When does the 2026 European Tour start, how do players qualify, Calendar European Tour and how can you get tickets?
FAQWednesday, 18 February 2026 at 11:30
The PDC European Tour has developed into one of the central pillars of modern professional darts. As the largest stage-based tournament series on mainland Europe, it brings the very best players from the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) into major arenas across the continent each year.
While Germany provides the largest number of host venues and some of the sport’s loudest crowds on the PDC ProTour, it is England’s players who have consistently defined the competitive standard — dominating title counts, producing a significant share of nine-dart finishes, and shaping the latter stages of events throughout the tour’s history.
In this article, we provide all the key information about the European Tour:
1. The history and origins of the European Tour
2. When does the European Tour 2026 begin?
3. Calendar European Tour 2026
4. All European Tour host venues and capacity
5. How can I get tickets for the European Tour?
6. How can you qualify for an Euro Tour?
7. How can I watch the European Tour 2026 live on TV?
8. How much prize money is available on the European Tour?
9. Who are the most successful players in European Tour history?
10. Who has thrown a nine-darter in the history of the European Tour?
2. When does the European Tour 2026 begin?
3. Calendar European Tour 2026
4. All European Tour host venues and capacity
5. How can I get tickets for the European Tour?
6. How can you qualify for an Euro Tour?
7. How can I watch the European Tour 2026 live on TV?
8. How much prize money is available on the European Tour?
9. Who are the most successful players in European Tour history?
10. Who has thrown a nine-darter in the history of the European Tour?
1. The history and origins of the European Tour
Today’s PDC European Tour dates back to a decision made by the Professional Darts Corporation in 2012. At that time, two Players Championship tournaments held over a single weekend were developed into a larger event format – with the aim of offering professional stage events for darts on mainland Europe. This concept gave rise to the European Tour.
In its inaugural season, the top 32 players from the PDC Order of Merit automatically qualified to compete, and £75,000 in prize money was awarded per tournament. An important feature from the very beginning was its international focus: European and national qualifiers ensured that players from the respective host country were represented at every event. While some matches were initially played off the main stage, since 2014 all matches have been staged in front of a live audience – a decisive step towards the series’ modern event character.
From both a sporting and organisational perspective, the European Tour developed rapidly. After five events in its debut year in 2012, the series expanded steadily: eight events in 2013, nine in 2015, ten in 2016, twelve in 2017 and 13 in 2018. The COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted this upward trend (only four tournaments in 2020 and just two in 2021), before a significant expansion resumed from 2022 onwards. Following 13 events in 2022 and 14 tournaments in 2025, the 2026 season sets a new record with 15 venues.
Geographically, the tour began in Germany, Austria and the Netherlands. In the years that followed, numerous additional countries joined the schedule, including England, Gibraltar, Denmark, the Czech Republic, Belgium, Hungary, Switzerland, Poland and Slovakia. As a result, the European Tour established itself as the largest professional darts tournament series on mainland Europe. Today, events are typically held over three days (Friday to Sunday) and attract tens of thousands of spectators to arenas each weekend.
Together with the Players Championship series, the European Tour forms the so-called PDC Pro Tour – the sporting foundation of the professional darts calendar. A key element is the European Tour Order of Merit, which counts only prize money earned in these events. Since 2016, this ranking list has served as the qualification basis for the European Darts Championship: the top 32 players on the European Tour Order of Merit secure a place at the European Championship, which has been staged at the Westfalenhallen Dortmund since 2022 and is regarded as the only PDC ranking major held on German soil.
Gian van Veen - the current European Champion.
2. When does the European Tour 2026 start?
The 2026 season begins with a historic first visit to Poland at the Poland Darts Open in Kraków, staged from 20–22 February 2026.
The opening session takes place on Friday, 20 February at 1pm local time, marking the official start of another year of European Tour action.
3. Calendar European Tour 2026
The tour visits nine countries in 2026.
It opens in Kraków before travelling to Göttingen and Lebbeke. Further German stops follow in Munich and Sindelfingen, before the tour heads to Graz in Austria.
Later events take place in Riesa, Kiel and Petržalka (Slovakia), before returning to Germany in Leverkusen. The international stretch continues in Budapest, Prague and Antwerp, before concluding in Basel and Maastricht.
