Ticket sales for the 2026 World Matchplay will begin later this month. The PDC’s flagship summer tournament will be played from July 18 to July 26 at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, where 32 players will compete for the prestigious Phil Taylor Trophy.
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With a prize fund of one million pounds, the World Matchplay once again ranks among the standout events of the darts year. World number one Luke Littler will line up as the defending champion and will face competition from, among others, Luke Humphries, the 2024 winner, and three-time champion Michael van Gerwen.
In addition to the main event, the fifth edition of the Women’s World Matchplay is also on the schedule. Eight players will face off there, with Lisa Ashton as the reigning champion.
Ticket sales will be phased and released in three stages. The first sales window opens on Monday, 02/23/2026 at 12:00 PM and is exclusively accessible to holders of a PDCTV Annual Membership. To be eligible for this presale, fans must hold an active annual subscription no later than Friday, 02/13/2026 at 12:00 PM.
In the second phase, so-called Pre-Sale Members will gain access to the remaining tickets. This presale opens on Tuesday, 02/24/2026 at 12:00 PM. Supporters who wish to use this option must register no later than Thursday, 02/19/2026 at 12:00 PM.
General sale starts on Wednesday, 02/25/2026 at 12:00 PM, provided tickets remain after the presale rounds. However, experience in recent years shows that tickets sell out before the general sale begins.
Lucas Michael is a darts journalist and reporter based in Cambridge, UK, and has been part of the DartsNews team since 2025. He covers professional darts through reports, analysis, round-ups, and live coverage, with a focus on clear context and accurate reporting across the PDC calendar.
A key part of his work is liveblogging major tournaments throughout the year, providing real-time updates, match coverage, and contextual reporting across the professional circuit. He also reports regularly from events on site and has covered the PDC World Darts Championship from the venue, delivering first-hand insight throughout the tournament.
Within the newsroom, Lucas works closely with the editorial team and supports coverage alongside Chief Content Officer Samuel Gill and reporter Kieran Wood.
Lucas holds a BA (Hons) in Sports Journalism. In his work, he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating content promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
The @Betfred World Matchplay is coming… 🎯🔥
Tickets on sale from Monday 23 February.
Ticket demand will be huge! Don’t miss out.
🌟 PDCTV Annual Members 👉 bit.ly/PDCTVLive
⭐️ PDC Pre-Sale 👉 bit.ly/26Matchplay
Full story 👉 bit.ly/WMPOn-Sale