The World Matchplay is the biggest event of the darts summer, and the 2026 edition carries more money than ever. Luke Littler returns to Blackpool to defend the Phil Taylor Trophy from Saturday 18 July to Sunday 26 July, with a record £1,000,000 prize fund on the line at the Winter Gardens.
Littler arrives as world number one and defending champion after beating James Wade 18-13 in last year’s final, a win that made him the youngest Matchplay champion in history. Behind him, a 32-player field will be finalised on 7 July, and the famous Empress Ballroom will decide who lifts the sport’s most prestigious prize outside the World Championship.
Dates and Schedule
The 2026 Betfred World Matchplay runs from Saturday 18 July to Sunday 26 July at the Empress Ballroom in Blackpool’s Winter Gardens. The venue has hosted every edition since the tournament began in 1994, and this year marks the 33rd staging.
The nine days follow a familiar rhythm. The first round is played across the opening weekend and into Monday, the second round occupies Tuesday and Wednesday, and the quarter-finals take place on Thursday and Friday. Saturday stages the semi-finals before finals day on Sunday 26 July, when the Women’s World Matchplay is decided in the afternoon and the men’s final closes the tournament in the evening. Sessions are played in the evening throughout, with afternoon sessions on the two Sundays.
The Field and Qualification
Thirty-two players qualify. The top 16 on the two-year PDC Order of Merit at the cut-off take the seeded places, and the next 16 on the one-year Pro Tour Order of Merit who have not already qualified complete the field as unseeded players.
The cut-off is Players Championship 24 on Tuesday 7 July, after which the field and draw will be confirmed. The top of the seedings is already settled: Luke Littler heads the list as world number one, with Luke Humphries second, Gian van Veen third, and Michael van Gerwen fourth.
We will update this page with the full draw and first-round matches once they are announced.
The Format
The Matchplay is pure legs, no sets, and the matches get longer as the rounds progress.
| Round | Format |
|---|---|
| First round | Best of 19 legs |
| Second round | Best of 21 legs |
| Quarter-finals | Best of 31 legs |
| Semi-finals | Best of 33 legs |
| Final | Best of 35 legs |
Uniquely among the majors, every match must be won by two clear legs. If a first-round match reaches 9-9, play continues beyond the scheduled distance until someone leads by two, up to a maximum of six extra legs. If the players are still level at 12-12, a single sudden-death leg settles it. The same rule applies in every round, with the sudden-death leg arriving at 13-13 in the second round and 20-20 in the final.
Prize Money
The 2026 prize fund is £1,000,000, up from £800,000 last year, and the winner’s share rises to £225,000.
| Stage | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Winner | £225,000 |
| Runner-up | £125,000 |
| Semi-finalists (2) | £65,000 |
| Quarter-finalists (4) | £35,000 |
| Second round (8) | £22,500 |
| First round (16) | £12,500 |
| Total | £1,000,000 |
Every penny counts double here: World Matchplay prize money feeds the two-year Order of Merit that decides seedings for the World Championship and every other major.
How to Watch
Every session is live on Sky Sports in the UK. Coverage typically runs on Sky Sports Darts and Sky Sports Main Event, with sessions starting in the evening on weekdays.
International viewers can stream the tournament through PDCTV, subject to local broadcast arrangements in their country. Tickets for the Winter Gardens are sold through the PDC, though finals weekend traditionally sells out well in advance.
The Defending Champion
Luke Littler’s 2025 triumph was a piece of history. His 18-13 win over James Wade made him the youngest World Matchplay champion ever, taking a record Wade himself had held since winning the title aged 24 in 2007. Littler averaged over 107 in the final and hit 17 maximums along the way.
The victory also completed the PDC’s Triple Crown of World Championship, Premier League, and World Matchplay. Only Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, and Luke Humphries had achieved it before him, and none of them did it as a teenager.
The Women’s World Matchplay
The fifth Women’s World Matchplay takes place on finals day, Sunday 26 July, in the afternoon session. The confirmed eight-player field, in seeding order, is Beau Greaves, Lisa Ashton, Fallon Sherrock, Gemma Hayter, Vicky Pruim, Deta Hedman, Rhian O’Sullivan, and Kirsi Viinikainen.
Lisa Ashton defends the title she won against Sherrock in 2025. The quarter-finals and semi-finals are best of nine legs, with the final played over the best of 11. The winner takes £15,000 from a £40,000 fund, along with places at November’s Grand Slam of Darts and the 2026/27 World Championship.