Known as the second part of the so-called darting triple crown, the World Matchplay takes place in Blackpool. But where is the Winter Gardens and when does the World Matchplay start in 2026?
ADVERTISEMENT
Luke Littler sealed the title last year for the first time, defeating James Wade 18-13. He became the youngest player to win the tournament as well as the fifth player in history to complete the so-called PDC Triple Crown by winning the World Matchplay, the World Championship and the Premier League.
It is also a title named after Phil 'The Power' Taylor who won the title 16 times over the course of his illustrious career.
Here is all the info you need to know about the Winter Gardens.
1. Where is Winter Gardens?
2. When does the PDC World Matchplay start?
3. How to qualify for World Matchplay
4. How to get to Winter Gardens
5. How to get tickets for Winter Gardens
6. How much prize money up for grabs at Winter Gardens
7. Where to watch PDC World Matchplay live?
8. Which players have won the World Matchplay?
9. Who has hit a nine-dart finish at PDC World Matchplay?
10. What is the format for the PDC World Matchplay?
1. Where is Winter Gardens?
2. When does the PDC World Matchplay start?
3. How to qualify for World Matchplay
4. How to get to Winter Gardens
5. How to get tickets for Winter Gardens
6. How much prize money up for grabs at Winter Gardens
7. Where to watch PDC World Matchplay live?
8. Which players have won the World Matchplay?
9. Who has hit a nine-dart finish at PDC World Matchplay?
10. What is the format for the PDC World Matchplay?
Read also
1. Where is Winter Gardens
The Winter Gardens is a large entertainment complex situated in the heart of Blackpool, Lancashire, England. Renowned for its rich history and architectural grandeur, it has been a central hub for cultural and social events since it first opened in 1878. The venue encompasses a variety of theatres, ballrooms, and exhibition spaces, including the iconic Opera House and Empress Ballroom, making it one of the most significant event spaces in the United Kingdom.
Conveniently located near the town’s main attractions and the seafront, the Winter Gardens continues to host a diverse range of events, from live music and theatre performances to political conferences and exhibitions. Its central position within Blackpool not only contributes to the town’s vibrant cultural scene but also underscores its importance as a landmark in the region.
ADVERTISEMENT
It is also the home every year of the PDC World Matchplay tournament, a real cornerstone of the summer in the seaside town.
Luke Littler won the World Matchplay in 2025.
2. When does the PDC World Matchplay start?
The PDC World Matchplay begins on 18-26 July 2026. It sees the men's tournament begin on the opening night and play until the finish with 32 of the top players battling it out over nine days.
In addition, the Women's World Matchplay is also a feature of the final day of action which also gleams spots at the PDC World Darts Championship and Grand Slam of Darts.
ADVERTISEMENT
Apart from the opening Sunday and the Women's World Matchplay, it comprises solely of evening sessions. First round takes place from Saturday to Monday. Second round between Tuesday and Wednesday, Quarter-Finals on Thursday and Friday.
While Saturday sees the semi-finals take place. Sunday completes both the Women's and the Men's with the latter taking place in the Evening Session.
3. How to qualify for World Matchplay?
Players qualify for the PDC World Matchplay through a two-pronged ranking system over the course of a year which sees the best players involved.
ADVERTISEMENT
1. The top 16 on the PDC Order of Merit.
These players such as Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen all qualify by right. They are seeded in the first round albeit this can also provide shocks as it is done over a two year system.
2. Top 16 on the ProTour Order of Merit.
The top 16 highest qualified players on the year-to-date list through such events as ProTour and European Tours qualify through this route. Albeit, for instance, if Luke Littler were in the top 10, he would qualify through the main Order of Merit over the ProTour.
The cut-off usually falls around the first week in July with the ProTour double header gleaming the end of the cycle. The field is confirmed, and the draw is then completed, bringing the top 16 Order of Merit up against the top 16 ProTour Order of Merit players. For instance, in 2024, Luke Littler wasn't in the top 16, so he faced Michael van Gerwen in the first round, and often it can provide the shock draws for those on the periphery.
Luke Woodhouse tops the ProTour Order of Merit this time.
ADVERTISEMENT
4. How to get to Winter Gardens?
The Winter Gardens in Blackpool is easily accessible by various means of transport. If traveling by train, Blackpool North Station is the nearest, located about a 10–15 minute walk from the venue, or a short taxi ride away. Numerous local bus routes stop nearby on Corporation Street, Market Street, and Church Street, all within a 2–5 minute walk.
The Blackpool Tramway also serves the area, with North Pier and Talbot Road stops just a few minutes’ walk from the entrance. For those driving, the venue is reachable via major A-roads, with several nearby car parks available. Its central location in Blackpool makes it convenient for visitors arriving by public transport, car, or on foot.
