Michael van Gerwen finally has silverware in his hands again. Last week, the Dutch superstar lifted the Bahrain Darts Masters—his first title since the World Championship—after beating Gian van Veen 8–6 in the final. 

And there’s no time to catch his breath: just days later, Van Gerwen is already gearing up for the next World Series stop, this time in Saudi Arabia. The draw for the Saudi Darts Masters has now been confirmed. 

Luke Littler is barely done unpacking after Bahrain, and the next big World Series stage is already waiting. On Monday 19 and Tuesday 20 January, the PDC heads to Riyadh for the Saudi Arabia Darts Masters—another high-profile stop where the biggest names in darts are expected to deliver, fast. 

Saudi spotlight
The timing says it all: the schedule is relentless, the fields are stacked, and there’s no room for a slow start.  For Littler, though, that’s exactly the appeal—big stage, big pressure, and another chance to show why he’s the reigning world champion.

The bonus everyone wants
This year, Saudi Arabia adds an extra layer of drama with a bonus that’s hard to ignore. Any player who hits a nine-dart finish during the tournament pockets an additional $100, 000 (around £74, 700) on top of the standard prize money.  But it gets even crazier: after the nine-darter, the player earns one extra dart at the bullseye—hit it, and the bonus doubles to $200, 000 (around £149, 400). 

Expect fireworks
That kind of money changes the mood in the arena: suddenly, every perfect leg isn’t just about a highlight reel—it can become a payday moment.  With Littler openly itching to get going, and the rest of the elite field chasing both glory and the golden shot, Riyadh has all the ingredients for two nights of must-watch darts.

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Gian van Veen is in for a packed year on the darting circuit. After reaching the World Championship final, he suddenly finds himself living the true life of a top pro: climbing the rankings, securing a Premier League spot, and hopping from one World Series destination to the next. 

And that constant travel? For Van Veen, it’s not just part of the job—it’s part of the fun. He genuinely enjoys flying, which makes the non-stop airports, hotels and long-haul trips a perfect match with his second passion. 

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Martijn Dragt wasted no time turning frustration into fuel. Just days after the bitter disappointment of narrowly missing out on a Tour Card at Q-School, the 37-year-old Dutchman bounced back in the best possible way—by lifting the first PDC title of his career on Saturday night.

From heartbreak to a breakthrough trophy, Dragt proved he’s not done knocking on the door of the professional circuit—he’s kicking it in.

The Bahrain Darts Masters has quickly become one of the most enjoyable “season curtain-raisers” on the calendar: short-format pressure, a packed Finals Day, and big names trying to set the tone for the year. In 2026 it delivered exactly that—ended by a statement win from Michael van Gerwen, who finally put his name on the Bahrain trophy. 

A World Series starter with bite
Staged at Exhibition World Bahrain in Sakhir on 15–16 January, the Bahrain Darts Masters is the opening event of the 2026 World Series of Darts and features a 16-player field (eight PDC representatives and eight Asian representatives).  The format is made for fast drama: first round and quarter-finals are best of 11 legs, semi-finals best of 13, and the final best of 15—so there’s very little room to “grow into” a match. 

Finals Day storylines
Going into Finals Day, Stephen Bunting arrived as the defending champion, but his title defence ran into a familiar roadblock: Michael van Gerwen, who beat him 6–4 in the quarter-finals.  The day also carried heavyweight matchups at the last-eight stage, including Luke Littler versus Gerwyn Price, plus Luke Humphries against Nathan Aspinall.  And for Dutch darts fans, there was extra spice: Gian van Veen and Danny Noppert meeting in a quarter-final with serious momentum behind Van Veen. 

Van Gerwen’s Bahrain breakthrough

Michael van Gerwen is in top form right now—unfortunately it’s come just a little too late to make a difference at the World Championship.
You can see it in the way he’s been carrying himself on stage: sharper timing, cleaner finishing, and that trademark ability to punish any small mistake. That’s why it feels so frustrating as a fan—because if this level had shown up a few weeks earlier, the WK story could have looked very different.

Van Gerwen went on to win the tournament for the first time, defeating Gian van Veen 8–6 in an all-Dutch final.  It was also recorded as his 17th World Series title overall, underlining how often he finds an extra gear when the spotlight is brightest.  For Van Veen, reaching (and pushing) a World Series final so soon after his big TV runs reinforced that he’s no longer “one for the future”—he’s a problem for everyone right now. 

