When Does the Darts Start? Next TV Darts Dates and Session Times
If you are asking when does the darts start again, here is the short answer: the next big televised darts starts on Saturday 14 November 2026, when the Grand Slam of Darts begins in Wolverhampton. After a short quiet spell following the autumn European Tour, the season roars back to life — and from that first Saturday at Aldersley, it barely pauses until a new world champion is crowned in January.
On this page
- When Does the Darts Start? The Next TV Event Is the Grand Slam
- Players Championship Finals: The Last Stop Before Ally Pally
- The Big One: The World Championship Starts on Friday 11 December
- What Time Does a Darts Day Start? Sessions Explained
- When Does the Darts Start Each Week? The Year-Round Rhythm
- How to Watch When the Darts Starts
- Upcoming TV Darts: Confirmed Dates
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
This guide covers the confirmed start dates for the three TV events that close out the year, the session times that shape a darts day, and the weekly rhythm underneath it all.
When Does the Darts Start? The Next TV Event Is the Grand Slam
For most fans, “the darts” means the big TV tournaments, and the next one is the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts at WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton, running from Saturday 14 November to Sunday 22 November 2026. It is the 20th edition, and a landmark one: the field expands to 48 players for the first time, drawn into 16 groups of three, with a record £1 million prize fund.
Luke Littler arrives as defending champion, chasing a third straight Grand Slam crown, and the group format means every player is guaranteed at least two matches. The last eight places in the field are settled at a Tour Card Holder qualifier in Leicester on Friday 6 November — so if you are wondering when does the darts start behind the scenes, the honest answer is even sooner than the TV cameras suggest.
Players Championship Finals: The Last Stop Before Ally Pally
Five days after the Grand Slam final, the tour heads to the seaside. The Players Championship Finals run from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November 2026 at Butlin’s Minehead, where the top 64 players from the season-long Players Championship Order of Merit fight it out for a share of a £600,000 prize fund.
Minehead is a fan favourite — a party weekend with a serious edge, because it is the final form guide before the World Championship. A hot weekend on the Somerset coast has launched more than one deep Ally Pally run.
The Big One: The World Championship Starts on Friday 11 December
Ask a casual fan when does the darts start and many simply mean Christmas. The Paddy Power World Darts Championship opens at Alexandra Palace in London on Friday 11 December 2026 and runs through to the final on Sunday 3 January 2027, with play pausing over Christmas, from 24 to 27 December.
A record 128 players chase the Sid Waddell Trophy and a share of £5 million, including a cool £1 million for the winner, with Littler again the man to beat. If you only watch one tournament all year, make it this one — and our full guide to when the WDC starts walks through the schedule round by round.
What Time Does a Darts Day Start? Sessions Explained
Dates are one thing; the clock is another. So when does the darts start on the day itself? Most big events split each day into two sessions. At the World Championship, the established pattern is an afternoon session at 12:30pm UK time and an evening session at 7pm, with the final starting a little later, at 8pm. The Grand Slam and the Players Championship Finals follow a similar shape on their busiest days, typically with afternoon play from around 1pm and the evening session from 7pm UK time.
The PDC confirms the exact order of play for each event closer to the time, so treat those times as the usual pattern rather than a promise. A session normally runs three to four hours — long enough for four or five matches — which is why the big evening sessions often finish close to 11pm.
When Does the Darts Start Each Week? The Year-Round Rhythm
Away from the TV lights, the tour never really stops. The Players Championship floor events — the one-day tournaments that decide who qualifies for Minehead — are played on weekdays through the season. The final two of 2026 take place in Leicester on Wednesday 4 and Thursday 5 November, and they stream live even though they are not on mainstream TV.
Then, from February each year, the Premier League takes over Thursday nights through the spring, filling arenas week after week. So whenever someone asks when does the darts start, the honest answer is that some level of it is almost always on — the only question is how big the stage is. Keep an eye on our homepage for the latest schedule news as each event approaches.
