The Grand Slam of Darts is one of the biggest events on the darting calendar, notoriously hard to qualify for, with many stars missing out on the event in Wolverhampton. But where is the WV Active Aldersley, and when does the 2025 Grand Slam of Darts start?
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Luke Littler stormed to his first major ranking title in last year's event, thrashing Martin Lukeman 16-3 in the final. He won 15 straight legs en route to the title, asserting his dominance in the sport. He had the honour of lifting aloft the Eric Bristow Trophy, named after one of the icons of the sport, despite him never winning the Grand Slam of Darts.
Here is all the info you need to know about the Grand Slam of Darts.
1. Where is Grand Slam of Darts hosted?
2. When does the PDC Grand Slam of Darts start?
3. How to qualify for Grand Slam of Darts?
4. How to get to Grand Slam of Darts?
5. How to get tickets for Grand Slam of Darts?
6. How much prize money is up for grabs?
7. Which players have won the Grand Slam of Darts?
8. What is the format for the Grand Slam of Darts?
1. Where is Grand Slam of Darts hosted?
2. When does the PDC Grand Slam of Darts start?
3. How to qualify for Grand Slam of Darts?
4. How to get to Grand Slam of Darts?
5. How to get tickets for Grand Slam of Darts?
6. How much prize money is up for grabs?
7. Which players have won the Grand Slam of Darts?
8. What is the format for the Grand Slam of Darts?
1. Where is Grand Slam of Darts hosted?
Located in the suburbs of Wolverhampton as one of the final majors before the PDC World Darts Championship, the WV Active Aldersley has been the location of the Grand Slam since 2018, apart from 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic prevented it from occurring there. It was originally known as Aldersley Stadium, hosting most notably an athletics track.
It was rebranded as 'WV Active' at the start of 2015, which commended the venue from growing into a haven for multiple different sports. While the athletics track still features, it now features a banked cycling velodrome, outdoor netball and tennis courts along with a number of indoor sports halls which hosts basketball courts, indoor bowls, five-a-side pitches, among others.
Every November, one hall is transformed into a darting paradise, with it able to hold upwards of 3,000 people eagerly watching a cheering on the best darters in the world.
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It was previously hosted at the Wolves Civic until 2018 when the venue closed for refurbishment, but since it has reopened it was seen as not viable to host the event.
Luke Littler is current defending champion.
2. When does the PDC Grand Slam of Darts start?
The Grand Slam begins 8th-16th November. It commences with the group phase, with 32 players battling it out in eight groups of four, attempting to finish inside the top two in their group to progress.
This will last over the first four days, with an afternoon and evening session being held on Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th November. Evening session follows from Monday to Tuesday to organise who goes through, with Wednesday and Thursday hosting the last-16 matches in a knockout format.
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The quarter-finals will be split between Friday and Saturday, with a tasty double-header of darts on the Sunday featuring the semi-finals in the afternoon and the final in the evening, where the champion will be revealed.
3. How to qualify for Grand Slam of Darts?
There is a variety of methods to qualify for the event. Unlike most competitions, rankings are not involved. Places are offered if you reach a major final. The likes of Littler and Luke Humphries did this with ease through appearing in multiple finals, with the likes of Michael van Gerwen, Jonny Clayton, James Wade, Gerwyn Price, Daryl Gurneny, Josh Rock and Lukeman all completing.
16 places are normally given through this route. It would then shift towards the European Tour where titles are then rewarded with spots in the event. Any remaining gaps would then be filled with whoever has the most titles on the Players Championship.
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Other methods include reaching the final of the World Youth Championship, topping the Challenge, Development Tour and Women Series standings, or winning the Women's Matchplay, CDC Continental Cup and PDC Asian Championship. The eight final positions would be made up of qualifiers who come through the Tour Card qualifying tournament.
4. How to get to Grand Slam of Darts?
It is a relatively easy location to get to. From Wolverhampton train station, it is a 15 minute walk to the venue, or you can hop on the 6 or 6A bus which stops at Aldersley Stadium/Aldersley Road. If coming in by car, there is parking available on-site. If walking in from the city centre, it would take 20-30 minutes with a variety of transport option available to make it quicker.