What it means from here
With the winner receiving £30, 000 from a £100, 000 prize fund, the Bahrain Darts Masters is not just an exhibition vibe—it’s a real statement event to open the year.  Van Gerwen’s win also reshuffles the early narrative: instead of talking about who might stop him in 2026, the conversation becomes who can match his level when he starts converting chances this efficiently.

2026 Bahrain Darts Masters
Friday January 16

Quarter-Finals
Gerwyn Price 6-2 Luke Littler
Michael van Gerwen 6-4 Stephen Bunting
Nathan Aspinall 6-3 Luke Humphries
Gian van Veen 6-1 Danny Noppert

Semi-Finals
Michael van Gerwen 7-2 Gerwyn Price
Gian van Veen 7-4 Nathan Aspinall 

Final
Michael van Gerwen 8-6 Gian van Veen

Luke Littler didn’t just win the final of the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship — he delivered a performance for the ages. In front of a frenzied Alexandra Palace crowd, the 18-year-old defended his world title in emphatic fashion, defeating Gian van Veen 7–1 in sets to claim the Sid Waddell Trophy back-to-back.

Van Veen struck first, taking the opening set with a clinical 116 finish. For a brief moment, it looked as if the Dutchman might drag the favourite into a real battle. Instead, that early blow appeared to ignite Littler. From that point on, the reigning champion took complete control of the match.

Littler piled on the pressure with relentless scoring, consistently heavy visits and ruthless efficiency on the doubles. What followed was a dominant run of sets that turned the world final into a one-sided affair. Rather than isolated flashes of brilliance, the match became a continuous highlight reel.

One moment stood out above the rest: Littler’s spectacular 170 checkout — a finish that perfectly captured the confidence and swagger with which he played once he hit top gear. Van Veen continued to fight, but Littler’s pace and precision left little room for belief.

The final scoreline told its own story. This was Luke Littler at his absolute peak — setting a new benchmark for the sport and underlining his status as the man everyone must now chase, having conquered the world stage back-to-back.

PubDartsManager.com is built for pub organizers who want to run a live darts tournament without the chaos of paper match notes and constant shouting across the room. It puts the whole event in one place, so the tournament “runs itself” once you’ve set it up. You simply enter the players’ names and email addresses, choose your tournament format, and hit Start—then you’re ready to play.

What makes it easy is the flexibility: you can run a straight knockout, or add a losers bracket (B-round) so players aren’t immediately done after one loss. You can also start with a pool/group stage (typically groups of 4 or 5) and then move into a knockout phase, which fits most pub nights perfectly. The organizer chooses the match format, including “best of” how many legs, so the event can be quick or more competitive depending on the crowd.

The group standings logic is clear and automatic: points for match wins, then leg difference, then head-to-head, and if needed a 9-dart shootout. The biggest practical win is communication: players get emails on their phone telling them when they have to play, so you don’t have to announce every match. In the pool format, those emails can also include useful details like which lane/board to use, who the marker/writer is, and the selected leg format.

Players can follow the tournament progress through a web page, which keeps everyone informed and reduces “when am I up?” questions. There’s also an option to post darts blogs about the tournament, turning a simple pub event into something people can look back on. At the end, results can be downloaded, making it easy to archive the night or share standings.

The pricing model is straightforward too: a small per-participant fee depending on whether you run knockout, a losers round, or pools. Overall, the site is “easy” because it standardizes the setup, automates the bracket/group logic, and handles player notifications—so the organizer can focus on the atmosphere instead of administration.

Toernooien

zaterdag 21 februari 2026

Aanvang: 20:00

Zaal open: 18:30

donderdag 19 februari 2026

Aanvang: 20:00

Zaal open: 18:00

zaterdag 21 februari 2026

Aanvang: 13:00

Zaal open: 12:00

Day 16 at Ally Pally (Mon 29 Dec 2025) is pure darts-fan heaven: a full double-session with three Round Three matches in the afternoon and then a blockbuster evening that includes **Luke Littler vs Rob Cross** for a quarter-final spot.

Ally Pally Fan Blog: Day 16 Fever

There’s something about this part of the World Championship that hits different. The Christmas leftovers are gone, the bracket is getting serious, and suddenly every set feels like it comes with consequences. Day 16 is stacked as a proper double-session: three Round Three matches in the afternoon, then one more Round Three match and two Round Four clashes at night—best of seven sets all the way.[1]

And yes: it ends with Luke Littler vs Rob Cross. If that doesn’t get the kettle on and the group chat buzzing, nothing will.