How to Watch When the Darts Starts
In the UK, the Grand Slam and the World Championship are live on Sky Sports, while the Players Championship Finals are shown free-to-air on ITV4. Floor events, qualifiers and plenty of international action stream on PDCTV, the PDC’s own service. For confirmed dates, session times and broadcast details for every event, check the official PDC website — it is the source every other schedule is built from.
Upcoming TV Darts: Confirmed Dates
The end of the darts year is the busiest stretch of the entire calendar, and every date is now locked in. Three televised majors close out 2026 in the space of seven weeks, taking the sport from Wolverhampton to Minehead and finally to Alexandra Palace. Here is exactly when each one starts, where it is played and what is at stake.
Grand Slam of Darts: 14–22 November 2026
The next darts on television is the Grand Slam of Darts, running from Saturday 14 November to Sunday 22 November at WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton, live on Sky Sports. The 2026 edition is the 20th staging and the biggest in the tournament’s history: the field expands to 48 players for the first time, drawn into 16 groups of three, with the group winners progressing to the last-16 knockout stage. Luke Littler arrives as the defending champion, chasing a third consecutive title. The final eight places in the field are decided at the Tour Card Holder Qualifier on 6 November, so the full line-up is only confirmed days before the first session. Follow every session on the Grand Slam of Darts 2026 schedule page.
Players Championship Finals: 27–29 November 2026
Just five days after the Grand Slam final, the tour heads to Butlin’s Minehead for the Players Championship Finals, from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November. The top 64 players on the Players Championship Order of Merit qualify, and the field is only settled after the final floor events in Leicester on 4 and 5 November — making the Minehead line-up one of the last pieces of the season to fall into place. The World Youth Championship final is also staged at Minehead that weekend, giving the event a festival feel. In the UK the tournament is shown on ITV4, with afternoon and evening sessions across all three days.
World Darts Championship: 11 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
Then comes the main event. The PDC World Darts Championship runs from Friday 11 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 at Alexandra Palace in London, live on Sky Sports. For the second year running, 128 players will contest the title, with £5,000,000 in prize money — including £1,000,000 for the champion — and Luke Littler defending the crown he won in January 2026. There is no play over Christmas from 24 to 27 December, which splits the tournament into its traditional two acts: the chaos of the early rounds before the break, and the heavyweight knockout clashes in the run-up to the final. It is the longest, richest and most-watched tournament in darts, and the perfect way to close the year.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the darts start next on TV?
The next televised event is the Grand Slam of Darts, starting on Saturday 14 November 2026 in Wolverhampton and running to Sunday 22 November, live on Sky Sports.
When does the World Darts Championship start?
The 2026/27 World Championship starts on Friday 11 December 2026 at Alexandra Palace in London, with the final on Sunday 3 January 2027.
When does the darts start at the Players Championship Finals?
The Players Championship Finals begin on Friday 27 November 2026 at Butlin’s Minehead and finish on Sunday 29 November, with the World Youth Championship final also played there that weekend.
What time do darts sessions usually start?
Afternoon sessions typically begin at 12:30pm or around 1pm UK time and evening sessions at 7pm, although the PDC confirms the exact session times for each event in its official order of play.
Is there any darts on before the Grand Slam?
Yes. The final Players Championship floor events of the season run in Leicester on 4 and 5 November, followed by the Grand Slam Tour Card Holder qualifier on 6 November — all streamed on PDCTV.
What channel is the darts on?
Sky Sports shows the Grand Slam and the World Championship in the UK, ITV4 carries the Players Championship Finals, and PDCTV streams the floor events and qualifiers throughout the season.
Conclusion
So, when does the darts start? For TV fans, the countdown ends on Saturday 14 November in Wolverhampton — then it is full speed through Minehead a week later and into the World Championship at Alexandra Palace on 11 December, the three dates that define the end of the darts year.
Clear the diary, stock the fridge and pick your sessions: the best few weeks of the darts calendar are about to begin, and they end with a world champion lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy under the Ally Pally lights on 3 January.
