The future of darts at its iconic Christmas home is secure, with a major expansion planned to meet unprecedented fan demand. The Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) has agreed a new five-year contract to keep the World Darts Championship at London's Alexandra Palace until at least 2031.
A Landmark Move to the Great Hall
From the 2026/27 tournament onwards, the event will relocate within the venue from the West Hall to the larger Great Hall. This decisive move ends recent uncertainty and directly addresses the sport's explosive growth, partly fuelled by the rise of teenage star Luke Littler.
PDC chief executive Matt Porter stated that the unique atmosphere of "Ally Pally at Christmas" is integral to the tournament's identity. He confirmed that previous obstacles to using the Great Hall have been resolved, calling the shift a "landmark moment for the sport."
Soaring Demand Drives Expansion
The primary driver for the move is simple: ticket demand has never been higher. The switch to the Great Hall will allow the PDC to sell an additional 2,500 tickets per session. This expansion follows changes already in place for the upcoming 2025 championship, where the field has been increased from 96 to 128 players, extending the tournament by four days and adding eight more sessions.
Barry Hearn, president of PDC owner Matchroom, emphasised a philosophy of constant growth. "I have to grow all the time. If you ever get complacent you go backwards," he said, highlighting the extra 25,000 tickets the extended format will provide this year.
Securing Darts' Future in North London
The new contract and venue upgrade solidify Alexandra Palace's status as the world darts capital for the foreseeable future. Hearn hinted at even bigger thinking ahead, questioning whether, like snooker, the sport might eventually need an even larger venue to accommodate 30 or 40 sessions of a sell-out event.
The announcement comes just days before the start of the 2025 World Darts Championship, which begins next week and concludes in early January, setting the stage for an even bigger spectacle from 2026 onwards.
