"It's going to be fast-paced. It's going to be thrill-a-minute and plenty of upsets" - Matt Porter draws comparisons between new major event in 2027 and UK Open

The 2027 PDC calendar has been released, and there is a lot to unpack. A new major tournament, a maiden European Tour event for France, and current major competitions being expanded. Matt Porter was on hand to discuss all of this and offer the reasons behind these changes and additions.

Porter was a very busy man as he tried to get all this ongoing stuff sorted, but he could once in a while sit back and appreciate the calibre of darts currently occurring, naming some notable players.

"Busy is a good word for it," he said on the Darts Show podcast. "I think it's been an interesting year. Obviously, we've seen the dominance of Luke Littler, which recently ended in a TV space, if you like, by Ross Smith. But there have been other faces who've done well in different areas, Ross being one of them.

"Wessel Nijman has had a really good year, players like Luke Woodhouse have made really good progress. They're just the guys who are perhaps away from the big names who maybe don't get as many headlines. So, there's been lots of stories at different stages."

There is still so much more on the line in 2026, and that is before we even get into the conversations surrounding the 2027 calendar. The World Grand Prix commences next Monday with the European Championship, Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship Finals among the big events that will be competed for.

The biggest of them all comes at the end of the year in the PDC World Darts Championship, and it will have a new look to it. For the first time at Ally Pally, the darts will be played in the bigger Great Hall.

"I mean, that's a really big step forward for us to move into the Great Hall at Ally Pally, increasing the capacity to over 5,000 a session. It's going to elevate the event to the next level. And it was already great," Porter stated.

"So, I think it's going to be a real boost for the sport, and I think something that people all over will be excited to see, because the event has grown and grown in recent years. And we want to maintain the atmosphere that you get at Ally Pally and the exciting anticipation that that event brings. But this is a way of doing that whilst also making sure that the event stays, the level of prestige, gets the level of prestige that it really should do."

A brand new major event in 2027 already has a lot of eyes on it. The event will take place from June 18-20 in Salzburg, Austria. Porter divulged some of the details.

"The format is going to be very much in line with the UK Open, with the qualifiers having more of a slant towards Central European places," he said. The UK Open is unique with the way the ties are formed. Each round sees the names drawn out from a hat with anyone able to face anyone in any particular round, lending to more excitement, unpredictability and intrigue. It is the reason why the UK Open is one of the most popular events on the PDC calendar, and it looks that the European Open could be following in that direction.

"I think that's the right move for us, because the sport is moving increasingly more global. Obviously, Western Europe being the second biggest market for us after the UK. And the amount of talent that's coming out of not just Germany, but the wider German-speaking region, and also Benelux and Scandinavia, et cetera, just shows that we're ready for development there. So, this will be a really exciting event."

Porter was certain that it would be as successful as the UK Open. "The UK Open is a really loved sport by darts fans. So, there's no reason why this format, with multi-boards and plenty of action going on constantly in different arenas, won't work as well in Salzburg. It's going to be fast-paced. It's going to be thrill-a-minute and plenty of upsets, I'm sure. But most importantly of all, it's going to be another opportunity for players to have a crack at a big title."

Another big piece of news came in the form of France getting a European Tour event. The fourth tournament of the year will take place in Lievin from March 19-21 and will be met with much intrigue as France's interest in the sport grows.

Porter stressed the importance of spreading the sport into new regions. "I think is a big step forward. It's important for us that every year the European Tour expands and takes on new territories," he commented.

"We've done that eastwards in the last few years with Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, etc. So now looking at other countries where there's growing demand, and France really 10 years ago or so didn't register on the radar at all. There was very little interest, but we've got a good broadcast partner there in L'Équipe."

Thibaut Tricole is France's main man when it comes to darts. He was the leading member of the World Cup of Darts team with Nicolas Thuillier who managed to make it out of the group stage earlier this year.

Set to be staged in the northern French city of Lievin, it is easy to get to from other surrounding nations and has the faciliteis to host a darts tournament. "It's a city that has staged international sporting events before, and one that's well connected to other parts of the continent."

Darts fans will have to wait a bit longer to see where the World Series of Darts will go in 2027. The inaugural event last year in Saudi Arabia was the only new one, but there could be other countries and more competitions in 2027, hinted Porter.

"Well, we're working on a couple of options. It takes time to put these events together. And obviously, there's certain things happening in different parts of the world at the moment that are perhaps generating a little bit of uncertainty. So, the World Series always takes a little bit longer than everything else to put together.

"It could be a combination of some new places and some old places. But we're constantly striving to expand the concept and bring new territories on board. So, we'll wait and see. But I would hope by the end of probably November to be able to have next year's World Series calendar up and running."

Porter outlined the maximum number of events, pinpointing the tricky task of fitting them in. "I would hope we could creep it up towards seven. The biggest challenge is space in the calendar. And I think we've set ourselves a ceiling of eight. We feel that's probably the maximum that we could have in any one year. We're not quite there yet, but we've had seven before and we've been able to accommodate that."

The Players Championship Finals will look a lot different. The number of participants will rise from 64 to 128 players, making it so much easier for the big names to qualify. Porter also mentions the lower-ranked players and how it gives them more of a chance.

"We want to look to offer more players the opportunities that are generally, or previously, only reserved for the top players, you know. So, by expanding that event to 128 players, the top 128 from the Players' Championship Order of Merit, we're giving more players the opportunity to qualify for another TV event, particularly just before the World Championship.

"It's really important for them to get that exposure and also keeps the interest levels in the Players' Championship going throughout the year, you know, for players who are a little bit lower down the rankings, maybe top-up players, the players who haven't played in as many of the events, to still have that opportunity to qualify."

The European Championship will also rise in participants, being boosted from 32 to 48 darters set to compete for major glory in Dortmund. "So, by expanding the European Championship to the top 48, it will give, again, more players opportunity to qualify for the big stage," Porter stated.

"It makes that event last almost a week now. The prize money will be increased and it elevates it to the same sort of status as some of the other week-long events, which, when you look at the size of the crowds that it gets in Dortmund and the standard of player that Central Europe is now producing, is a natural fit, I think."

All these changes have been implemented with the idea of giving lower ranked players more of a chance to compete on the big stage, not always favouring the big names. "In the past, years and years ago, one of the main criticisms of the PDC was that it was only really there for the top players. And I think we've proven by building a structure over recent years that we're there for more than that. But it's important that you do have those pathways and you do have those opportunities. So, even if you're not in the top 16, not in the top 32, there's still plenty to play for in the second half of the year."