When does the World Grand Prix start in 2026, where is it played and how to get tickets?

Kicking off the first of four major competitions, the World Grand Prix will take place at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester. When will the best players in the world challenge for the World Grand Prix title?

Mike de Decker claimed his first major title in a huge upset win, defeating the reigning champion Luke Humphries, who also clinched his maiden TV triumph a year prior in 2024. But Luke Littler is the defending champion going into 2026 defeating Luke Humphries in the final. Phil Taylor has won the event the most times with 11 wins, with Michael van Gerwen his closest competitor with six.

Standing out for its double-in, double-out format, the World Grand Prix is a highlight on the calendar for not just the players, but the fans, who will have the chance to see Luke Littler for the first time at the event. It also begins the road towards the PDC World Darts Championship.

1. Where is the Mattioli Arena?
2. Where was the World Grand Prix previously hosted?
3. When does the PDC World Grand Prix start
4. How to qualify for World Grand Prix?
5. How to get to Mattioli Arena
6. How to get tickets for Mattioli Arena
7. How much prize money up for grabs at the Mattioli Arena
8. Who has hit a nine-darter in the double in, double out format at the World Grand Prix?
9. Which players have won the World Grand Prix?
10. What is the format at the World Grand Prix (double in, double out)

Based in the middle of the bustling UK city of Leicester, the Mattioli Arena is a popular venue for numerous sporting activities. First opened in 2016, it was primarily purposed for the Leicester Riders, a basketball team competing in the British Basketball League.

A range of sports from snooker, handball, and wheelchair basketball have all been shown, but the arena is capitalised for concerts, with around 3,000 people able to be crammed into the space.

Similar attendances will be expected for the darts event. The first event came back in 2019, hosting the now extinct Champions League of Darts, when it was known by the Morningside Arena. The Grand Prix traversed over the sea from its previous location to now find a permanent home in the midlands, with every campetition from 2021 being in Leicester. But where was the previous home of this prestigious tournament?

It first home was at the Casino Rooms in Rochester, Kent, where it hosted the first two events in 1998 and 1999. It would not be played in England until 2020 after it made the permanent move across the Irish Sea to the Republic of Ireland.

In 2000, it completed its sole event at the Crosbie Cedars Hotel in Rosslare, County Wexford. It finally found a permanent home a year later at the Citywest Hotel, located in Dublin. It would be held there for a memorable 19 years, synonymous with the passionate Irish dart fans. It would most likely still be there if it were not for the COVID-19 pandemic. With travel restrictions implemented around the UK, it was forced to be played in England for the first time in two decades, being played in the eerily quiet Ricoh Arena in Coventry, with fans unable to watch live. Instead of moving back to Dublin, it found a new home in Leicester, to the annoyance of the Irish fans. It sparked criticism from players, fans, and pundits after a successful spell overseas.

In 2026, it will be held on September 28 - October 4 and sees the action move from its traditional slot in 2026 to late September instead of the first week of October usual space.

First round takes place from Monday-Tuesday, second round from Wednesday-Thursday, with the Quarter-finals on Friday. They are all 19:00 BST starts, with the semi-finals on the Saturday and the final on the Sunday, commencing from 20:00 BST.

The qualifying for the World Grand Prix never stops. Once the competition concludes, the players have their eyes on the next one. The top 16 automatically qualify for the event, with the likes of Luke Humphires, Luke Littler, and Michael van Gerwen resting easy with the fact that they will be there.

The other 16 slots have been determined by the PDC Order of Merit. Money accumulated from such events as the Pro Tour and European Tour build up over the year, pushes the players closer to the all-important qualifying places. The cut-off is 28th September, with players only having a handful of events left to etch their names in the upcoming major.

The Mattioli Arena in Leicester is easily commutable via many forms of transport. Numerous bus routes run from the Railway station, with the closest getting you is St Margaret's bus station. From there, it is a 10-15 minute walk. For a swifter traverse, there are a number of taxi services that can get you right outside the Arena.

There are car-parking spaces, but with high attendances these are predictably going to fill up fast. Nearby pay and display car parks, including St Margaret's car park and ones located in the city centre. If you fancy on saving some money, then it is a 20 minute walk from the main train station.

Tickets were on sale from Monday, 12th May, accessible with a PDCTV membership so will be around the same time in 2026. This would cost £49.99 a year, and will get you pre-sale access for numerous events, along with live coverage of Pro Tour, European Tour, and World Series events, among others.

A second window sale was held on 13th May. The general sale commencing from 14th May for whatever seats were left for purchase. These have gone very quickly, with popularity for the event skyrocketing.

In 2025, a total of £600,000 is up for grabs in Leicester. The winner will receive a hefty £120,000, with the runner-up claiming half of that sum in £60,000, while the semi-finalists are distributed £40,000.

Quarter-finalists get £25,000, last-16 appearance earns you £15,000, and if you lose in your first game, you get a consolation prize of £7,500. The prize money next year will go up to £750,000 on offer, with the winner taking home £150,000.

So it will go up by the following:

Winner: +£30,000

Runner-Up: +£20,000

Semi-Finalists: +£10,000

Quarter-Finalists: +£10,000

Last 16 losers: +£5,000

In the rich history of the World Grand Prix, only three nine-darters have been thrown. The first came in 2011 from Brendan Dolan, who made history in his semi-final against James Wade. Dolan opened with double 20, followed by two treble 20s to start with 160. This was followed by a perfect 180 score, and he finished it off masterfully with triple 20, triple 17 and the bullseye. It not only earned him the nickname 'The History Maker', but also a place in the final. To this day, that magical leg is often repeated, precisely because a nine-darter at the Grand Prix is so exceptional.

Three years later, in 2014, history was made again. In the clash between James Wade and Robert Thornton, not one, but two nine-darters were thrown in the same match – the first (and still only) time this has happened live on television. Wade started his perfect leg with 160, then threw 180 and completed his nine-darter via triple 20, triple 17 and the bullseye. Later in the match, Thornton repeated the same feat in exactly the same way to make history.

The player with the most World Grand Prix titles is Phil Taylor, who won it 11 times (1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013).

Second on the list is Michael van Gerwen, with 6 titles (2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022). It has also heralded different winners including Daryl Gurney, Jonny Clayton among others in recent years. Luke Littler is the current champion.

The World Grand Prix uses a unique “double in, double out” format, which makes it very different from a standard leg of darts. In this format, a player must hit a double to start scoring, meaning that until a double is hit, any points scored do not count.

Similarly, to win the leg, a player must finish on a double, as in most PDC events. This contrasts with a normal leg, where players can start scoring immediately with any number and only need a double to finish. The double-in requirement adds extra pressure at the start of each leg, making it possible for a player to score heavily yet still be unable to win until they hit a starting double. It starts on 501 like a normal leg of darts but the only difference is you finish on a double.