Preview Belgian Darts Open 2025: Who takes the title in Wieze at start of new Euro Tour season?
PDC
The 2025 Belgian Darts Open kicks off the new PDC European Tour season for 2025, bringing top level darts action back to Wieze, Belgium. Taking place from March 7–9 at the Oktoberhallen venue, this tournament is the first of 14 European Tour events on the 2025 PDC Pro Tour.
A field of 48 players will compete for a £175,000 prize fund, with £30,000 awarded to the champion. Defending champion Luke Littler returns after his win here last year, when the then-17-year-old phenom hit a nine-dart finish in the final to capture the title on his European Tour debut. Can we expect the same sort of drama this weekend? Let’s hope so!
As fans and players descend on darts mad Wieze for the season opener, here’s an in depth look at the tournament format, a recap of last season, the top contenders, the full lineup, and everything you can expect to happen this weekend.
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Tournament format
The Belgian Darts Open follows the standard PDC European Tour format with 48 players and a tiered entry system. In a change from previous years, the top 16 players on the PDC Order of Merit are now seeded and receive byes into the second round.
Meanwhile, 16 other players qualified via the one-year Pro Tour Order of Merit and will begin their campaigns in the first round. The remaining 16 spots are filled through various qualifiers: ten players came through the Tour Card Holder Qualifier, four from the Host Nation Qualifier (for Belgian players), one from the Nordic & Baltic qualifier, and one from the East European qualifier.
This weekend long event is condensed into three days of action: all 16 first-round matches on Friday (split into afternoon and evening sessions), the 16 second-round matches on Saturday (again across two sessions), and then the final on Sunday with the last 16 in the afternoon, followed by quarter-finals, semi-finals, and the final on Sunday evening.
Matches are played in a straight knockout format, best-of-11 legs in early rounds, increasing to best-of-13 in the semis and best-of-15 in the final. So there’s definitely plenty of darts to get excited about this weekend!
The prize money on offer is significant for a weekend’s work, and someone will be going home with a big pay day. The total purse is £175,000, with the payouts structured as follows:
Winner: £30,000
Runner-up: £12,000
Semi-finalists: £8,500 each
Quarter-finalists: £6,000 each
Last 16 losers: £4,000 each
Round 2 losers: £2,500 each
Round 1 losers: £1,250 each
Recap of the 2024 European Tour season
To set the stage for 2025, let’s briefly look back at the 2024 European Tour season, and what a year it was.
The 2024 European Tour comprised 13 events across the continent, including two stops in Belgium (Wieze and a later event in Antwerp) and even a first ever visit to Switzerland back in September. Across those 13 tournaments, an incredible nine different players claimed titles, with no single player winning more than two events.
Luke Littler made his European Tour debut at last year’s Belgian Darts Open in Wieze and stunned the field by winning the title, defeating former world champion Rob Cross 8–7 in the final. In that match, Littler electrified the crowd with a perfect nine-dart leg in the deciding moments, and this was a sign of things to come for the new world champion last year.
Luke Humphries, now world No. 1, had another strong year on the European Tour, picking up two titles of his own which came in Munich and Prague. Humphries triumphed at the German Darts Grand Prix in Munich with a dominant 8–1 win over Michael van Gerwen, and later added the Czech Darts Open title in Prague, defeating Belgium’s Kim Huybrechts 8–1 in the final.
Several established stars turned back the years on the European Tour in 2024, including Gary Anderson, who won the European Darts Grand Prix in Sindelfingen, his first European Tour title in a whopping ten years.
Aside from Littler, there were a number of other new stars who made a name on the European Tour in 2024. Germany’s Martin Schindler won his first PDC title at the International Darts Open in Riesa and later clinched a second title at the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel. Another first time winner was Northern Ireland’s Josh Rock, who claimed the Dutch Darts Championship in May, beating Jonny Clayton on his way to glory.
Who’s in action at the 2025 Belgian Darts Open?
With the new season upon us, the title favourites in Wieze includes a mix of fan favourites and those looking to make a name for themselves.
Defending champion Luke Littler returns as the 2nd seed and a major contender. Luke Humphries, the current world No.1, will look to start the Tour strong, while former world champions Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen remain formidable threats.
