International Darts Open 2026: Schedule, Field, Draw, and Predictions

The International Darts Open is the seventh of fifteen European Tour tournaments on the calendar and will take place between 22-24 May 2026 in Riesa. It will feature a field of 48 players and £230,000 in prize money. £35,000 goes to the winner.

Stephen Bunting will be the defending champion after defeating Nathan Aspinall 8-5 in the 2025 final. Luke Humphries is currently set for his return to the European Tour alongside Gerwyn Price, albeit Luke Littler continues his boycott.

Seed-wise, it is led by Humphries, Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, James Wade, Stephen Bunting, Gerwyn Price, Josh Rock, among others.

The draw will be confirmed on Thursday afternoon at around 12 BST/1pm CET and will be set here. The ProTour players face the qualifiers before they face the big names who come in on the Saturday (the top 16).

The schedule will be confirmed when the draw is and will be here in the tournament centre as and when.

Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com sees Martin Schindler or Wessel Nijman sealing the title.

For me I don't hugely expect Luke Humphries to play give that he will now have the Premier League play-offs the week after, same with Gerwyn Price.

If they do, they will figure but speaking with a great degree of honesty, I will pick those who perhaps are dead certs to play. In that case, Martin Schindler has had a good return to form as of late and for me will be up there.

He tends to have at least one or two good runs in a calendar year and I expect it will be the same over the next weekend. While I also see Wessel Nijman being in the running to win another. Don't ever count out Kevin Doets or Niels Zonneveld either. Both are in dynamite form and for me can always figure in the sharp end.

*** Martin Schindler

** Wessel Nijman, Kevin Doets

* Niels Zonneveld, Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price (if they play)

Lucas Michael, Writer for DartsNews.com sees Luke Humphries winning the title in Riesa this time around.

Six Euro Tour events in 2026, six different winners. The International Darts Open is the next instalment of what has been a dramatic and thoroughly entertaining European Tour in 2026.

For some reason, Gerwyn Price has loved his time in Riesa. A four-time champion and five-time finalist, his form on the Euro Tour this year has almost been flawless. He has competed in two events, winning one and losing in the final in the other. Based on the backlog of success in this tournament, he has to be one of the favourites for the title.

After a sparse field competed for the title in Graz last time out, more of the top players are making a return to the big stage. That includes Luke Humphries who will likely feature in the business end of the tournament if he can not fall afoul of his sloppy doubling.

Gian van Veen has competed in three Euro Tour events as the number one seed, losing in the second round in all of them. He may be relieved to see a two next to his name, but whether his poor form on the Euro Tour continues waits to be seen. Michael van Gerwen will also fancy his chances.

Stephen Bunting is eyeing up the chance to defend his title, while Josh Rock targets back-to-back Euro Tour titles. Outside picks include the very impressive Cristo Reyes and Charlie Manby who will make his Euro Tour debut.

As for the champion, I am going to buckle the trend and not go for Price. If he does not have a mare on the outer ring, Humphries could race away with this title, and that is what I think will happen.

*** Luke Humphries

** Michael van Gerwen, Josh Rock

* Stephen Bunting, Gerwyn Price, James Wade

Oliver Ried, Writer for DartsNews.DE has picked Michael van Gerwen for the title in Riesa.

The next European Tour event is just around the corner. The field is packed with quality, and predicting the outcome is always difficult anyway. My pick is Michael van Gerwen to continue riding a small wave of momentum and claim his first European Tour title of 2026. If the Dutchman produces another day like he did at Players Championship 15, then he can go all the way. He still has it in him, and right now he not only needs confidence, but also trust in his own game again.

Of course, Wessel Nijman also has to be on the radar. The Pro Tour monster is currently a contender for every title and will naturally target another trophy in Riesa. Stephen Bunting could also be ready for a big run again. Now that his Premier League campaign is over, a huge amount of pressure will disappear from his shoulders, allowing him to play with freedom again, much like Josh Rock recently did. He is definitely someone to watch in Riesa.

Josh Rock himself also wants to kick on again after the Premier League and already showed his quality in Austria. He will now look to keep that momentum going. Another player to keep an eye on is Kevin Doets. The Dutchman is currently so much fun to watch. He seems completely relaxed while casually firing in 180s and huge finishes.