Luke Humphries won the event in 2023.
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5. How to get tickets for Grand Slam of Darts?
Tickets have been quickly being sold since they first appeared for sale from 9th June for Annual PDCTV Members. This costs £49.99 a year for the membership which also sees access to PDCTV which shows the European Tour and ProTour tournaments in the UK.
Pre-Sale followed shortly after on 10th June, while General Sale was on 11th June.
6. How much prize money up for grabs at Grand Slam of Darts?
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A total prize fund of £650,000 is on offer for the 32 darters competing. This year's tournament will see the winner take home £150,000 while the runner-up will claim £70,000. Semi-finalists earn £50,000 with quarter-finalists clinching £25,000.
An appearance in the last-16 will earn you £12,500. If you fail to get out of the group, you will get a different amount of prize money depending on where you finished. Third goes home with £8,000 while fourth only collects £5,000. There is a £3,500 bonus for the eight winners of the group phase.
2025 Prize Money Breakdown
| Result | Prize money |
| Winner | £150.000 |
| Runner-up | £70.000 |
| Semifinals | £50.000 |
| Quarterfinal | £25.000 |
| Last 16 | £12.500 |
| Numbers three in group stage | £8000 |
| Numbers four in group stage | £5000 |
| Bonus for group winners | £3500 |
| Total | £650.000 |
7. Which players have won the Grand Slam of Darts?
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Phil Taylor has won what is known as the Eric Bristow Trophy the most winning the title six times, while Michael van Gerwen is second up with three titles alongside Gerwyn Price who has been superb in particular at Aldersley Leisure Village which has become almost like a second home.
Scott Waites is the anomaly as the only player to win it as a BDO qualifier back in 2010. In addition a smattering of player have won it once in Raymond van Barneveld, Luke Humphries, Luke Littler, Michael Smith and Jose de Sousa.
While they may have reached the final a multitude of times, this event is still missing from the trophy cabinet of James Wade, Peter Wright, Gary Anderson and Nathan Aspinall all have reached the final to no avail.
History of Grand Slam of Darts
| Year | Champion (average) | Score | Runner-up (average) |
| 2007 | Phil Taylor (101.75) | 18–11 | Andy Hamilton (100.97) |
| 2008 | Phil Taylor (106.25) | 18–9 | Terry Jenkins (100.92) |
| 2009 | Phil Taylor (103.94) | 16–2 | Scott Waites (94.16) |
| 2010 | Scott Waites (99.86) | 16–12 | James Wade (92.79) |
| 2011 | Phil Taylor (109.04) | 16–4 | Gary Anderson (98.92) |
| 2012 | Raymond van Barneveld (95.79) | 16–14 | Michael van Gerwen (98.55) |
| 2013 | Phil Taylor (98.14) | 16–6 | Robert Thornton (97.02) |
| 2014 | Phil Taylor (102.45) | 16–13 | Dave Chisnall (98.02) |
| 2015 | Michael van Gerwen (100.94) | 16–13 | Phil Taylor (102.53) |
| 2016 | Michael van Gerwen (98.74) | 16–8 | James Wade (90.73) |
| 2017 | Michael van Gerwen (102.18) | 16–12 | Peter Wright (97.71) |
| 2018 | Gerwyn Price (96.70) | 16–13 | Gary Anderson (97.25) |
| 2019 | Gerwyn Price (107.86) | 16–6 | Peter Wright (96.28) |
| 2020 | José de Sousa (99.95) | 16–12 | James Wade (94.26) |
| 2021 | Gerwyn Price (103.90) | 16–8 | Peter Wright (91.51) |
| 2022 | Michael Smith (96.84) | 16–5 | Nathan Aspinall (90.94) |
| 2023 | Luke Humphries (104.69) | 16–8 | Rob Cross (103.61) |
| 2024 | Luke Littler (107.08) | 16–3 | Martin Lukeman (93.42) |
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8. What is the format at the Grand Slam of Darts?
