UK Open 2026: Schedule, Field, Draw, Format and Predictions

The UK Open is due to take place at Butlins Minehead between March 6-8 and is known as the FA Cup of Darts. An open tournament which has shocks aplenty and sees big names in an open draw throughout.

The field consists of 128 Tour Card holders, eight players from the Development Tour and Challenge Tour and 16 qualifiers.

Players will enter incrementally depending on their ranking and an open draw is conducted for each round. Luke Littler will be defending champion having defeated James Wade to win the 2025 edition 11-2. He will also enter as favourite again in Minehead.

All 160 players will compete unseeded, but entry into the tournament will be staggered based on Order of Merit ranking. PDC Tour Card holders ranked 97–128 will begin in the first round alongside all other qualifiers. Players ranked 65–96 will join in the second round, those ranked 33–64 will enter in the third round, and the top 32 ranked players will come in at the fourth round stage. A fresh open draw will take place ahead of each round.

This means Luke Littler among others won't play until the evening session on the opening night for instance.

While the draw will be confirmed for the first round with the 97-128 matched with the qualifiers, it will be an open draw conducted on the stage during the UK Open usually by the ITV team on site.

The schedule will be confirmed at the end of each round of the UK Open with a main stage, second stage and the multi board room utilised until the Sunday when it all goes onto the Main Stage.

(97-128 enter in the first round, 65-96 in the second round, 33-64 in the third round and 1-32 in the fourth round)

Samuel Gill, Head Editor for DartsNews.com sees Gerwyn Price as the champion.

It's quite easy to pick Luke Littler but I tend to go against the grain with this and so I will pick Gerwyn Price.

Only really prohibited by illness recently, he has looked superb and for me will relish the chance to finally become a major winner again.

I also plump for good runs for the likes of Gian van Veen, Wessel Nijman, Luke Woodhouse outside the established names. Also Jonny Clayton for me is a surefire contender.

*** Gerwyn Price

** Luke Littler, Jonny Clayton

* Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, Wessel Nijman

Lucas Michael, Editor for DartsNews.com picks Luke Humphries as the champion.

Always one of the most popular and looked forward to tournaments on the calendar, the UK Open returns with a number of possible title challenges already being conjured up.

The most notable nominee has to be the defending champion Luke Littler, however hos game - by his stupidity high standards, have not been at that level this year. A slip up capitalised by a solid performance could be enough to get a new champion in 2026.

I have been impressed with Luke Humphries this year whose showings on the oche seem to be the only player challenging the level of Littler. There is that question of getting over the line highlighted by his recent major agony but this is another chance to add another title to his arsenal.

Other notable names for a title run include Gerwyn Price who has been playing at a high level again this year but his major drought prolongs. His Welsh compatriot Jonny Clayton and Gian van Veen I will also throw in the mix along with last year’s finalist James Wade on a deep run.

As boring as it is, a player called Luke will likely pick up the title and I will edge towards Humphries on this occasion.

*** Luke Humphries

** Jonny Clayton, Gian van Veen

* Luke Littler, James Wade, Josh Rock

Pieter Verbeek, Editor for DartsNieuws.com sees Littler as the clear favourite.

The UK Open is a tournament I always look forward to. For me, it is one of the finest events on the PDC calendar. The field is more diverse than most tournaments, with 160 players competing. The best aspect of the UK Open is, of course, the open draw after every round, which means you can get blockbuster clashes early in the tournament and less established players often make deep runs.

Open draw or not, Luke Littler remains the clear favourite for me in any event he enters. The Nuke joins the tournament from the fourth round, where matches are already played over the best of 19 legs. In recent years, Littler has shown just how difficult he is to beat over that format.

His main challengers are likely to be Luke Humphries and Gerwyn Price, the players who have proven they can push him hardest. Then there is Gian van Veen, and a Michael van Gerwen who appears to be finding his way back to form. And you should never overlook James Wade either, The Machine has traditionally been extremely strong at the UK Open.

*** Luke Littler

** Luke Humphries & Gerwyn Price

* Michael van Gerwen, Gian van Veen, James Wade

Oliver Ried, Editor for DartsNews.DE goes for someone a bit different in his pick.

The UK Open are simply pure love for every darts fan – a weekend full of darts and an open draw. Friday in particular, with eight boards running simultaneously, is just a dream. Making predictions seems almost impossible, as every year there’s always a name in the semi-finals that no one had on their radar.

I believe that Luke Humphries will win the UK Open. The Englishman looks to be in the form of his life and seems as good as perhaps never before.

One player you should always keep an eye on is Luke Littler. After all, he is the defending champion. Another strong title contender has to be the Dutchman Gian van Veen, who showed at the European Championship and the World Championship why he belongs among the very best.