5. How to get tickets for Winter Gardens?
ADVERTISEMENT
Tickets usually go on sale in February, with a window this past February on the 24th for PDCTV Annual 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 which works similar to a concert sees those on a mailing list get a code on February 25 for the remainder of the seats for that section. All of these were at 12:00pm GMT while General Sale was on February 26.
But such was the demand for tickets that they immediately sold out in 2025 for the tournament. Resale is open on such sites as See Tickets, which work as official partners with the PDC. Tickets are a maximum of £65 face value for the final and start at £50 balcony/standing or £45 table for opening night.
6. How much prize money up for grabs at Winter Gardens
The prize money for this year's tournament sees £225,000 for the winner. £125,000 for the runner-up. While for reaching the semi-finals, it will be £65,000.
ADVERTISEMENT
Quarter-Finalists claim £35,000. While for losing in the first round, it is £12,500. Second round is £22,500.
Total is £1,000,000 for the overall Prize Money Breakdown which will also increase for 2026 with all Prize Money set to go up in line with the PDC World Darts Championship increase.
| Position | Prize Money |
| Winner | £200,000 |
| Runner-up | £100,000 |
| Semi-finalists | £50,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | £30,000 |
| Second round | £15,000 |
| First round | £10,000 |
7. Where to watch PDC World Matchplay live?
In the UK, the tournament is shown in full on Sky Sports and is often a key part of their summer calendar in a period of the year where there is no football coverage really outside of World Cup, Euro years.
ADVERTISEMENT
Emma Paton will presumably once again present the coverage alongside the likes of Wayne Mardle, Mark Webster, Glen Durrant, Rod Studd, and Stuart Pyke, among others, on commentary. The tournament usually is only an afternoon session to start, and at the end, when the Women's World Matchplay, which is also shown on the channel, takes place.
Further afield, it will be shown in other countries outside of broadcast commitments on PDCTV, with this differing market by market, e.g., Germany will be shown on DAZN or Sport1, the Netherlands on Viaplay, so they will not be allowed to use the platform like the UK to watch it.
United States also have select tournaments on Peacock while Australia for instance is also market dependent so it is important to check your market but if not shown on a channel, it will be on PDCTV.
8. Which players have won the World Matchplay?
Over the course of the tournament's 31-year existence, there have been fourteen different champions. Only three have won more than one.
Phil Taylor (16), Michael van Gerwen (3), Rod Harrington (2), Gary Anderson (1), Nathan Aspinall (1), Larry Butler (1), Rob Cross (1), Peter Evison (1), Luke Humphries (1), Luke Littler (1), Colin Lloyd (1), Dimitri Van den Bergh (1), James Wade (1) and Peter Wright (1) lead the roll of honour.