All matches are in leg play format. The 32 players are drawn into eight groups of four which is contested on a round robin basis where every player faces each other once.
Players receive two points for a win. The top two players in each group qualify for the knockout stages. Two-player ties will first be decided by leg difference then who won the match between the two. Three player ties will be decided by leg difference, legs won, legs won against throw, tournament average and a nine-dart shootout.
It starts off as the cut-throat best of 9 legs format in the first round so first to five. But in the latter stages it goes up exponentially to best of 19 and best of 31 legs in the latter rounds.
| Stage | Format |
| Group Stage | Best of 9 legs |
| Second Round | Best of 19 legs |
| Quarter-Finals | Best of 31 legs |
| Semi-Finals | Best of 31 legs |
| Final | Best of 31 legs |
Lucas MichaelDarts Journalist
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- And why should he listen to you?Deduce635807-11-2026
- Ultimately it is a bye for whoever draws Barney. It will be another stroppy and sulky performance once he goes behind. Barney was excellent but really must completely call it a day now.richieburnettrocks07-11-2026
- I'm disappointed he was not able to secure a spot at the Grand Slam. With Carl Sneyd taking care of Daryl Gurney, he would have had to beat Andy Boulton before facing the winner of Sneyd vs Mensur Suljović for a Grand Slam spot. Unfortunately, after beating Filip Bereza comfortably, he succumbed to Boulton, and the board would ultimately be won by the highly inconsistent Carl Sneyd. Since he could instead have been drawn against the likes of Cristo Reyes, Dirk van Duijvenbode and Stephen Bunting, I think once Gurney was out of the picture he would have been favourite to win his board, and it seems like a massive missed opportunity to put 5 grand on his ranking and seal another major TV appearance ahead of the Worlds. The highs and lows of following Raymond van Barneveld!Deduce635806-11-2026
- Probably i will receive a lot of backlash and hate for this reaction, but well, so be it. I am more than sick and tired of those lies of you Barry Hearn. How dare you defend yourself over the back of Fallon’s son! He has a disability and not an illness, so let me correct that for you! I know because I have the exact same disability. I have tried to reach out to Fallon in the past, and offered her to help her and her son, because I was struggling with the same problems, and I understood the boy. I wanted him to have finally someone who understood him. However she told me that she did not want my help, and I have respected Fallon’s choice. I have never asked Fallon for money. They don’t need money in that case. I only ever wanted the best for Fallon and Rory, but I have to be honest about the situation. Fallon should tell the true story and not be forced to tell lies. I don’t hate Fallon, and I don’t begrudge or envy a single penny that she gets, but this situation/case is just not fair. I hate the lies and the dishonesty and injustice. I don’t want Fallon to be hated because there is an unfair disadvantage created. Don’t proclaim your false lies over the back of Rory! I only stand for integrity and justice. I am precisely the one who always sticks up for Fallon. And you don't, you don't give a damn about them. You were never there for them, and now you only want to save your own position! You are just trying to talk your way out of your own bad behavior at the expense of someone with a disability. And to Fallon, I don’t know if this may ever reach you, and you read it, but I want you to know I love you and I love your son Rory very much, I am sorry how things developed and went. I hope you and Harriet are still friends. I am sorry if I were too persistent to you, or you experienced it that way, but it was never my intention. Please understand I have autism as well. As Barry Hearn would say, I am only just a human being too, and I also make mistakes and misjudge things sometimes. I promise you I did everything out of the deepest love and care for you and Rory. If I were you, I should just keep all the money, only please never be dishonest or tell lies anymore for Barry Hearn, or anyone else. I hope you have the best life, and I wish nothing more than the best for you. I have always loved the two of you. Farewell.Hiddo05-11-2026
- She is a professional. If darts is her income, she is a professional. Same as Adrian Lewis, Martin Adams. A tour card just means someone can play on the PDC tour. You could even make a case that Clayton wasn't a professional (until recently I believe) because he had employment elsewhere.BandB04-11-2026
- She's technically not a professional though as she doesn't hold a pro tour card.mr-pablo04-11-2026
- Such a shame that lakeside has been reduced to this. Fantastic venue,and previously a great tournament. Not any morerick6703-11-2026
