Top 10 Darts Tournaments

Around the world, devoted fans are drawn to the intense and energetic atmosphere of professional darts. During events hosted by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), athletes compete for international glory with unique scoring formats, tournament sizes, and fan atmospheres. Read on to learn more about the sport’s most prestigious events and competitions.

What Are the Biggest Darts Tournaments in the World?

1. PDC World Darts Championship
2. World Matchplay
3. Premier League
4. Grand Slam of Darts
5. World Grand Prix
6. UK Open
7. Players Championship Finals
8. European Championship
9. World Series of Darts
10. World Cup of Darts

1. PDC World Darts Championship

The PDC World Darts Championship is darts’ most prestigious tournament that culminates each season. Since 2008, the World Championship has taken place at the Alexandra Palace in London and features a field of 96 players. Overall, the most decorated athlete in the tournament’s 29-year history is Phil Taylor, who compiled 14 victories. The tournament’s most recent winner, Michael Smith, captured his first title in 2023.

While the World Championship offers the season’s highest payouts ($3 million total and $602,000 to first place), it also offers a unique and intriguing game atmosphere. To capture a victory in a set, players must win three legs. During each individual leg, athletes start at a score of 501 and attempt to be the first to reach a score of zero. Each round’s setup is explained below.

2. World Matchplay

The second-best professional darts tournament is World Matchplay, which is held at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool, England. This historic event guarantees a hefty payout to players ($964,000 total and $241,000 to first place) and is the second-oldest tournament in existence, as it was initially hosted in 1994. Overall, Phil Taylor is the event’s most successful player, with 16 total titles in his career. Each round’s format in this 32-player field is listed below.

3. Premier League

The Premier League is darts’ third-most popular event, which includes eight competitors and offers the second-highest potential winnings on the PDC Tour ($1.2 million total and $331,000 to first place).

In 2022, the Premier League format changed dramatically to attract new viewers and create a buzz around each event. Now, the event features an eight-player knockout bracket that takes place every Thursday night from February to May. During each event, a semi-final appearance secures two points, a second-place finish guarantees three points, and a victory clinches five points. At the end of the season, the top four players meet in a decisive semi-final and final matchup to determine the champion.

4. Grand Slam of Darts

In professional darts, the fourth-most popular event of the season is the Grand Slam of Darts, which guarantees a prize a total purse of $783,000 and $180,000 to first place. 

In this 32-player, invite-only field, eight groups of four players are initially formed. After the Group Stage, which sees the top two players move on to the knockout round, a single-elimination tournament begins. The match format for this spectacular event is depicted below.

5. World Grand Prix

Each year, the World Grand Prix is the fifth-most popular event in professional darts and is the season’s fourth major. Hosted at the Citywest Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, this 32-player field competes in a single elimination format for the chance to take home a portion of the $723,000 pot ($145,000 to first place).

Interestingly, the World Grand Prix is the season’s only event to feature a “Double-Start” style, meaning players must both start and finish on a double (Double 1, Double 2, etc., or Bullseye). With this challenging and exciting structure, players compete for glory in the tournament format below.

6. UK Open

Darts’ sixth-most popular event of the season is the UK Open, which guarantees a purse of $541,000 and $120,000 to the victor. In the season’s second major, a massive field of 160 players includes 128 PDC Tour members and 32 qualifiers. After each round, any player, regardless of current rank, can be drawn to play one another.

7. Players Championship Finals

In professional darts, the seventh-most popular event is the Players Championship Finals, which includes a field of 64 participants and a total purse of $602,000 ($120,000 to first place). To qualify for this prestigious event, players must succeed in 30 Players Championship tournament events earlier in the year. The competitive format for this three-day event hosted at Butlin’s Minehead Resort is listed below.

8. European Championship

After playing in events on the European Tour throughout the year, the tour’s top 32 players assemble for the season’s eighth-best tournament, the European Championship. In a single-elimination bracket format, players compete for a portion of the $602,000 total purse ($145,000 to first place) in Germany. Each round’s format is depicted below.

9. World Series of Darts

Although the World Series of Darts is not a major, it offers the opportunity for qualifiers to face off against the finest competitors on the PDC Tour. During this event, which offers a total prize pool of $361,000 ($84,000 to first place), eight local qualifiers from the US, German, Brisbane, Melbourne, and New Zealand Darts Masters face off in a single-elimination format against PDC Tour Card holders. The format of each round is shown below.

10. World Cup of Darts

Finally, the World Cup of Darts offers one of the season’s most intriguing formats by pitting 32 countries against each other in a single elimination format. 

During this event, the top two players from each country team up to face opposing nations in both singles (one player completes all throws) and doubles (players alternate throws) matches. Overall, the World Cup of Darts offers a purse of $421,000 and guarantees $84,000 to the winner. To emerge victorious, each country’s duo must surpass the round’s exciting format, which is outlined below.

Honorable Mentions

• The Masters
• Champions League of Darts
• World Youth Championship
• Women’s World Matchplay
• Youth World Championship

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