World Grand Prix Darts 2026: Prize money, first round order of play, full schedule, what is 'double-in double-out' and when is Luke Littler playing?
The world’s finest darters are heading to Leicester.
First held in 1998 the World Grand Prix was held in Dublin until it moved to Leicester in 2021.
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Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor is the most successful darter in the tournament’s history, winning 11 times - although he was also knocked out in the first round five times.
Last year saw darts prodigy Luke Littler win his first Grand Prix title, thumping rival Luke Humphries 6-1 in the final.
All eyes will be on Littler as he attempts to defend his title after he was constantly booed in the World Series of Darts in Amsterdam earlier this month - leading to his theatening to pull out of future tournaments in the Netherlands.
Hopefully his home crowd will be more welcoming, although he seems to have become a divisive figure due to his utter dominance of the sport.
Here’s everything you need to know about the tournament.
When is the World Grand Prix 2026 darts?
The tournament will take place from Monday, September 28, to Sunday, October 4.
Where is the World Grand Prix darts being held?
The action will take place in Leicester's Mattioli Arena.
What is the prize money at the World Grand Prix darts?
Here’s what the darters will be playing for out of a total prize fund of £750,000.
- Winner: £150,000
- Runner-up: £80,000
- Semi-finals: £50,000
- Quarter-finals: £35,000
- Second round: £20,000
- First round: £7,500
What is the first round draw at the World Grand Prix?
Here’s when the first round action will be taking place:
Monday, September 28, from 6pm
- Danny Noppert vs Niko Springer
- Ross Smith vs Cameron Menzies
- Nathan Aspinall vs Kevin Doets
- Jonny Clayton vs Krzysztof Ratajski
- Gerwyn Price vs Sebastian Bialecki
- Michael van Gerwen vs Ryan Joyce
- Luke Littler vs Luke Woodhouse
- Wessel Nijman vs Rob Cross
Tuesday, September 29, from 6pm
- Chris Dobey vs Jermaine Wattimena
- Ryan Searle vs William O'Connor
- Josh Rock vs Niels Zonneveld
- James Wade vs Joe Cullen
- Gary Anderson vs Damon Heta
- Gian van Veen vs Dirk van Duijvenbode
- Luke Humphries vs Dave Chisnall
- Stephen Bunting vs Andrew Gilding
Who will Luke Littler be playing in the first two rounds?
The Nuke takes on Luke Woodhouse in the first round on Monday, September 28, in the 6pm session.
If he wins he will go on to play either Nathan Aspinall or Kevin Doets in the second round in the 7pm session on Wednesday, September 30.
What is double-in double-out?
The World Grand Prix the only PDC competition which uses the ‘double-in, double-out’. It means that players have to hit a double first, before scoring 501 points while finishing with a double or the bullseye.
What is the full schedule for the World Grand Prix Darts?
Here’s how the full tournament will play out:
Second round (best of 5 sets)
Wednesday, September 30 from 7pm
- Littler/Woodhouse vs Aspinall/Doets
- Noppert/Springer vs Van Gerwen/Joyce
- Price/Bialecki vs Smith/Menzies
- Clayton/Ratajski vs Nijman/Cross
Thursday, October 1 from 7pm
- Humphries/Chisnall vs Dobey/Wattimena
- Rock/Zonneveld vs Anderson/Heta
- Van Veen/Van Duijvenbode vs Searle/O'Connor
- Wade/Cullen vs Bunting/Gilding
Quarter-finals (best of 5 sets)
Friday, October 2, from 7pm
Semi-finals (best of 9 sets)
Saturday, October 3, from 8pm
Final (best of 11 sets)
Sunday, October 4 from 8pm
How can I watch the World Grand Prix on television?
The whole tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports. If you are not a Sky Sports subscriber you can buy a one-off pass to watch it on NOW TV, starting at £14.99 for a day pass.
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