Price, in particular, has looked like he’s just a few games away from getting back to his very best, and should be one to watch this weekend.
Rob Cross, last year’s runner up, is another strong candidate, alongside Stephen Bunting, Jonny Clayton, and Peter Wright.
Belgium’s own Dimitri Van den Bergh will be carrying the hopes of the home crowd alongside Mike de Decker. Meanwhile, rising stars like Josh Rock and Gian van Veen will look to make a statement early in the season.
The Oktoberhallen in Wieze has become a beloved stop on the tour, known for its brilliant atmosphere. With a capacity of around 3,000 fans per session, the Belgian Darts Open will of course be a festival like atmosphere, so if you’re heading out there make sure to bring an umbrella for any flying beer.
Fans attending can expect nonstop entertainment from Friday all the way through to Sunday, and the possibility of another nine-darter (it’s about time from Littler)! With the tournament marking the start of the European Tour season, players will be eager to set the tone for the year ahead and stamp their authority on the competition in the early doors.
Bring on Wieze!
Full lineup
Seeded players:
- Luke Humphries
- Luke Littler
- Michael van Gerwen
- Rob Cross
- Stephen Bunting
- Jonny Clayton
- Dave Chisnall
- Damon Heta
- Gerwyn Price
- Nathan Aspinall
- Chris Dobey
- Danny Nopert
- Peter Wright
- James Wade
- Gary Anderson
- Dimirti Van den Bergh
PDC Tour Order of Merit:
Ryan Searle
Josh Rock
Martin Schindler
Ross Smith
Daryl Gurney
Gian van Veen
Raymond van Barneveld
Cameron Menzies
Mike De Decker
Michael Smith
Wessel Nijman
Ritchie Edhouse
Jermain Wattimena
Dirk van Duijvenbode
Ricardo Pietreckzo
Luke Woodhouse
Qualifiers:
Cam Crabtree
Thomas Lovely
Ryan Joyce
Thibault Tricole
Matthew Dennant
Darryl Pilgrim
Jim Long
Matt Campbell
James Hurrell
Owen Bates
Boris Krcmar
Darius Labanauskas
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Latest comments
- I agree,but there still isn't a good enough German player to be considered. I've said before,scrap the whole thing,its a payday for the top players and gives nothing to anyone elserick6707-04-2025
- The Premier League isn’t a meritocracy as it’s not the top 8 players in the rankings, either at the start of the league or now. Dobey currently 9, Price 12. Aside from the top four Sky get picks, thats not meritocracy.Mysstree07-04-2025
- Aspinall really struggles against Littler. Head to head is currently 9 - 1 in Littlers favour.Mysstree07-04-2025
- Less exhibitions then you numpty.Mysstree06-04-2025
- I agree. There needs to be a points system and preferably just a rolling one year. World Championship should earn the most points though it can be argued that the current qualification system does see a fair few players qualify from regional country qualifiers who would struggle to hold down a place on the Pro Tour. If prize money won is going to remain as the determining factor for ranking then the World Championship should just consist of the 128 Tour Card Holders. Another option would be to take the World Championship out of the rankings and have it as the stand alone pinnacle that you qualify for by winning certain tournaments or your ranking position, sort of like a GSOD+.Mysstree05-04-2025
- The Premier league has literally become a pantomime with a hero and villain, all thats needed is an older dart player in drag to play the joke old woman / queen and a younger woman to play the male hero. Barry is probably working on it now.Mysstree04-04-2025
- Ridiculous the booing for both these players in the final in Germany tonightListerAnderson03-04-2025
- May only have won two PDC Majors but thats two more than most players will ever win. He wasn’t lucky either to beat Taylor and MVG, he outplayed them.Mysstree29-03-2025
- Bunting is having a nightmare.Mysstree28-03-2025
- The next prodigy (prodigies) are just round the corner. Wonder if it gets to the stage of 180 after 180 being hit leg after leg whether there will be a modification to the equipment such as reduced doubles and trebles, reduce the size of the board or length of the oche?Mysstree25-03-2025