European Championship
Thirty-two players, decided entirely on the European Tour Order of Merit rather than the world rankings. A different list, so a different field.
The European Championship 2026 runs 22 to 25 October 2026 at Westfalenhallen, Dortmund, live in the UK on ITV4. The prize fund is £750,000, with £150,000 to the winner.
European Championship
The top 32 from the European Tour Order of Merit.
The 2026 page: dates, draw and favourites
The European Championship is the payoff for the European Tour, the run of weekend events held across Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and beyond through the year. Only money won on that tour counts toward qualification.
That is why the field can look unfamiliar. A player ranked 20th in the world who has travelled and done well on the European Tour qualifies comfortably, while a higher-ranked player who skipped those weekends may not be there at all.
The format
- Straight knockout, played in legs.
- Matches lengthen through the rounds, with the final the longest of the week.
- Thirty-two players, so it runs across a single long weekend.
How players qualify
- The top 32 on the PDC European Tour Order of Merit qualify. The world ranking does not count.
Prize money
The 2026 prize fund is £750,000, with £150,000 to the winner and £7,500 for a first-round exit.
Fixtures and sessions
How the week is laid out. Sessions are published well ahead and rarely move.
- Afternoon and evening sessions across the weekend.
- The final is a single Sunday evening session.
The draw. The draw is made once the European Tour Order of Merit closes, shortly before the event.
Who is favourite to win the European Championship 2026?
The draw is not out yet. Going by the world rankings, the players to beat are Luke Littler (world number 1), Luke Humphries (world number 2) and Gian van Veen (world number 3). Win chances for every player go up here once the draw is made.
The rounds
The round structure is above under the format, and the schedule has the dates.
Past winners
The last 10 champions, most recent first. Click a name for their ranking and everything else they have won.
Gian van Veen beat Luke Humphries 11-10 in the 2025 final, one of the closest finishes a major has produced.
How to watch
Shown live in the UK on ITV4. ITV4 is free to air, so it costs nothing to watch. The schedule page lists which broadcaster has each event.
Is there a free live stream of the European Championship?
Yes, in the UK it is free. Every session is live on ITV4, which is free to air, and you can stream it free on ITVX on a phone, laptop, games console or smart TV. You only need a free ITVX account, plus a TV licence to watch live.
- On TV: ITV4, free.
- Streaming: ITVX, free, live and on catch-up afterwards.
- Outside the UK and Ireland: PDCTV streams every session, on subscription.
Tickets
Sold through the venue in Dortmund and the PDC ticket shop. The German crowd is among the loudest in the sport. There is more on outlets, the ballot and what to avoid on the darts tickets page.
The other majors
Also here: the world rankings, the full schedule, and a free darts scorer for your own game.
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