Germany hosts six of the 15 events, underlining its commercial importance to the tour. However, in competitive terms, England’s players continue to dominate the decisive stages across venues.
| Tournament | Venue | Dates |
| Poland Darts Open | Krakow, Poland | 20–22 February 2026 |
| European Darts Trophy | Göttingen, Germany | 13–15 March 2026 |
| Belgian Darts Open | Lebbeke, Belgium | 20–22 March 2026 |
| German Darts Grand Prix | Munich, Germany | 4–6 April 2026 |
| European Darts Grand Prix | Sindelfingen, Germany | 17–19 April 2026 |
| Austrian Darts Open | Graz, Austria | 8–10 May 2026 |
| International Darts Open | Riesa, Germany | 22–24 May 2026 |
| Baltic Sea Darts Open | Kiel, Germany | 29–31 May 2026 |
| Slovak Darts Open | Petržalka, Slovakia | 19–21 June 2026 |
| European Darts Open | Leverkusen, Germany | 10–12 July 2026 |
| Hungarian Darts Trophy | Budapest, Hungary | 28–30 August 2026 |
| Czech Darts Open | Prague, Czech Republic | 4–6 September 2026 |
| Flanders Darts Trophy | Antwerp, Belgium | 11–13 September 2026 |
| Swiss Darts Trophy | Basel, Switzerland | 9–11 October 2026 |
| Dutch Darts Championship | Maastricht, Netherlands | 16–18 October 2026 |
4. All European Tour host venues and capacity
In 2026, Germany once again forms the backbone of the European Tour calendar with six events, but there are also visits to Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and the Netherlands, among others, in the most expanded European Tour in many years. The venues are:
| Tournament | Venue | City | Approximate Capacity |
| Poland Darts Open | Expo | Krakow | 10,000+ |
| European Darts Trophy | Lokhalle | Göttingen | 4,000 – 7,500 |
| Belgian Darts Open | Oktoberhallen | Wieze | 3,000 |
| German Darts Grand Prix | Zenith München | Munich | 3,000 – 6,000 |
| European Darts Grand Prix | Glaspalast | Sindelfingen | 3,000 – 5,000 |
| Austrian Darts Open | Steiermarkhalle | Graz | 1,800 - 2,400 |
| International Darts Open | WT Energiesysteme Arena | Riesa | 5,000 – 9,000 |
| Baltic Sea Darts Open | Wunderino Arena | Kiel | 10,000 – 13,500 |
| Slovak Darts Open | Incheba | Bratislava | 5,500 |
| European Darts Open | Ostermann-Arena | Leverkusen | 3,000 – 3,500 |
| Hungarian Darts Trophy | MVM Dome | Budapest | 20,022 - 20,028 |
| Czech Darts Open | PVA EXPO | Prague | 3,000 - 6,700 |
| Flanders Darts Trophy | Antwerp Expo | Antwerp | 1,700 - 3,000 |
| Swiss Darts Trophy | St Jakobshalle | Basel | 12,400+ |
| Dutch Darts Championship | MECC | Maastricht | 5,000+ |
These arenas have become established stops on the European Tour and regularly draw thousands of fans per session.
5. How do you get tickets for European Tour?
Tickets for all European Tour events are sold via PDC Europe.
Fans can purchase tickets directly through the official PDC Europe website, where each event has its own dedicated page showing session times, ticket categories and availability. Demand is typically strongest for German and Dutch events, with many sessions selling out well in advance.
6. How can you qualify for a European Tour?
Each European Tour event features 48 players.
The field is made up of:
- The Top 16 players from the PDC Order of Merit
- The Top 16 players from the Pro Tour Order of Merit (not already qualified via the main ranking)
- 10 players from the Tour Card Holder Qualifier
- 4 Host Nation Qualifiers
- 1 Nordic & Baltic Qualifier
- 1 East Europe Qualifier
This structure ensures elite quality at the top end while still providing opportunities for emerging and regional players.
7. How can you watch the European Tour 2026 live?
UK and English viewers can follow the action through the PDC’s international broadcast partners and official streaming platforms, ensuring full coverage of the tour’s 15 events. This is available on PDCTV.
