Published 26 September 2026. Analysis and views here are our opinion,
not a guarantee of anything. 18+, please gamble responsibly.
28 September 2026 – 4 October 2026 · Mattioli Arena, Leicester · UK time
The PDC World Grand Prix starts on Monday 28 September at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester, with the first-round evening sessions live on Sky Sports from 6pm UK time. It runs for seven nights, and the final is on Sunday 4 October. Thirty-two players are in the draw and the prize fund is £750,000, with £150,000 to the winner and £80,000 to the runner-up.
This is the one PDC major that changes how darts is played. Every leg starts on a double as well as finishing on one, so a player who cannot find the outer ring early can lose a leg before they have scored a point. The first round is best of three sets, the second round and quarter-finals best of five, the semi-finals best of nine and the final best of 11. Short first-round matches plus a double to start every leg is why the first round here is a real test even for the seeds.
The draw and the storylines
Luke Littler is the defending champion and top seed. He beat Luke Humphries 6-1 in last year’s final and opens against Luke Woodhouse on Monday night. Humphries, the 2023 winner and second seed, has the tougher-looking first round against Dave Chisnall on Tuesday. Michael van Gerwen, who holds the record with six Grand Prix titles, is seeded ninth and plays Ryan Joyce.
The rest of the top end is worth a look. Third seed Gian van Veen meets Dirk van Duijvenbode, Gerwyn Price (the 2020 champion) plays Sebastian Bialecki, and Jonny Clayton (2021) faces Krzysztof Ratajski. James Wade, a two-time winner of this event, has a heavy first round against Joe Cullen. Ross Smith comes in as the form story after winning the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam on 20 September, beating Price in the final to end a four-year wait for a second major title. He is seeded 13th and plays Cameron Menzies.
Two more first-round ties look close on paper: Wessel Nijman against former world champion Rob Cross, and Gary Anderson against Damon Heta.
What looks the smart angle
William Hill make Littler 8/11 (1.73) to retain the title, with Humphries 11/2, Price 11/1, van Veen 16/1 and van Gerwen 20/1. An odds-on price on anyone in this format needs thinking about. Littler is the best player in the world on current form and won this title last year with a 6-1 final, so the case for him is simple. The case against is the format itself: a best-of-three-sets first round, where a slow start on the doubles can cost a set before a player has settled.
On that reading, the price on Littler carries most of the format risk and very little reward. Humphries at 11/2 is the one who has already reached a final here and won the title in 2023, but Chisnall is a much harder opener than the one Littler has drawn. Price at 11/1 is a former winner with the doubles game this event rewards. Ross Smith is not among the prices William Hill published, so we are not quoting one for him, but his Amsterdam run makes him the outsider with the strongest recent form. Any view here is opinion and analysis, not a tip. A 32-player knockout that starts every leg on a double is about as hard to predict as darts gets.
Elsewhere this week
The Nations League runs alongside the first round. Northern Ireland host Hungary at Windsor Park on Monday night, England visit the Czech Republic on Tuesday, and Greece host the Netherlands in Thessaloniki on Thursday 1 October, the night the second round finishes. In poker, the King’s Million EPC €5 million guaranteed Super Main Event starts in Rozvadov on 30 September.
The offers, and how they fit a seven-night darts week
Ad: William Hill’s bet £10, get £30 in free bets is the one to look at if you want to back Littler, because its qualifying bet only needs odds of 1/2 (1.5) and his 8/11 clears that. The £30 comes as three £10 free bets once the qualifying bet settles. They last seven days, which covers the whole tournament if you qualify on Monday. The offer needs promo code R30 and a debit card deposit, and e-wallets are excluded.
Betfred’s bet £10, get £50 in free bets has a higher bar. The qualifying bet must be at Evens (2.0) or bigger, so an odds-on favourite at 8/11 would not count, while any of the other four names in the market above would. The £50 is £30 in sports free bets plus £20 in Bet Builder free bets, and they expire after seven days.
Virgin Bet’s welcome offer pays £20 in free bets plus 2 x £5 Bet Builder tokens after a £10 deposit and a £10+ bet at 1/2 (1.5) or bigger. You have 14 days to place the qualifying bet, then seven days to accept the free bets and seven more to use them.
For anyone who prefers slots between sessions, Virgin Bet runs 100 free spins on Eye of Horus and 100 free spins on King Kong Cash Even Bigger Bananas 2, and William Hill has 50 free spins on Mining Pots of Gold for a £10 stake, with spin winnings capped at £30.
Whoever lifts the trophy on Sunday night, claim the William Hill welcome offer here to back your pick at the prices above.
