When Does the World Darts Championship Start? The Full 2026/27 Schedule
If you are marking the calendar for the biggest fortnight in darts, here is the answer you need: when does the world darts championship start? The 2026/27 PDC World Darts Championship begins on Friday 11 December 2026 at Alexandra Palace in London, with the first darts thrown in the opening-night evening session. From that first walk-on to the final on Sunday 3 January 2027, expect 20 days of play, one famous Christmas pause, and the biggest Ally Pally stage yet.
On this page
- Table of Contents
- When Does the World Darts Championship Start? The Key Dates at a Glance
- Opening Night and the First Two Rounds: 11 to 23 December
- The Christmas Break: Four Quiet Days at Ally Pally
- The Road to the Final: When Does the World Darts Championship Start Its Business End?
- What Makes This Edition Bigger Than Ever
- Tickets and TV: Planning Your December Viewing
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Conclusion
This guide goes deeper than the headline date. Below you will find the opening-week picture, the session times, the round-by-round road to the final, and what is different this year — because when does the world darts championship start is only the first question. The better one is how the whole tournament unfolds once it does.
Table of Contents
When Does the World Darts Championship Start? The Key Dates at a Glance
The short answer to when does the world darts championship start is Friday 11 December 2026 — but the full framework matters too:
- First dart: Friday 11 December 2026, opening-night evening session
- Venue: Alexandra Palace, London — in the Great Hall for the first time
- Christmas break: Thursday 24 to Sunday 27 December, no play
- Finals weekend: semi-finals Saturday 2 January, final Sunday 3 January 2027
- Field and prize fund: 128 players chasing a record £5 million, with £1 million for the champion
The PDC publishes the full session-by-session order of play after the draw, held in November after the Players Championship Finals. Until then, the post-Christmas round dates below follow the tournament’s usual pattern and are flagged as expected, not confirmed.
Opening Night and the First Two Rounds: 11 to 23 December
Opening night is a single evening session — traditionally the night the defending champion begins his campaign — so expect Luke Littler, who beat Gian van Veen 7–1 in the 2026 final, to headline Friday 11 December, with the walk-ons starting at 19:00 UK time. From Saturday 12 December, the first round settles into the familiar rhythm: two sessions a day, afternoon and evening.
Session times matter just as much as knowing when does the world darts championship start. Afternoon sessions start at 12:30 UK time and evening sessions at 19:00, so a full day at Ally Pally — or on the sofa — means darts from lunchtime to close to midnight. With 128 players in the field, the first round alone fills the pre-Christmas schedule, and the second round is expected to be completed before the break too, based on the usual schedule. It is why this edition starts four days earlier than the last: more matches to fit in.
The Christmas Break: Four Quiet Days at Ally Pally
Then, silence. There is no play from Thursday 24 December to Sunday 27 December, as the tournament takes its traditional Christmas break. It is the strangest pause in sport: deciding-set drama one night, then the biggest party in darts on hold for turkey and travel. By Boxing Day, the question among fans flips — no longer when does the world darts championship start, but when does it start again.
Use the gap well: check the bracket, spot whose route has opened up, and plan your viewing — the tournament that returns on 28 December moves fast. Our full coverage on the World Darts Guide homepage tracks every session as the draw takes shape.
The Road to the Final: When Does the World Darts Championship Start Its Business End?
Play resumes on Monday 28 December with the third round, and from here the matches lengthen and the field shrinks daily. The third and fourth rounds are expected to run from 28 to 30 December, based on the usual schedule, which leaves one famous date: the quarter-finals, expected on New Year’s Day, Friday 1 January 2027, split across afternoon and evening sessions.
The semi-finals follow on Saturday 2 January in a single evening session — two best-of-11-set matches, back to back, in front of a crowd that has waited all tournament. Then, 24 hours later, the final: Sunday 3 January 2027, the first Sunday final in the event’s history, best of 13 sets for the Sid Waddell Trophy and that £1 million winner’s cheque. For the headline dates in brief, see our shorter guide to when the WDC starts covers them — this page is the full picture.
What Makes This Edition Bigger Than Ever
Ask when does the world darts championship start this year and the date is only half the story — the tournament has physically outgrown its old home. After 19 championships in the West Hall, the event moves into Alexandra Palace’s Great Hall for the first time, lifting capacity from around 3,200 to more than 5,200 fans per session and putting a record 180,000 tickets on sale across the event. The field grows too: 128 players, the largest ever, and a £5 million prize fund that doubles the winner’s prize to £1 million. Everything is scaled up.
Tickets and TV: Planning Your December Viewing
Tickets were sold by ballot for the first time, and the ballot has closed — the official resale route is See Tickets Fan-to-Fan; anything else risks a fake. On television, every session is live on Sky Sports in the UK, with streaming options, while fans elsewhere can follow through PDCTV. The official PDC website carries the confirmed order of play the moment the draw is made, so check there before finalising travel. For your diary: sessions at 12:30 and 19:00 UK time, the final an evening-only occasion.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the world darts championship start?
The 2026/27 championship starts on Friday 11 December 2026 at Alexandra Palace in London, in an opening-night evening session from 19:00 UK time.
What time do the daily sessions start?
Afternoon sessions begin at 12:30 UK time and evening sessions at 19:00, with two sessions on most playing days.
Is there play over Christmas?
No. The tournament pauses from 24 to 27 December and returns on 28 December with the third round.
When are the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final?
The quarter-finals are expected on New Year’s Day, 1 January 2027, with the semi-finals on Saturday 2 January and the final on Sunday 3 January.
Who is the defending champion?
Luke Littler, who beat Gian van Veen 7–1 in the January 2026 final. By tradition the defending champion plays on opening night.
How can I watch the championship on TV?
All sessions are live on Sky Sports in the UK, with streaming and PDCTV coverage for international fans.
Conclusion
So, when does the world darts championship start? Friday 11 December 2026, under the lights of the Great Hall at Alexandra Palace — earlier, bigger and richer than any edition before it. Everything after that first night is a bonus that builds, round by round, towards the first Sunday final on 3 January.
Plan the sessions you care about, respect the Christmas pause, and keep New Year’s weekend free if you can. In the room or on the sofa, this is the fortnight the darts year revolves around — and it all starts on 11 December.