- Seems to me that the top 16 players pick and choose whatever they want to play. Good,all the money will get spread out more. They get more money from exhibitions than tournaments so let them all withdrawrick6703-11-2026
- Play all legs and the winners split the pot. Luke gets the lot of he wins them all. If your occupation is darts player you can't enter, regardless of ability.BandB01-11-2026
- I'm quite a jaded person all things considered, but to be honest I found Beat Luke Littler to be pretty entertaining. It certainly wasn't seamless, which is to be expected given the lack of precedence, but I actually think the pacing was pretty good, the production was impressive, and there was a good sense of humour and levity to it. I think it was a very ambitious undertaking but one that, for the most part, paid off. I liked the system with the four pots and I think it added to the drama and intrigue. I enjoyed seeing the diverse range of entrants and learning about their backstories. I think the interactivity was pretty clever and well-integrated. The panel was a little incoherent at times; Lee Mack shone however, and his improvisational skills were appreciated during some more awkward interstitial moments. As far as the darts is concerned, it was a shame that the format didn't allow Littler to get into full flow. You obviously don't want him to steamroll everyone but you want to feel like you're getting the full Littler package rather than seeing him struggling to get out of first gear. I will say that his leg against Jayden Walker was very impressive, but it was mostly downhill from there. The attraction revolves around Littler being this untouchable, indomitable force, yet the format doesn't really allow him to fulfil that characterisation. As for Fallon Sherrock, she was mightily impressive and deserved the victory. It is a testament to her unshakeable character that she was able to bang in a 14-darter under such mind-bending pressure. Everything that has been said about the misleading marketing is valid, though they were clear about their eligibility criteria and were able to offload the responsibility somewhat by bringing the viewers into the decision-making process in real time. What is clear though, is that Fallon played the game according to the rules, and she should not be criticised for that, much less abused. I will admit though that it is a kick in the teeth for those true amateurs who committed time and money to the course, and I would also question those who think pub players would have no chance, given that some of Littler's winning legs were dispatched in 7 visits to the board! The great thing about darts is that it isn't so much that amateurs cannot replicate the feats of brilliance pulled off by professionals of the sport, than it is that they simply cannot replicate the consistency of their output, something that this format almost entirely removes from the equation. It should also be noted that, financially, Fallon certainly stands to benefit much less in relative terms from the paycheque than would your average pub thrower, as I'm sure she nets a fair income from the lucrative exhibition circuit alone. What I do hope is that she might use this as an opportunity to really build up a head of steam heading into the new season, as it seems long overdue that she come through Q-School and really take it to the pros on a week-in week-out basis, but whatever she chooses to do, she has certainly achieved enough already for one if not several lifetimes, so who am I to dictate terms? To conclude though, I will state once again that I found Beat Luke Littler to be a pretty enjoyable evening of entertainment. I do feel for the contestants who never actually had the chance to try their luck against the world #1, although I suppose it comes with the format, but all which inevitably raises the question: will Netflix be tempted to do it all again next year? It's hard to say. Whether it would be financially viable, I can't weigh in there. One point I have been making though, and which I touched on earlier, is that the entire concept relies on a public perception that Littler is more or less unbeatable, and that certainly hasn't been the case of late. If the execs had been trying to pitch the show in recent months while Littler has seemed vulnerable, rather than when he was mopping up almost every major title on the calendar, it would certainly be a tougher sell. We will have to see in about 6 months' time whether Littler can still reliably command perception as a near-unstoppable force in darts, and then we'll have a clearer idea about whether we should expect a second helping. Even as a one-off experiment though, and with all the controversy taken into account, I still don't think they disgraced themselves by any means, and that will probably be my lingering assessment of the event when all is said and done.Deduce635801-11-2026