Martin Schindler also appears to be finding more and more form. He won his first title in Riesa, and with the German crowd behind him, I expect him to reach at least his first European Tour semi-final. However, I also believe Kim Huybrechts, Andrew Gilding and Dirk van Duijvenbode will all be part of the final day once again.

*** Michael van Gerwen

**Wessel Nijman, Stephen Bunting

*Kevin Doets, Josh Rock, Martin Schindler

Pieter Verbeek, Editor for DartsNieuws.com has picked Luke Humphries if he does make the trip to Riesa.

The International Darts Open has never been the most popular stop on the European Tour calendar. The venue in Riesa is notoriously difficult to reach, while this year’s event also comes just days before the Premier League play-offs. Big names such as Luke Littler, Gary Anderson, Nathan Aspinall and Jonny Clayton have already withdrawn, and more absentees could still follow.

If Luke Humphries does make the trip to Riesa, he is the clear favourite for me. ‘Cool Hand Luke’ already claimed the Belgian Darts Open title earlier this year and finally seems to be finding his rhythm again after a difficult spell.

Behind him, Michael van Gerwen and Gerwyn Price look like his biggest challengers. Wessel Nijman, currently the dominant force on the Players Championship circuit, could also be in line for a second European Tour title of 2026 in Riesa. The same applies to Josh Rock following his triumph at the Austrian Darts Open. And perhaps reigning champion Stephen Bunting can also mount a serious defence of his title.

*** Luke Humphries

** Michael van Gerwen, Gerwyn Price

* Wessel Nijman, Josh Rock, Stephen Bunting

Nicolas Gayer, Editor for DartsNews.DE sees an unpredictable ending and winner to an already surprise season on the European Tour.

The unpredictable European Tour season moves on to Riesa, and in my opinion it will produce yet another first-time title winner of the year: Stephen Bunting.

After a somewhat difficult spell in his career, Bunting appears to have rediscovered his best form in impressive fashion over recent weeks. “The Bullet” has repeatedly caught the eye lately with world-class averages of 103, 105, and at times even 106. It looks as though the Englishman — much like Josh Rock demonstrated last week — may finally be able to play with freedom again at the end of a demanding Premier League Darts campaign.

I also believe that Martin Schindler will continue his return to top form in Riesa. “The Wall” impressed me at the recent Pro Tour events in Graz and especially in Leicester after what had been an extremely difficult start to the season. His scoring in particular is beginning to resemble his very best days again: the first dart is frequently finding an inviting marker, the 180s are flowing once more, and his averages are consistently settling around the 100 mark.

*** Stephen Bunting

** Wessel Nijman, Luke Humphries

* Martin Schindler, Michael van Gerwen, Luke Woodhouse

Bram Coenen, Writer for DartsNieuws.com sees MVG starring in Riesa.

The International Darts Open already marks the seventh tournament of the 2026 European Tour season. Remarkably, each of the previous six events has produced a different winner, and there is every chance that we could see yet another new champion crowned in Riesa this weekend.

For me, Michael van Gerwen stands out as the main favourite. After going through a difficult spell over the past months, the 37-year-old Dutchman reminded everyone of his class last week with a series of outstanding performances, combining heavy scoring with excellent averages on his way to winning a Players Championship title. That triumph will undoubtedly have boosted Van Gerwen’s confidence significantly ahead of this tournament, and if he can maintain that level, he will be extremely difficult to beat in Riesa.

Of course, it is impossible to ignore Luke Humphries either. Following the withdrawal of Luke Littler, the former world champion enters the tournament as the highest-ranked player in the field. Humphries has already enjoyed success on the European Tour this season and will be highly motivated to add a second title to his tally. His consistency on the big stage continues to make him one of the most dangerous players in world darts.

Another player to keep a close eye on is Kevin Doets. The Dutchman impressed many by reaching the final of the Austrian Darts Open recently, and it will be interesting to see whether he can build on that breakthrough performance in Riesa. Confidence can play a huge role in darts, and Doets appears to be growing with every tournament.

From a Belgian perspective, I am particularly curious to see how Kim Huybrechts performs this weekend. The 40-year-old Belgian endured several difficult years, but in recent months he has shown clear signs of returning to form. Huybrechts has consistently produced high averages over the last few weeks, although those performances have not yet resulted in a genuinely deep run at a major tournament. Perhaps the International Darts Open could finally be the event where everything comes together for him once again.

*** Michael van Gerwen

** Kevin Doets, Luke Humphries

* Josh Rock, Kim Huybrechts