Jonny Clayton should also be on your radar, as the Welshman is in excellent form. Likewise, Michael van Gerwen and Wessel Nijman belong to the extended group of favourites. Both certainly have what it takes to win the big title, although Nijman still has to prove himself consistently on the major stage.

***Luke Humphries

**Luke Littler, Gian van Veen

*Jonny Clayton, Michael van Gerwen, Wessel Nijman

Nicolas Gayer, Editor for DartsNews.DE also plumps for a familiar name.

The first major highlight of the darts calendar is just around the corner: the FA Cup of darts, the UK Open. Loved by fans and feared by players for its ruthless unpredictability — and yet we still dare to step onto the thin ice of predictions for this event.

My pick for the title may sound conservative, but it follows a clear logic. With the UK Open using an open draw format, there is, for me, only one player who stands above all others as the outright favourite — the only competitor in the field who never has to fear a nightmare draw because he is the favourite in every single match: Luke Littler.

By that same logic, the world number two and three — Luke Humphries and Gian van Veen — also belong firmly in the inner circle of contenders, having shown outstanding form in the opening weeks of the 2026 season.

To reflect the true character of the UK Open, I’d like to finish by highlighting a few outsiders and dark horses. Leading that group, in my opinion, is Krzysztof Ratajski, who has returned to his best level over recent months and could represent the very definition of a nightmare draw for many top players. Another name on my list is someone who is already far more than just an outsider, but has so far struggled on the biggest stages: Wessel Nijman. Even so, I believe the nature of the UK Open could suit him well — potentially spending much of the tournament on the smaller secondary boards and stages.

Finally, I can also see Gabriel Clemens having a solid tournament. Do I think Clemens has a realistic chance of lifting the trophy? No. But the “German Giant” has looked in strong shape since switching back to his old equipment ahead of the most recent World Championship, made an impressive start to the season on the floor, and in my view is well placed to carry that momentum into the UK Open with a long-overdue strong showing at a major.

***Luke Littler

**Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen

Dark horses: Krzysztof Ratajski, Wessel Nijman, Gabriel Clemens

Mats Leering, Editor for DartsNieuws.com has gone against his compatriots for his pick.

The open draw makes the UK Open one of the most exciting tournaments on the calendar. With a broader field of participants and multiple matches across several boards in the first phase, it's always fun to keep an eye on everything.

Despite the open draw, the big names will still be the favourites for the title, with Luke Littler once again the main favourite. The 19-year-old remains a phenomenon and seems to be able to motivate himself extra in these kinds of tournaments, and then he is simply almost unstoppable.

Three names that I think have a chance of stopping him and therefore also have a chance at the title are Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price and Gian van Veen. Humphries has shown before that he can beat Littler and is currently his biggest challenger. Gian van Veen is in top form and, on a good day, is certainly capable of beating 'The Nuke'. The same goes for Gerwyn Price, who has repeatedly shown that he is not afraid of Littler.

With a favourable draw and perhaps big names being eliminated early on, I see Jonny Clayton, Wessel Nijman and Nathan Aspinall as three names that could potentially surprise us. But they would need a bit of luck to do so.

Favourites

***Luke Littler

**Gerwyn Price, Gian van Veen

*Luke Humphries, Jonny Clayton, Nathan Aspinall

Theo Stodiek, Editor for DartsNews.DE also sees Luke Littler as the winner.

The UK Open is always a tournament that refuses to follow a predictable script. With its open draw and ever-changing stage assignments, Minehead regularly delivers surprise quarter-finalists and unexpected headline stories. Yet despite that reputation for chaos, I do see one clear favourite heading into next week.

For me, Luke Littler stands above the rest. His recent triumph at the Poland Darts Open was not just another title — it was a statement. The teenager looked razor-sharp in every department, combining relentless scoring with clinical finishing. If he carries that level into Thursday’s Premier League night and then into the UK Open from Friday onwards, he will be extremely difficult to stop. Crucially, Littler enters the tournament at the stage where matches are played over a longer best-of-19 format — and over extended distances he has proven almost untouchable in the past.

Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton must also be taken very seriously. Both Welshmen have impressed in recent weeks, with Price claiming victory on Premier League Night 2 and Clayton following up with a nightly win on Night 3. Their confidence is clearly building at the right time.

As for potential dark horses, Luke Woodhouse and Kevin Doets catch my eye. Doets has produced multiple ton-plus averages on the Players Championship circuit and already showed his pedigree with a last-16 run at the World Championship. Woodhouse, meanwhile, has collected strong ProTour wins and delivered solid stage performances at the Winmau World Masters and the Poland Darts Open. Don’t be surprised if one of them makes a deep run.

***Luke Littler

**Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price

Dark horses: Luke Woodhouse, Kevin Doets