Want to learn more about the Premier League Darts format, rules, and players for this year’s contest? Our complete tournament guide explains all.
One of the biggest tournaments in the darts calendar, Premier League Darts is a true institution. But if you’re getting to grips with Premier League Darts rules for the first time, there’s plenty of learn. Who takes part? When and where are the matches played? What is the format? And how much do you get for winning?
If you’re asking ‘what is the darts Premier League?’, our tournament guide is here to help explain it all.
What is Premier League Darts?
Premier League Darts is an annual PDC tournament that was founded in 2005. It is not one of the seven ranked majors, but is one of six non-ranking television tournaments, and it’s become one of the biggest fixtures on the calendar.
Starting out as a UK-only tour, Premier League Darts has expanded, and is now played in some of the biggest stadiums across the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Germany, drawing crowds of thousands.
Premier League Darts format and rules explained
The Premier League Darts format differs from the World Series of Darts, the World Grand Prix, and the World Cup of Darts that you might be more familiar with.
The format has changed over the years, and the Premier League Darts rules changed most recently in 2022. Since then, it’s been played as an eight-person knockout bracket that’s contested every night – so while it’s the same eight players competing each night, every match matters.
For every night of the tournament, the eight players go head-to-head in the following format:
Four quarter-final matches at the start of the night for all eight players
Two semi-finals for the four players who won their quarter-finals
A final match at the end of the event between the last two players standing.
Each of the players will meet each other once in weeks 1-7 and again in weeks 9-15, with weeks 8 and 16 drawn based on league standings.
After week 16, the top four in the league table contest the semi-finals and the final, with first playing fourth and second playing third.
How many legs in Premier League Darts?
Each standard match is best of 11 legs – so 11 rounds of darts per match. Then, the semi-finals on the final night are played over 19 legs, and the final itself is played over 21 legs.
Premier League Darts scoring system explained
Each player will eventually place on the Premier League table, depending on how they perform each night.
The scores at each nightly event are as follows:
Winner: 5 points
Runner-up: 3 points
Semi finalists: 2 points
Losing quarter-finalists: 0 points
When does Premier League Darts start?
Premier League matches take place every Thursday night between February and May. The first night of the 2026 Premier League Darts season was Thursday February 5 at the Utilita Arena in Newcastle.
The Premier League Darts play-offs will be held on Thursday, 28th May at The O2, London.
Where is Premier League Darts played?
Premier League matches are played in different locations around the United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, and Germany each week.
The schedule for the 2026 Premier League Darts season is as follows:
Thursday February 5: Utilita Arena, Newcastle
Thursday February 12: AFAS Dome, Antwerp
Thursday February 19: OVO Hydro, Glasgow
Thursday February 26: SSE Arena, Belfast
Thursday March 5: Utilita Arena, Cardiff
Thursday March 12: Motorpoint Arena, Nottingham
Thursday March 19: 3Arena, Dublin
Thursday March 26: Uber Arena, Berlin
Thursday April 2: AO Arena, Manchester
Thursday April 9: Brighton Centre, Brighton
Thursday April 16: Rotterdam Ahoy, Rotterdam
Thursday April 23: M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool
Thursday April 30: : P&J Live, Aberdeen
Thursday May 7: First Direct Arena, Leeds
Thursday May 14: Utilita Arena, Birmingham
Thursday May 21: Utilita Arena, Sheffield
Thursday May 28: The O2, London (Playoffs)
Who takes part in Premier League Darts?
Premier League darts features eight of the top players in the world. The top four players on the PDC Order of Merit – the world rankings – automatically qualify, and are joined by four wildcards.
Who is playing in Premier League Darts in 2026?
The 2026 Premier League Darts line-up will consist of the following players:
Luke Littler
Luke Humphries
Gian van Veen
Michael van Gerwen
Jonny Clayton
Stephen Bunting
Josh Rock
Gerwyn Price
Humphries is the reigning champion, having triumphed in the 2025 to win his first Premier League title. He’ll face stiff competition from reigning PDC World Champion and current world No. 1 Littler, as well as seven-time winner Van Gerwen who lost to Littler in the 2024 final.
Can I watch Premier League Darts on television?
All Premier League matches are televised live on Sky Sports.
How much is the Premier League Darts prize money?
The total prize pool for 2026 is £1,250,000, with £10,000 being awarded to the player that wins each Thursday night.
The winner of the final will take home £350,000. The rest of the pot is split down across the final positions as follows:
Winner: £350,000
Runner-up: £170,000
Semi-finalists: £110,000
Fifth: £95,000
Sixth: £90,000
Seventh: £85,000
Eighth: £80,000
Weekly Winner: £10,000
Who won Premier League Darts in 2025?
The defending champion is Luke Humphries, who beat Luke Littler in 2025 to claim his first title in what was a repeat of the 2024 final. Van Gerwen is the most successful player in the event’s history, though, with seven titles (2023, 2022, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2013).
Phil Taylor was previously the tournament’s most successful player, as Taylor won six titles during his career (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2010, 2012). Gary Anderson has won it twice (2011, 2015), while James Wade (2009), Raymond van Barneveld (2013), Glen Durrant (2020) and Jonny Clayton (2021) have all won one each.
Looking for more about the wonderful world of darts? Check out our dedicated darts blog, or visit Betway’s darts betting page to place a bet for your favourite challenger in this year’s Premier League.
