dortmund Venue, Format and Schedule
The top 32 players from the European Tour meet in Dortmund from 22 to 25 October. Here is the schedule, how qualification works and what is at stake.
The European Championship darts 2026 event takes place from Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 October at the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany. It is the finale of the European Tour season: only the 32 players who earned the most prize money across this year’s 15 European Tour events get a place on stage.
On this page
Dates and venue are listed on the official PDC tournament calendar.
- Dates: 22–25 October 2026 (four days)
- Venue: Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
- Players: 32 — the top 32 on the 2026 European Tour Order of Merit
- Format: Straight knockout, played in legs
- Prize fund: £750,000
- Bonus: Winner and runner-up qualify for the Grand Slam of Darts
European Championship darts 2026 schedule
| Dates | Event | TV (UK) | Starts (your time) |
|---|---|---|---|
22Oct
22–25 Oct 2026
|
European Championship 2026 Major Westfalenhalle, Dortmund | TBC (UK) | Times TBC |
Start times are converted to your time zone automatically: UK time
Four days means a compact schedule. Traditionally the first round is spread across Thursday and Friday, the second round follows on Saturday, and Sunday hosts the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in afternoon and evening sessions. The official order of play is announced a few days before the event, and we will add session times here as soon as it is released.
Clock change alert: UK and European clocks go back one hour in the early hours of Sunday 25 October — finals day. If you are watching from Pakistan, India, the US or anywhere else that does not change on the same night, the gap between your time and Dortmund shrinks or grows by an hour for the final session. The times shown on this site adjust automatically.
How players qualify for Dortmund
There are no invitations and no wildcards. Qualification is decided entirely by the European Tour Order of Merit, a ranking built only from prize money won at the 15 European Tour events of 2026. The top 32 at the end of the final event are in. Everyone else watches from home.
That makes the last two weekends of the European Tour unusually tense. Players hovering around 32nd place need a deep run to climb above the cut, while the leaders are playing for seeding:
- Swiss Darts Trophy — 9–11 October, St. Jakobshalle, Basel
- Dutch Darts Championship — 16–18 October, MECC Maastricht
The Order of Merit decides the seedings too, so the player who has earned the most on the European Tour this season faces the 32nd-placed qualifier in round one.
European Championship darts 2026 format
The European Championship uses legs, not sets, which keeps matches quick and makes upsets more likely than at Ally Pally. Matches get longer each round, building up to the final on Sunday night. Because the field is only 32 strong, the champion needs five wins across four days.
European Championship darts 2026 prize money
As part of the PDC’s record prize money increase, the European Championship prize fund rose to £750,000 from 2026 — the same as the World Grand Prix and Players Championship Finals.
There is a second prize that matters just as much: the champion and the runner-up both earn automatic places at the Grand Slam of Darts in November.
The Westfalenhalle
Few venues on the circuit can match Dortmund for noise. This is the 19th edition of the European Championship and the fifth time it has been held at the Westfalenhalle. If you are going, the Westfalenhalle is a short tram or U-Bahn ride from Dortmund’s main station.
Bigger from 2027
This is the last four-day European Championship for now. The 2027 PDC calendar expands the event to six days, from 26 to 31 October 2027 in Dortmund, with the prize fund rising to £1 million. See all the dates in our darts schedule 2027.
Players to watch
Luke Littler has won almost everything else, but the European Championship is still missing from his CV, which gives him an obvious reason to go all out. Luke Humphries, with more European Tour titles than most, is always dangerous on this format. And with a home crowd behind them, the leading German players tend to raise their level in Dortmund.
Where to watch the European Championship darts 2026
The European Championship is televised in the UK and streamed internationally. UK channel details are confirmed closer to the event, so check our darts on TV guide for the latest, including options for viewers in Pakistan, India and the USA.
For the full list of events through to the World Championship, see our darts schedule 2026–27.
European Championship FAQ
When is the European Championship darts 2026?
From Thursday 22 to Sunday 25 October 2026 at the Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany.
How do players qualify for the European Championship?
The top 32 players on the European Tour Order of Merit — prize money won at the 15 European Tour events of 2026 — qualify automatically.
What is the prize money for the European Championship 2026?
The total prize fund is £750,000, following the PDC’s prize money increase for 2026.
Is the European Championship played in sets or legs?
Legs. Matches get longer each round, ending with the final on Sunday evening.
Does the European Championship winner qualify for the Grand Slam?
Yes. Both the winner and the runner-up earn places at the Grand Slam of Darts in November.