The UK Open is one of the most unique events on the PDC calendar — a 160-player open-format major with no seeding protection in the early rounds, simultaneous play across eight boards, and the ever-present possibility that a journeyman qualifier knocks out a top-ten player in round two. It is chaotic, brilliant, and produces better stories than almost any other darts tournament. The 24th edition runs from today (Friday 6 March) through to Sunday evening at Butlin’s Minehead Resort in Somerset.
Event Details
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Tournament | PDC UK Open 2026 (24th edition) |
| Dates | Friday 6 – Sunday 8 March 2026 |
| Venue | Butlin’s Minehead Resort, Somerset |
| Format | Open draw, 160-player field, multi-board |
| UK TV | ITV Sport (free-to-air) |
| Streaming | ITVX / PDC.TV |
| Prize fund | £750,000 (up £150,000 from 2025) |
| Winner’s prize | £120,000 |
How the UK Open Works
The UK Open’s format is what makes it special and what makes outright betting difficult. There is no bracket protection for the top seeds — the draw is completely open, meaning Luke Littler could theoretically face Michael van Gerwen in round four. The field enters in waves based on PDC ranking:
- Rounds 1–2 (Friday afternoon): Tour Card holders ranked 97–128 plus 32 non-Tour Card qualifiers (Development Tour, Challenge Tour and amateur qualifiers)
- Round 3 (Friday evening): Tour Card holders ranked 33–96 enter
- Round 4 (Friday/Saturday): The top 32 seeds (Order of Merit rankings 1–32) enter for the first time
- Round 5 onwards: Last 16, quarter-finals, semi-finals, final
Match formats increase as the tournament progresses:
- Rounds 1–3: Best of 11 legs (first to 6)
- Round 4 to quarter-finals: Best of 19 legs (first to 10)
- Semi-finals and final: Extended format
The extended match format from round four onwards rewards the elite players — 19 legs is enough distance for class to tell. The early rounds, at best of 11, are where upsets breed.
TV and Streaming: How to Watch in the UK
ITV Sport holds free-to-air coverage of the UK Open for UK viewers. This is the primary broadcast home for the event — no subscription required.
ITVX streams the coverage online for those not at a television. You can also follow via the PDC’s official app for live scores across all boards, which is essential during the multi-board opening sessions when ITV naturally cannot show everything simultaneously.
PDC.TV (subscription) covers additional boards during the early rounds if you want comprehensive viewing.
Full Schedule
Friday 6 March
| Session | Time | Rounds |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoon | 12:00 | Rounds 1 & 2 (eight boards) |
| Evening | 20:00 | Rounds 3 & 4 |
Saturday 7 March
| Session | Time | Rounds |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoon | 13:45 | Round 5 — Last 32 (four boards) |
| Evening | 20:00 | Last 16 (two boards) |
Sunday 8 March
| Session | Time | Rounds |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoon | 13:45 | Quarter-finals |
| Evening | 20:00 | Semi-finals |
| Night | ~22:00 | Final |
The Players to Watch
Luke Littler — Defending Champion (3.50 favourite)
Littler arrives in Minehead as defending champion and is already the UK Open favourite. He also won the World Masters in 2026, beating Humphries 6–5 in the final — a result that further cements his position at the top of every outright market he enters. He is 17 years old and already the most talked-about darts player on the planet. At 3.50, he is a short price, but his recent form justifies it.
Key risk factor: The open draw. If Littler lands in a tough quarter of the bracket from round four, he faces elite opposition before the semi-finals. In a 160-player open-format event, no one gets a clear run.
Luke Humphries — 8.00
World number two and runner-up to Littler at the World Masters. Humphries is consistent, clinical on his doubles and capable of beating anyone on his day. He reached the final here in 2024 and is a constant threat in the later rounds. At 8.00 he represents better value than Littler in outright terms, though the World Masters result slightly tilted current form toward the younger man.
Gian van Veen — 12.00
The Dutchman reached the World Championship final earlier in 2026 and went deep at the World Masters before losing to Littler in the semis. Van Veen’s averaging is elite and his scoring power on the big boards is comparable to anyone in the field. At 12.00 he is the most interesting each way option in the tournament — consistent enough to reach the last eight but priced long enough to generate meaningful returns.
Michael van Gerwen — 18.00
MVG has not been at his 2017–2020 peak in recent seasons, but he remains one of the most dangerous players in the field in an open-draw format. He arrives in Minehead with points to prove after a difficult stretch. At 18.00, his price reflects reduced confidence rather than an absence of ability. If his scoring is on from round four, he is capable of beating anyone remaining in the draw.
Josh Rock — 20.00
Rock produced a televised nine-darter earlier in the 2026 season and has the kind of ceiling score that wins open tournaments. He is a natural big-stage performer and Minehead’s crowd-heavy atmosphere suits him. At 20.00, he is worth a look.
Prize Money Breakdown
| Stage | Prize |
|---|---|
| Winner | £120,000 |
| Runner-up | £60,000 |
| Semi-finalists (×2) | £35,000 each |
| Quarter-finalists (×4) | £20,000 each |
| Last 16 (×8) | £12,500 each |
| Round 5 exits | £7,500 |
| Round 4 exits | £3,000 |
| Round 3 exits | £2,000 |
| Round 2 exits | £1,250 |
| Round 1 exits | No prize |
The prize fund increase of £150,000 from 2025 makes this one of the richest non-World Championship events on the calendar. All prize money counts toward the PDC Order of Merit.
Betting Tips
Best Bet: Gian van Veen each way — 12.00
Van Veen’s trajectory in 2026 has been excellent. A World Championship final appearance followed by a World Masters semi-final is not luck — it reflects genuine top-four quality. The UK Open’s open draw means he needs to avoid a brutal section, but his averaging over longer legs (as formats extend from round four) is genuinely elite. At 12.00, he is priced as though he belongs in a second tier behind the two Lukes; recent evidence suggests the gap is smaller than that. Each way at 12.00 in a 160-player field with four paying places represents real value.
Stake: 1 point each way
Each Way Interest: Michael van Gerwen — 18.00
Ignoring MVG entirely at 18.00 in a major he has won twice previously (2007, 2012) is a mistake. The UK Open’s early-round chaos suits experienced operators who can manage the grind. If van Gerwen hits form from the afternoon session on Friday and builds momentum, 18.00 looks very big for a three-time major winner. Small each way stake only.
Stake: 0.5 points each way
Live Betting Watch: Round 4 entry of top seeds
The tournament’s character changes completely when the top 32 enter in round four on Friday evening. Live betting on individual matches from this point — particularly backing in-form, high-averaging players who have identified their throwing rhythm across earlier rounds — often offers more value than pre-tournament outrights on a format this unpredictable. Monitor first-round three-dart averages and back the players posting 95+ averages in round three when they enter round four at odds that haven’t fully updated for their current form.
The UK Open’s History of Upsets
For context on why outright favourites are so difficult to back at Minehead: the UK Open has not been won by the world number one in consecutive years since the mid-2010s. The 2023 edition produced a shock winner; the 2024 edition went to a player outside the top two at the time. Open formats punish favourites over three days at a pace no other major demands.
Backing outright at sensible each way odds — three or four players across 5/1 to 20/1 — has historically outperformed single outright selections on the favourite in this specific event.
All odds correct at time of writing. Verify current prices with your chosen operator before placing. This article is for informational purposes only.