World Darts Championship to leave Ally Pally’s West Hall next year
The future of darts at Alexandra Palace has been resolved, with organisers of the World Darts Championship agreeing a new five-year contract to stay in north London.
But the annual end-of-year jamboree is set to relocate from the venue’s West Hall to the Great Hall from next year, in a move that will help the Professional Darts Corporation to cater to soaring demand for tickets.
The news ends uncertainty over the event’s mid-term future, fuelled by concerns that the booming sport – fuelled by the emergence of teen sensation Luke Littler – could “go backwards” if it didn’t find a way to sell more tickets.
“Alexandra Palace has become synonymous with the World Darts Championship, and we are thrilled to extend our partnership through to at least 2031,” said PDC chief executive Matt Porter.
“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.”
It comes ahead of the 2026 World Darts Championship, which is set to begin next week and conclude in early January.
Venue move ups capacity by 2.5k per session
Moving to Alexandra Palace’s Great Hall could allow the PDC to sell an additional 2,500 tickets per session.
Organisers have already added more sessions to this year’s World Darts Championship by increasing the field from 96 to 128, extending the tournament by four days.
“I have to grow all the time. If you ever get complacent you go backwards,” said Barry Hearn, president of PDC owner Matchroom.
“So, next year we will go from 96 to 128 players. We will add four more days, which is eight sessions, which is another 25,000 tickets.
“Sooner or later, I should be looking and saying: ‘Do you know, like with snooker, I need a bigger venue’. I can sell out any arena in the world. But can I do it for 30 or 40 sessions?”