Luke Littler is a two-time world champion
8. How much prize money is available on European Tour?
Each European Tour event carries a total prize fund of £230,000.
| Round | Prize Money |
| Winner | £35,000 |
| Runner-up | £15,000 |
| Semi-finalists | £10,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | £8,000 |
| Last 16 | £5,000 |
| Second Round | £3,500 |
| First Round | £2,000 |
These earnings count towards both the PDC Order of Merit and the European Tour Order of Merit.
9. Who are the most successful players in European Tour history?
The record holder is Michael van Gerwen with 38 titles.
However, England’s strength in depth is evident across the all-time rankings. Multiple English players have won five or more titles, including:
- Dave Chisnall
- Luke Humphries
- Michael Smith
- Luke Littler
- Phil Taylor
England provides more individual title winners than any other nation in the tour’s history, reinforcing its continued dominance at elite level.
| Rank | Name | Nation | Titles |
| 1 | Michael van Gerwen | Netherlands | 38 |
| 2 | Peter Wright | Scotland | 9 |
| 2 | Gerwyn Price | Wales | 9 |
| 4 | Dave Chisnall | England | 8 |
| 4 | Luke Humphries | England | 8 |
| 6 | Michael Smith | England | 6 |
| 7 | Luke Littler | England | 4 |
| 7 | Phil Taylor | England | 4 |
| 9 | Mensur Suljovic | Austria | 3 |
| 9 | Ian White | England | 3 |
| 9 | Nathan Aspinall | England | 3 |
| 9 | Jonny Clayton | Wales | 3 |
| 9 | Gary Anderson | Scotland | 3 |
| 9 | Joe Cullen | England | 3 |
| 9 | Martin Schindler | Germany | 3 |
10. How many nine-dart finishes have been hit on European Tour?
A total of 23 nine-dart finishes have been thrown in European Tour history.
| Tournament | Round | Player | Result | Opponent |
| Austrian Darts Open 2012 | R1 | Michael Smith | 6–4 | Jamie Caven |
| Austrian Darts Open 2012 | R2 | Simon Whitlock | 4–6 | Joe Cullen |
| German Darts Championship 2012 | R1 | Colin Lloyd | 6–5 | Alex Roy |
| German Darts Masters 2012 | R1 | Mark Webster | 4–6 | Andree Welge |
| German Darts Masters 2012 | R3 | Ian White | 6–5 | Andy Hamilton |
| Gibraltar Darts Trophy 2013 | R2 | Ross Smith | 5–6 | Adrian Lewis |
| European Darts Matchplay 2018 | R1 | Michael van Gerwen | 6–2 | Ryan Joyce |
| European Darts Open 2019 | SF | Michael van Gerwen | 7–5 | Mensur Suljovic |
| German Darts Championship 2019 | L16 | James Wade | 5–6 | Darren Webster |
| German Darts Open 2019 | Preliminary | Steve Beaton | 6–3 | Kirk Shepherd |
| Czech Darts Open 2019 | R2 | Gerwyn Price | 6–4 | Glen Durrant |
| Gibraltar Darts Trophy 2019 | QF | Dave Chisnall | 6–4 | James Wade |
| Belgian Darts Open 2022 | SF | Dave Chisnall | 7–4 | Danny Noppert |
| Hungarian Darts Trophy 2023 | Final | Luke Humphries | 7–8 | Dave Chisnall |
| German Darts Championship 2023 | R1 | Scott Waites | 5–6 | George Killington |
| Belgian Darts Open 2024 | Final | Luke Littler | 8–7 | Rob Cross |
| Baltic Sea Darts Open 2024 | Final | Luke Humphries | 6–8 | Rob Cross |
| Dutch Darts Championship 2024 | R2 | Ross Smith | 4–6 | Dimitri Van den Bergh |
| Hungarian Darts Trophy 2024 | R2 | Cor Dekker | 2–6 | Stephen Bunting |
| Hungarian Darts Trophy 2024 | R2 | Michael van Gerwen | 6–2 | Martin Lukeman |
| Hungarian Darts Trophy 2024 | L16 | Martin Schindler | 4–6 | Stephen Bunting |
| German Darts Grand Prix 2025 | L16 | Michael van Gerwen | 6–1 | Ryan Searle |
| German Darts Championship 2025 | R1 | Dirk van Duijvenbode | 6–4 | Karel Sedlacek |
English players account for a significant proportion of these perfect legs, again underlining England’s technical depth and consistent excellence on the European stage.
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