The vibe today

This is the stage of the tournament where “good darts” isn’t enough—you need nerve, timing, and that one filthy visit when the match is wobbling. The PDC itself is calling it a bumper day with six matches, and it really feels like the schedule is designed to keep fans glued to the screen from lunchtime to late.

Best of seven sets is the perfect recipe for drama too: long enough for momentum swings, but short enough that one sloppy set can put a favourite right on the edge.

Afternoon session (12:30 GMT)

Three Round Three matches kick off the day session: Justin Hood vs Ryan Meikle, Ricky Evans vs Charlie Manby, and Nathan Aspinall vs Kevin Doets.

From a fan point of view, this is the kind of afternoon where you pick one underdog and emotionally overcommit within five minutes. Hood being on this stage at all is a story in itself, Evans is always chaos (in a good way), and Aspinall vs Doets has “this could get tense fast” written all over it.

Evening session (19:00 GMT)

The night session starts with Josh Rock vs Callan Rydz to finish Round Three, and then Round Four begins immediately after with James Hurrell vs Ryan Searle followed by Luke Littler vs Rob Cross.

Hurrell vs Searle is a fascinating “who blinks first?” matchup, and the PDC even notes this is a shot at the quarter-finals for the first time for both players—exactly the sort of milestone pressure that makes doubles feel twice as narrow.

Littler vs Cross: can’t-miss TV

The PDC frames Littler vs Cross as a clash of former world champions, with Littler returning as the reigning champion and Cross standing in the way of another deep run.

This is the matchup that screams “Ally Pally moment”: Cross has that calm, clinical vibe when everything is loud, and Littler has the kind of scoring power that can turn a set into a blur. The best part as a fan is that it’s not just about averages—this one will be about who lands the big double when the set is on a knife-edge.

Prize money at this year’s Darts World Championship has been increased significantly. The new champion will take home a staggering £1 million. Yet despite that eye-watering prize pot, some players are still “just” doing their regular day jobs — even while the tournament is being played.

For Raymond van Barneveld, the Darts World Championship turned into a nightmare. The five-time world champion suffered a hopeless first-round defeat and then spoke openly about a lack of motivation. Money now appears to be his only reason for carrying on, sport marketer Chris Woerts suggests as well.

There was little joy for top dart player Callan Rydz after he beat Daryl Gurney in a brilliant match at the Darts World Championship. At the time, the Englishman’s grandfather was fighting for his life. A few days later, the news turned grim: Rydz’s grandfather has passed away.

Wesley Plaisier has delivered the biggest Dutch upset so far at the Darts World Championship. The 35-year-old threw a 3–0 sets win over former world champion Gerwyn Price. Afterwards, Plaisier received a flood of congratulations — including from a much-talked-about footballer. “Of course I’ve been disappointed in him at times, ” he said.

Next year’s Darts World Championship (2026–27) will feature an even more diverse field. While there was room for just one African player this year, the next edition will add an extra qualifier from the continent.

After Christmas, the Darts World Championship resumes with 32 top players still in the running — including six Dutchmen. That also means nine Dutch players have already been knocked out. How much prize money did they take home? And how much is still up for grabs for the Dutch players who remain in the tournament?

It was one of the most nail-biting matches at the Darts World Championship so far: the clash between Danny Noppert and Justin Hood. The relatively unknown Englishman kept his nerve superbly in the closing stages, but earlier in the match he couldn’t control himself. He produced a “curious” moment, leaving British commentators shocked.

Michael van Gerwen may have wobbled in the opening round of the World Darts Championship, but on Tuesday he showed he still has to be taken seriously. The three-time world champion produced a strong performance against William O’Connor — much to the delight of Vincent van der Voort. “This is how you want to see him, ” the former pro dart player said on the Sportnieuws.nl podcast WK Darts Draait Door.

The Dutch are doing well at the Darts World Championship. With Christmas approaching, no fewer than six Dutch players will be back on stage at Ally Pally in the days between the holidays. Michael van Gerwen and Gian van Veen have made an excellent impression so far — as has Luke Littler. Check the remaining schedule and all results from the Darts World Championship here.

Michael van Gerwen has made it crystal clear what he thinks of rival Peter Wright, using words that left little room for interpretation. The Dutchman was set to face the two-time world champion in the third round, but Wright lost in sensational fashion to German debutant Arno Merk. Van Gerwen, meanwhile, cruised through his own match and had a pointed message for his old rival.

It doesn’t happen often, but Michael van Gerwen has switched equipment again at the World Darts Championship. The Dutchman had no trouble at all with William O’Connor in the second round and revealed afterwards that he’d made a change. Fans will see more of it in the third round.