Darts calendar for July 2026: World Matchplay, European Darts Open and all other PDC tournaments

July promises a month packed with elite darts. The PDC calendar is crammed with key tournaments and qualification opportunities, featuring both the global elite and emerging talents. From floor events and Euro Tours to one of the year’s biggest majors, there’s plenty at stake for virtually every player.

The undoubted showpiece is the World Matchplay in Blackpool, where the world’s top 32 players battle for one of the most prestigious titles on the calendar. In addition, four Players Championship events are scheduled this month, the European Darts Open is on the agenda, and qualifiers for the upcoming Euro Tours will be played.

There’s also plenty of action across the other circuits. The Women’s World Matchplay celebrates its first lustrum with the world’s top female players once again, while the Development Tour in Hildesheim enters a crucial phase. In short, here’s what’s on the darts calendar in July.

After a short break, the Players Championship circuit resumes in early July. On July 6 and 7, the 23rd and 24th floor tournaments of the season will take place in Leicester. The series of 34 Players Championships in total is a key part of the PDC calendar, as players earn not only prize money but also crucial ranking points. Each tournament has £150,000 in prize money, with £15,000 for the winner. The results can also heavily influence qualification for the major televised events later in the year.

A Players Championship features a field of 128 players. Normally, these are holders of a PDC Tour Card. When players opt out or withdraw late, their spots are taken by the highest-ranked players on the Challenge Tour Order of Merit.

The floor events also play a major role in the battle to qualify for the Players Championship Finals. After all 34 events, the 64 players who have earned the most prize money during the season qualify for the end-of-year tournament in Minehead, where a prestigious major title is on the line.

On Wednesday, July 8, Wigan hosts the qualifying day for the eleventh and twelfth Euro Tours of the season. Players who haven’t qualified automatically will get a chance to secure a European Tour spot. There’s a lot on the line, as Euro Tour participation brings additional prize money and valuable opportunities to earn key ranking funds. Those can later prove decisive in the race for qualification for the major televised tournaments.

From Friday, July 10 through Sunday, July 12, the European Darts Open takes place. Leverkusen, Germany, hosts the tenth Euro Tour event of the season, where 48 players compete for a total prize fund of £230,000. The winner takes home the £35,000 top prize.

The European Darts Open is part of the fourteen Euro Tour events on this year’s calendar. Performances in these tournaments are crucial, as the prize money earned counts toward the qualification ranking for the European Championship, which will be held later this year.

The event is a true classic on the Euro Tour schedule. First staged in 2012, the European Darts Open now reaches its thirteenth edition. Michael van Gerwen has been particularly successful here in the past, lifting the trophy five times. The defending champion in Leverkusen, however, is Nathan Aspinall, who proved too strong for Damon Heta in the 2025 final with an 8-6 win.

The undoubted highlight of the month is the World Matchplay, one of the most prestigious and fiercely contested majors on the PDC calendar. The iconic event is traditionally staged at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool and is regarded by many players as the biggest tournament of the year after the World Darts Championship.

The World Matchplay features 32 players. The top 16 on the world rankings qualify automatically, while the remaining 16 spots go to the best players on the Pro Tour Order of Merit as of the cut-off date of July 10. As a result, the battle for qualification in the weeks leading up to the event is often particularly tense, with multiple players still in the hunt for a place in the field.

There’s also huge money at stake. The total prize fund is £1,000,000, with £225,000 for the eventual winner. That makes the World Matchplay, after the World Darts Championship, the ranking event with the most prize money on offer. A strong run can therefore give a massive boost to a player’s position on the world rankings.

The defending champion in Blackpool is Luke Littler. The current world number one captured the Phil Taylor Trophy in 2025 by convincingly defeating James Wade in the final. This year he returns to defend his title, while the rest of the world’s elite will again try to get their hands on one of the most coveted trophies in darts.

The world’s best female darters will also be on show this month at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool. On Sunday, 07/26/2025, the Women’s World Matchplay is scheduled for the afternoon session, with eight players battling for the prestigious title.

This year’s women’s tournament marks a special edition, as since its introduction in 2022 the Women’s World Matchplay will be staged for the fifth time. The event thus celebrates its first lustrum and has firmly established itself as the most important women’s tournament on the PDC calendar.

As in previous years, the field consists of eight players who qualified via the Women’s Series Order of Merit. All eyes are once again on Beau Greaves. The Englishwoman dominated the early years with back-to-back titles, but saw her bid for a third triumph in 2025 end prematurely. To the surprise of many, Greaves failed to reach the final, allowing Lisa Ashton to capitalise by defeating Fallon Sherrock in the decider to claim her first Women’s World Matchplay title. Sherrock won the inaugural edition in 2022 and is again among the leading contenders this year.

Alongside Greaves, Ashton, and Sherrock, the lineup features Gemma Hayter, Vicky Pruim, Deta Hedman, Rhian O'Sullivan, and Kirsi Viinikainen. Pruim and Hedman are the only two debutants in this field.

At the end of the month, the Players Championship circuit heads to Hildesheim, Germany, for another pair of floor events. For PDC Tour Card holders, these tournaments are hugely valuable, offering not only prize money and ranking points but also a chance to climb the Players Championship Order of Merit.

That ranking is decisive in the race to qualify for the Players Championship Finals. After all floor events, only the 64 players who have accumulated the most prize money over the season will advance to the finale in Minehead. With the season edging into its decisive phase, every pound won grows in importance in the chase for tickets to the autumn majors.

On Thursday, 31/07/2026, Hildesheim hosts the qualifying day for the thirteenth and fourteenth Euro Tour events of the season. Players not directly qualified for these European Tour tournaments get a final chance to secure a spot.

The stakes are high, as a Euro Tour berth not only offers extra prize money but also valuable ranking money. That counts towards the qualification standings for various televised tournaments, including the European Championship.

The Development Tour has long been a crucial platform for the brightest darting talents up to and including 24 years of age. On this circuit, young players can gain experience, earn prize money, and catch the eye of the PDC. The next five tournaments of the season will be played at Halle 39 in Hildesheim.

Across the season, 24 Development Tour events are on the calendar, spread over five weekends. The stakes are significant, as the top two on the final Order of Merit earn coveted PDC Tour Cards, guaranteeing them a place on the professional circuit for the next two seasons.

There is more on the line as well. The top three players on the final standings qualify for the World Darts Championship, while the number one also receives a spot at the prestigious Grand Slam of Darts.