Dutch Darts Championship 2026: Results, Preview, Draw, Schedule, Field, History, Format and Predictions

The Dutch Darts Championship is the final stop on this year's European Tour. It will take place between 16-18 October, it is the first time Maastricht has hosted the tournament since 2018 with the event being held at the MECC Maastricht.

It will be the 15th out of 15th PDC European Tour event on the PDC ProTour, it will feature a field of 48 players and £230,000 in prize money with £35,000 going to the winner.

Jonny Clayton will be the defending champion having defeated Niko Springer 8-6 in the 2025 final. He returns this year alongside Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen, Stephen Bunting and Wessel Nijman among others.

It is the final stop en route to the European Championship so the Swiss Darts Trophy and this tournament mean a lot towards the European Tour Order of Merit.

The Dutch Darts Championship reaches its conclusion on Sunday in Maastricht, with eight players remaining in contention for the title. The evening session will see the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final be played out with the champion set to be confirmed.

It begins with the number one seed Gian van Veen, who has dropped just one leg in this tournament so far. He will have the crowd behind him against Ryan Searle, who will look to take down back-to-back European Champions after defeating Ross Smith. The winner will take on either Luke Woodhouse of Danny Noppert in the semi-finals.

The third tie is an all-Dutch affair with Niels Zonneveld and Wessel Nijman locking horns. A Dutch player has never won this title, but they have four representatives at this stage. Damon Heta and Stephen Bunting close out the quarter-final action with semi-finals and final occurring straight after.

Afternoon session (from 12:00 GMT)

Evening session (from 18:00 GMT)

Afternoon session (from 12:00 GMT)

Evening session (from 18:00 GMT)

Afternoon session (from 12:00 GMT)

Evening session (from 18:00 GMT)

Lucas Michael, editor of Dartsnews.com, has diverted his eyes from the favourites and singled out an outside contender for glory.

With Luke Humphries pulling out of the Dutch Darts Championship, a huge opportunity has risen for his title challengers. The world number two was my pick for glory originally, but that obviously has to change now.

The favourites have got to be the Welsh duo of Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton. Both in great form, Clayton has got that winning edge back into his game following the triumph in Basel, while silverware for Price would be a key boost heading into these next major tournaments after recent near misses.

As for the Dutch contingent, I can see Gian van Veen in the latter stages with his form picking up as of late. I cannot see Michael van Gerwen or Wessel Nijman fighting for the title unless they can return to their best form.

In the final European Tour event of 2026 ahead of the European Championship, I am going to pick a slightly surprising winner. Nathan Aspinall is always a tough player to defeat on the oche, and has won a European Tour event this year. I predict that he grinds out another successful title run to seal glory once more.

*** Nathan Aspinall

** Jonny Clayton, Gian van Veen

* Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen, Ross Smith

Mats Leering, editor of Dartsnieuws.com, predicts the top seed to clinch a maiden European Tour title on home soil.

The final European Tour event of the season is just around the corner, and with it comes the last chance for players to secure their spots at the European Championship. While most of the big names appear to have already booked their tickets, one player in particular finds himself in a surprisingly precarious position heading into the tournament in Maastricht: Stephen Bunting.

'The Bullet' currently occupies 32nd place on the European Tour Order of Merit, meaning he is clinging to the final qualification spot. However, an opening-round defeat could still see him miss out on the European Championship altogether. His advantage over 33rd-placed Karel Sedlacek is just £2,000, and the Czech is also in the field this weekend. Personally, I think Bunting will just about survive, but it certainly promises to be a nervous weekend for the Englishman.

When it comes to the favourites for the title, I must admit that I'm secretly hoping for a Dutch winner. It would be fantastic to see a home player lift the trophy at the final European Tour event of the season in front of their own fans. Gian van Veen and Wessel Nijman are the two names that immediately spring to mind, while Danny Noppert could also be capable of putting together a deep run. Michael van Gerwen, meanwhile, remains as unpredictable as ever. Perhaps playing in front of his home crowd will bring out something extra in the three-time world champion, but equally, another disappointing campaign would hardly come as a major surprise given his inconsistency.

Beyond the Dutch contenders, I'm expecting big things from Krzysztof Ratajski and Ross Smith this weekend. Both players have been performing consistently well on the European Tour throughout the year, and I see no reason why they shouldn't be among the leading contenders once again in Maastricht. Of course, you can never overlook players such as Gerwyn Price, Jonny Clayton and Nathan Aspinall either. All three have the quality and experience to go all the way, and it would be no surprise to see any of them challenging for the title on Sunday evening.

***Gian van Veen

**Ross Smith, Krzysztof Ratajski

*Wessel Nijman, Gerwyn Price, Nathan Aspinall

Last year, we already had a Welsh winner at the European Tour event in the Netherlands, and I think there is a good chance we could see another Welshman lift the trophy this time around. Jonny Clayton is the defending champion in Maastricht, and 'The Ferret' showed last week that he is in excellent form by winning the Swiss Darts Trophy.

Another advantage for Clayton is that he finds himself in a relatively favourable section of the draw. However, he could face fellow Welshman Gerwyn Price in the semi-finals. 'The Iceman' is another serious contender for the Dutch Darts Championship title. The former world champion has not played that many tournaments this year, but whenever he does make an appearance, he almost always delivers impressive performances.

Another favourite of mine is Ross Smith, who has already won two European Tour titles this year. Of course, there is also a chance of Dutch success in Maastricht. Gian van Veen regularly makes deep runs in tournaments, but that elusive title continues to escape him. Surely, it is only a matter of time before he finally gets his hands on another trophy. And perhaps Michael van Gerwen and Wessel Nijman can produce something special in front of their home crowd.

*** Jonny Clayton

** Gerwyn Price, Ross Smith

* Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Wessel Nijman