Nordic Darts Masters 2026: Field, Format, History, When is the draw confirmed, Predictions

The Nordic Darts Masters is due to take place between 5-6 June, 2026 at Forum Copenhagen and is the third World Series of Darts tournament of the season after forays in Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.

Stephen Bunting is defending champion after seeing off Rob Cross 8-4 in the 2025 final. He returns to defend the crown. He is joined by Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen among others with only really James Wade not being from the Premier League line-up.

Michael van Gerwen after winning one title and reaching one more final leads the Order of Merit with Luke Littler second. This all counts for seeding for the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam in November.

The format for the World Series follows a format of short and sharp in the early rounds so first to six then for the final two games, it increases. One that no doubt lends itself on paper to potential shocks.

This is at the PDC's discretion so no time is fully confirmed but usually it takes place a few days before the tournament so likely Wednesday 3 June before the Friday start.

The schedule will be confirmed for the Nordic Darts Masters in the aftermath of the draw, but with the PDC names drawn against one of the Nordic and Baltic players, it means that the eight games will be played on the Friday before the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Finals as is usually the way on the World Series.

Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com sees Luke Littler winning the title.

Usually with these predictions, I go against the grain and pick something different for both in case it happens and if I'm right, it's a bonus. But these World Series tournaments like the Premier League are a bit cut and dry in that they are fairly an easy equation to deal with.

I see Littler winning this one again and I also see though a good run from the defending champion Stephen Bunting who seems to come alive on these stages.

Michael van Gerwen will be well rested from a holiday so no doubt I'd pick him too while I also see James Wade proving why he has been picked in this line-up in the first place.

*** Luke Littler

** Stephen Bunting, Michael van Gerwen

* James Wade, Gerwyn Price, Luke Humphries

Bram Coenen, Editor for DartsNieuws.com sees Luke Littler continuing his hot streak and returning to win what would be back-to-back World Series crowns.

After several months of inactivity, the World Series of Darts is finally back in action. With Michael van Gerwen and Luke Littler, the winners of the first two World Series events of the year are both set to compete in Copenhagen. In my view, they also rank among the leading contenders for the title.

Littler, in particular, looks poised for another strong run. The young Englishman will arrive in the Danish capital full of confidence after securing the Premier League crown. Van Gerwen, meanwhile, has endured a somewhat inconsistent season so far, but whenever he produces his best darts, he continues to show why he remains one of the very best players in the world.

A second Dutchman, Gian van Veen, will also be in action. However, he still appears to be some way short of his peak form, which could make a deep run difficult.

I also expect a strong showing from Luke Humphries and Jonny Clayton. Their narrow defeat in respectively the Premier League final and semi finals will undoubtedly have hurt, and the determined Englishman and Welshman will be eager to bounce back with a statement performance in Copenhagen.

Among the local representatives, Andreas Harrysson is the player I am most curious about. He impressed at last year's World Championship, but we have heard relatively little from him since then. Perhaps this could be the weekend where he causes an upset against one of the sport's biggest names.

*** Luke Littler

** Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen

* Jonny Clayton

Pieter Verbeek, Editor for DartsNieuws.com also sees Littler ticking off one of his only achievements he's yet to accomplish as of yet.

Is Luke Littler taking part? Yes? Then it would be very strange not to put him at the top of the favourites list. ‘The Nuke’ has been extremely selective with his tournament schedule in 2026, but more often than not, Littler ends up winning the events he enters. The Nordic Darts Masters is also still missing from his list of achievements, which will surely provide some extra motivation.

If we look at the players who have caused Littler the most problems during the opening months of 2026, then Luke Humphries and Jonny Clayton stand out. Both men reached the play-offs of the Premier League Darts and proved throughout the campaign that they are capable of beating a strong Littler.

One player who regularly performs well against Littler is Gerwyn Price. ‘The Iceman’ once held a winning record against Littler, although that is long gone after nine consecutive victories for the English teenager. Still, the Welshman’s form has been impressive, and naturally Price has to be considered among the favourites in Copenhagen.

At the opening two World Series of Darts events of 2026, Michael van Gerwen reached the final on both occasions. The Dutchman lifted the title in Bahrain, while ‘Mighty Mike’ finished runner-up in Saudi Arabia. Van Gerwen has been inconsistent at times this year, but he has also shown flashes of his old peak form. As far as I’m concerned, Stephen Bunting is another dangerous outsider. ‘The Bullet’ was the standout performer on the World Series circuit last year, winning two titles and reaching another two finals.

*** Luke Littler

** Luke Humphries, Jonny Clayton

* Gerwyn Price, Michael van Gerwen, Stephen Bunting

Nicolas Gayer, Editor for DartsNews.DE has gone for a different opinion to others and has not picked Luke Littler for the title.

As incredible as Luke Littler was during the Premier League Darts Play-Offs on Thursday, I am simply fascinated by Luke Humphries at the moment. After a start to the year that did not entirely go according to plan, Humphries — the consummate professional and tireless worker — appears to have found one or two more adjustments to further refine his game. That is why I am sticking to a simple rule: if Humphries is in the field, I am picking him to win the tournament. Because if he continues to play at this level, it cannot be long before he lifts another trophy.

Aside from Humphries, there will naturally be no getting past the best player in the world, Luke Littler, in Copenhagen. He will begin the tournament as the clear favourite. I am also particularly interested to see how Gerwyn Price performs after recently revealing that his medical test results came back positive. Perhaps this boost will allow us to see “The Iceman” back at his very best in Denmark.

Among the Nordic and Baltic representatives, there are three names in particular whom I believe are capable of making matches competitive — and perhaps even pulling off a victory. First, Madars Razma, who has spent years proving on the PDC Tour that he is not only an excellent darts player but also an exceptionally awkward opponent to face. He has the ability to trouble any PDC star.

Then there is Jeffrey de Graaf, who can now look back on several years of Pro Tour experience. On a night when he finds his golden touch and everything clicks in his throwing rhythm and timing, I can certainly see him progressing beyond the opening round.

And finally, I am looking forward to seeing Darius Labanauskas, “Lucky D”, return to a big PDC stage. Another hugely experienced player, he will have absolutely no fear of the sport’s biggest names. At the most recent PDC World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace, he already showed that he is capable of taking five legs off even the extraordinary Luke Littler.

Favourites:

***Luke Humphries

**Luke Littler, Gerwyn Price

*Jonny Clayton, James Wade, Stephen Bunting

Albeit Lucas Michael, Editor for DartsNews.com does see him sealing it.

The World Series of Darts returns with a bang as Copenhagen hosts the next instalment. I think the Nordic and Baltic representatives will not make a huge impact in this tournament as I direct my gaze to the top PDC talents making the trip over. Possibly Andreas Harrysson or Madars Razma could win one game, but for the title I do not think so.

The beauty is that any of the eight PDC representatives could go on to win the title if they show their best darts as all of them are extraordinary on their day. If they do not produce the darts capable, they will not win. The inconsistent performances from Dutch duo Gian van Veen and especially Michael van Gerwen has me doubting whether they will come out on top, but if they produce their best game then they will be tough to beat.

Obviously the two Luke’s will be hugely motivated and massive favourites. It feels like Luke Humphries is returning to his best, but like everyone else is being made look human compared to Luke Littler.

In the sixth staging, a new winner is very likely to occur unless defending champion Stephen Bunting, van Gerwen or Gerwyn Price take the crown. I will hedge my bets for a new winner and say that Littler will win another title.

*** Luke Littler

** Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price

* Jonny Clayton, Michael van Gerwen, Stephen Bunting