| Year | Champion (average in final) | Score | Runner-up (average in final) |
| 1994 | Larry Butler (92.70) | 16–12 | Dennis Priestley (91.59) |
| 1995 | Phil Taylor (90.72) | 16–11 | Dennis Priestley (87.63) |
| 1996 | Peter Evison (100.51) | 16–14 | Dennis Priestley (96.67) |
| 1997 | Phil Taylor (106.32) | 16–11 | Alan Warriner (98.42) |
| 1998 | Rod Harrington (95.03) | 19–17 | Ronnie Baxter (94.07) |
| 1999 | Rod Harrington (85.95) | 19–17 | Peter Manley (86.91) |
| 2000 | Phil Taylor (100.32) | 18–12 | Alan Warriner (97.14) |
| 2001 | Phil Taylor (99.57) | 18–10 | Richie Burnett (90.99) |
| 2002 | Phil Taylor (98.76) | 18–16 | John Part (94.14) |
| 2003 | Phil Taylor (94.38) | 18–12 | Wayne Mardle (97.44) |
| 2004 | Phil Taylor (100.20) | 18–8 | Mark Dudbridge (89.24) |
| 2005 | Colin Lloyd (97.89) | 18–12 | John Part (94.53) |
| 2006 | Phil Taylor (100.08) | 18–11 | James Wade (90.01) |
| 2007 | James Wade (96.83) | 18–7 | Terry Jenkins (91.62) |
| 2008 | Phil Taylor (109.47) | 18–9 | James Wade (102.58) |
| 2009 | Phil Taylor (106.05) | 18–4 | Terry Jenkins (92.32) |
| 2010 | Phil Taylor (105.16) | 18–12 | Raymond van Barneveld (100.11) |
| 2011 | Phil Taylor (103.84) | 18–8 | James Wade (98.84) |
| 2012 | Phil Taylor (98.97) | 18–15 | James Wade (95.92) |
| 2013 | Phil Taylor (111.23) | 18–13 | Adrian Lewis (105.92) |
| 2014 | Phil Taylor (107.19) | 18–9 | Michael van Gerwen (101.49) |
| 2015 | Michael van Gerwen (99.91) | 18–12 | James Wade (90.37) |
| 2016 | Michael van Gerwen (103.93) | 18–10 | Phil Taylor (101.13) |
| 2017 | Phil Taylor (104.24) | 18–8 | Peter Wright (99.74) |
| 2018 | Gary Anderson (101.12) | 21–19 | Mensur Suljović (104.43) |
| 2019 | Rob Cross (95.16) | 18–13 | Michael Smith (95.91) |
| 2020 | Dimitri Van den Bergh (98.31) | 18–10 | Gary Anderson (92.81) |
| 2021 | Peter Wright (105.90) | 18–9 | Dimitri Van den Bergh (100.88) |
| 2022 | Michael van Gerwen (101.19) | 18–14 | Gerwyn Price (96.92) |
| 2023 | Nathan Aspinall (96.21) | 18–6 | Jonny Clayton (93.56) |
| 2024 | Luke Humphries (100.94) | 18–15 | Michael van Gerwen (98.74) |
| 2025 | Luke Littler (107.24) | 18–13 | James Wade (101.54) |
9. Who has hit a nine-dart finish at PDC World Matchplay?
Nine nine-dart finishes have been thrown at the World Matchplay. The first one was in 2022 when Phil Taylor hit the first live nine-dart finish in UK television history.
The latest was Luke Littler in 2025 when he hit one in his semi-final win en route to winning the title with only 2023 in recent years not gleaming one back to 2021 after a barren period after Gary Anderson's 2018 effort.
| Player | Year (+ Round) | Method | Opponent |
| Phil Taylor | 2002, Quarter-Finals | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Chris Mason |
| Raymond van Barneveld | 2010, 1st Round | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Denis Ovens |
| John Part | 2011, 1st Round | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Mark Webster |
| Michael van Gerwen | 2012, 2nd Round | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Steve Beaton |
| Wes Newton | 2012, 2nd Round | 3 x T20; 2 x T20, T19; 2 x T20, D12 | Justin Pipe |
| Phil Taylor | 2014, 2nd Round | 3 x T20; 2 x T20, T19; 2 x T20, D12 | Michael Smith |
| Gary Anderson | 2018, Quarter-Finals | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T19, D12 | Joe Cullen |
| Gerwyn Price | 2022, Semi-Finals | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T19, T20, D12 | Danny Noppert |
| Dimitri Van den Bergh | 2024, 1st Round | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T19, T20, D12 | Martin Schindler |
| Luke Littler | 2025, Semi-Finals | 3 x T20; 3 x T20; T20, T17, D15 | Josh Rock |
10. What is the format for the PDC World Matchplay?
All matches, as the tournament name suggests, are a leg play format. All matches had to be won by two clear legs; if the scores were tied and the players couldn't be separated by six legs, the match would be decided by a sudden-death leg.
The amount of legs increases as the tournament goes on with the short format to start the tournament designed to trip up the big names.
| Stage | Format | Sudden Death |
| First round | Best of 19 legs | 12–12 |
| Second round | Best of 21 legs | 13–13 |
| Quarter-finals | Best of 31 legs | 18–18 |
| Semi-finals | Best of 33 legs | 19–19 |
| Final | Best of 35 legs | 20–20 |
Samuel GillChief Content Officer
Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of DartsNews.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy across professional darts coverage. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces, playing a central role in the development and daily operation of the site.
Based in Leicester, Samuel has extensive experience in darts media and has been closely involved in coverage of the professional darts circuit for several years. Within the UK darts community, he is a recognised figure known for his consistent editorial output and ongoing reporting on major tournaments and developments across the PDC calendar.
In his current role, Samuel works closely with editors and writers to ensure content meets clear journalistic standards, with a focus on source verification, editorial consistency, and timely updates when new, confirmed information becomes available.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- 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
- Fair play to Fallon. But...shows the mockery when a professional players wins what was meant to be an amateur v Pro event, Littlers performance was poor, and what about the players who didn't get a game? Would have been better if the pot was split amoungst all the winners and they all got a leg.BandB31-10-2026
- Not even slightly interestedrick6730-10-2026
- And yet the PDC has decided to aggravate this problem by doubling the Players Championship Finals field from 2027. I can't imagine there will be fewer withdrawals next year with even less reason to turn up. I can only hope that a whole slew of Challenge Tour top-up players receive enough prize money in the absence of much of the elite, that some of the more complacent among them struggle to scrape into even a heavily diluted field! More semi-pro players will get to test their mettle, but the standard of competition will be much inferior. It could hardly be said that the Players Championship series will provide an opportunity for darts' second string to test their Tour Card credentials anymore, but at least it will underscore the achievements of those Challenge Tour players of current and previous years, who were able to prove themselves as more than capable of competing with, and beating, the elite of the sport on a consistent basis, and reaping the due rewards.Deduce635828-10-2026
- No point in being there? Champions want to win.Deduce635828-10-2026