World Grand Prix 2026: Draw, Schedule, Format and History

The international darts elite will descend on Leicester from Monday, September 28 to Sunday, October 4 for the World Grand Prix. The Mattioli Arena will provide the setting for seven days of the unique major, which stands apart from the other major PDC tournaments due to its famous double-in format. In this article, we take a look at the World Grand Prix draw, schedule, format and history.

A total of 32 players will compete in the tournament. The 16 highest-ranked players on the world rankings have secured automatic qualification. The field is completed by the 16 best-ranked unseeded players from the Pro Tour.

Defending champion Luke Littler is paired with Luke Woodhouse in the first round. The world number one won the World Grand Prix for the first time twelve months ago and can join an elite group in Leicester. Only Phil Taylor and Michael van Gerwen have previously won the unique double-in, double-out event in back-to-back years.

Littler is also chasing a clean sweep of the major TV titles in 2026. With Woodhouse, winner of the Baltic Sea Darts Open, the teenager faces a stern first hurdle right away. Luke Humphries also knows his opening opponent. The 2023 champion meets Dave Chisnall, a two-time World Grand Prix finalist.

The 16 seeded players will have protected status during the draw. As a result, they cannot face each other in the opening round. Each seeded player will be drawn against one of the 16 players who qualified through the Pro Tour. Alongside Littler, the seeded names include Gian van Veen, Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen. They too will begin their campaigns against a qualifier from the Pro Tour rankings, before clashes between seeded players become possible from the second round onwards.

James Wade, a two-time World Grand Prix winner, opens against Joe Cullen. The Englishman reached the semi-finals as recently as 2023. Gary Anderson is paired with Australia’s number one, Damon Heta.

Ross Smith and Cameron Menzies face off for a last-16 spot, while Stephen Bunting meets Andrew Gilding. Ryan Searle draws William O’Connor.

The World Grand Prix occupies a unique place on the PDC calendar. It is the only major tournament to use the so-called double-in, double-out format. Players therefore not only need to finish each leg on a double, but must also hit a double before they can begin scoring.

The World Grand Prix is also played in sets rather than legs. There is particularly little room for error in the opening round, where matches are played over a short best of three sets. As the tournament progresses, the format becomes increasingly longer. In the final, six sets are ultimately required to win the match, with the title decider played over a best of 11 sets.