The electric atmosphere of Alexandra Palace is set to crackle once more as the 2025/26 Paddy Power PDC World Darts Championship bursts onto the stage, promising a spectacle of precision, pressure, and pure adrenaline. From December 11, 2025, to January 3, 2026, the iconic London venue will host the largest field in the tournament’s history—128 elite throwers from across the globe, all vying for a slice of the £5 million prize pot, with a jaw-dropping £1 million on offer to the ultimate champion. At the heart of this expanded extravaganza stands teenage sensation Luke Littler, the defending world number one, who etched his name into darts immortality last year by clinching the title at just 17 years and 347 days old—the youngest ever to do so.
Littler’s meteoric rise has been nothing short of a phenomenon. Bursting onto the scene as an unheralded qualifier in the 2024 edition, he defied 66/1 odds to storm through the draw, averaging blistering scores and silencing doubters with every dart. His crowning moment came in a commanding 7-3 final victory over three-time champion Michael van Gerwen, a performance that not only netted him £500,000 but also propelled him up the PDC Order of Merit to world number two. Fast-forward to 2025, and Littler has only accelerated, sweeping five more televised titles, including back-to-back Grand Slams, the UK Open, World Matchplay, World Grand Prix, and Players Championship. Now 18, he’s the undisputed kingpin, entering as the top seed with a swagger that belies his youth. “If there is nerves, I will know how to cope,” Littler recently reflected, his voice steady with the confidence of someone who’s already conquered the mountain. “I didn’t have a clue last year, but this year I know what to expect.”
The full schedule, unveiled this week, ramps up the anticipation, kicking off with a blockbuster opening night on Thursday, December 11. True to tradition, the reigning champion takes center stage right from the jump, and Littler will launch his title defense against Lithuanian veteran Darius Labanauskas. It’s a matchup laced with intrigue: Labanauskas, a quarter-finalist in 2020 and a trailblazer for darts in the Baltics, once stunned the Ally Pally crowd with a nine-darter in 2021. No player has toppled a defending champ on opening night since 2009, when John Part fell to underdog Bill Davis—a statistic that underscores the weight on Littler’s shoulders. Yet, for “The Nuke,” as his fans affectionately dub him, it’s just another chance to unleash his arsenal. Sharing the evening’s spotlight will be 2023 world champion Michael Smith, the St Helens powerhouse, clashing with Women’s World Matchplay queen Lisa Ashton in a battle of heavy hitters. Earlier clashes include Kim Huybrechts versus Arno Merk and Madars Razma taking on Jamai van den Herik, ensuring the darts fly thick and fast from the 7pm start.
The tournament’s revamped format adds layers of drama, with every one of the 128 players—from the top 40 PDC Order of Merit stars to 48 international qualifiers—diving straight into the first round. Gone are the byes for seeds; now, it’s a flat-out survival gauntlet, blending household names with hungry newcomers. The women’s contingent, bolstered by the Women’s World Series, brings fresh firepower: Beau Greaves, the three-time women’s world champion who recently snagged a PDC ProTour card after edging Littler himself in the World Youth final, draws 22nd seed Daryl Gurney. “Queen of the Palace” Fallon Sherrock, the trailblazer who made history with two Ally Pally wins in 2019, faces multiple major finalist Dave Chisnall. Lisa Ashton’s tilt at Smith headlines the gender-crossing intrigue, while Noa-Lynn van Leuven, the groundbreaking transgender competitor from last year, squares off against two-time winner Peter Wright. Gemma Hayter rounds out the group, pitted against 11th seed Josh Rock. These ties aren’t just sideshows; they’re potential powder kegs, with Greaves openly eyeing a deep run. As she put it post-draw, “I’ve beaten the boys before—why not here?”
Beyond the opener, the calendar unfolds like a meticulously plotted thriller. Friday, December 12, features double sessions: four first-round matches at 12:30pm and another quartet at 7pm, keeping the momentum surging. Saturday and Sunday follow suit, with afternoon and evening slates packing in more early-round fireworks—think Nathan Aspinall versus PDC Asian champ Lourence Ilagan, or Andrew Gilding locking horns with Development Tour prodigy Cam Crabtree. By December 20-23, the second round heats up, though exact timings await confirmation. The quarters loom on December 28-29, semis on New Year’s Day, and the grand finale caps it all on Saturday, January 3—a date circled in red for what could be another Littler-Humphries showdown, given their seeding on opposite draw sides.
Littler’s path to retention is a gauntlet of giants. A smooth opener could pit him against winners from Mario Vandenbogaerde versus David Davies or 32nd seed Joe Cullen facing Bradley Brooks. Deeper in, Gerwyn Price lurks as a quarter-final threat, while world number four Stephen Bunting represents the semi-final summit. Only three men have ever defended the Sid Waddell Trophy: Phil Taylor, Adrian Lewis, and Gary Anderson, the last in 2015-16. Littler, ever the historian-in-the-making, nodded to that legacy: “Gary Anderson was the last player to go back-to-back, so I’m looking forward to trying to do that.” His rivals are stacking up accordingly. Second seed Luke Humphries, dethroned last year but fresh off vowing “war” with Littler after a recent Grand Slam loss, opens against 2021 World Youth champ Ted Evetts. “He’s in his own league,” Humphries admitted of his arch-rival, a mix of awe and resolve in his tone. Three-time king Michael van Gerwen, runner-up in 2025, draws Japanese debutant Mitsuhiko Tatsunami, while Humphries’ side teems with firepower like Jonny Clayton versus Adam Lipscombe and Danny Noppert’s Dutch derby with Jurjen van der Velde.
This isn’t just a tournament; it’s a cultural juggernaut. Alexandra Palace, with its gothic grandeur and raucous crowds, has hosted nine-darters, walk-on anthems like Planet Funk’s “Chase the Sun,” and moments that’ll echo for generations—like Christian Kist’s perfection against Razma or Damon Heta’s against Luke Woodhouse last year. Broadcast live on Sky Sports Darts, with global reach via DAZN and Viaplay, it promises wall-to-wall action, from Littler’s laser focus to the underdogs’ upsets. As the field swells to 128, the stakes soar: £400,000 for second, scaling down to £2,500 for first-round exits. For Littler, it’s personal—a bid to join the immortals. For the sport, it’s evolution, weaving in diverse talents and storylines that transcend the oche.
In a year where Littler has redefined what’s possible, the question hangs tantalizingly: Can the kid from Warrington hold off the wolves and hoist the trophy twice? The Palace awaits, darts at the ready, for an opening night that could launch legends or shatter dreams. One thing’s certain: When Littler steps up on December 11, the world will be watching, breathless.
Leave a Reply