The World Darts Championship will stay at Alexandra Palace until 2031 after a new five-year deal was agreed.
The festive tournament, which has been staged at the iconic London venue since 2007, is preparing to move to Alexandra Palace’s Great Hall from 2026-27 as part of the agreement.
The upgraded venue will boost capacity for the tournament to approximately 180,000 spectators, an increase of more than 70,000 fans in what represents a 64 per cent hike. It means this year’s World Championship, which runs from December 11 to January 3 2026, will be the final one staged in the current hall.
PDC chairman Barry Hearn had discussed moving the World Championship to Saudi Arabia, but this deal – and the Gulf nation’s refusal to allow alcohol at their events – now ends any chance of that happening.
In an announcement posted to Instagram on Thursday, the Alexandra Palace and Official PDC’s accounts wrote: ‘HUGE NEWS: the @officialpdc World Darts Championship is staying at its ‘spiritual home’, North London’s iconic Alexandra Palace, until at least 2031, and from 2026, it will move to the Palace’s Great Hall.
‘Set to grow to 180,000 over the three-week tournament, individual sessions will rise to more than 5,000 fans. The World Darts Championship just got a whole lot bigger, and so did the nation’s festive calendar favourite.’
Matt Porter, PDC chief executive, said: ‘Alexandra Palace has become synonymous with the World Darts Championship, and we are thrilled to extend our partnership through to at least 2031.
‘Ally Pally at Christmas is the identity of the tournament – its atmosphere is unmatched anywhere in sport.
‘Demand for tickets has never been higher, and moving into the Great Hall from 2026/27 will allow more fans than ever to enjoy this incredible event.
‘Previous obstacles to using the Great Hall have now been resolved, and this move represents a landmark moment for the sport.’
Meanwhile, Emma Dagnes OBE, Alexandra Palace’s chief executive, added: ‘As a charity, events like the World Darts Championship have a profound impact.
‘Not only do they create unforgettable experiences, but they generate vital revenue that supports our work across the Park and Palace, delivering cultural and learning programmes that benefit millions each year.’
It is the latest big contract for the World Darts Championship, after Paddy Power announced that they will sponsor the event for another five years.
Paddy Power first took the deal to sponsor the iconic event in 2023 and have since donated more than £2million to Prostate Cancer UK as part of their deal.
