Luke Littler has confirmed he will not compete in the New Zealand Darts Masters and Australian Darts Masters this August, opting instead to take a full month off and head to Walt Disney World Resort. The reigning world champion, who has already claimed the Winmau World Masters, UK Open, World Cup of Darts and Premier League Darts titles in 2026, told the Ariel Helwani show: “After my first full year on the tour, I was like, this is crazy, the (number of) flights.” He added: “Now obviously where I am in the rankings, number one, that’s why I’m missing tournaments and having more time at home.”
Littler, who began the year by becoming a two-time world champion, revealed he takes around 30-40 flights annually to keep up with the darts schedule. “Well this year I’ve decided not to go to Australia and New Zealand. That’s in August, the second and third week,” he said. “So, it’s probably 16 days in Australia and New Zealand. The time zone over there is mental. 10 hours, maybe 12 hours.” With a full month off, Littler is set to embark on a trip to Orlando. “So I’m not going there. I’ve got the whole of August off for the first time. So we’re gonna go to Orlando. I’ve been to Orlando three times now.”
Littler was supreme Down Under last year, clinching his third World Series title with an 8-4 win over debutant Mike De Decker in Australia. He then averaged 108.81 against Gerwyn Price in the semi-final in New Zealand before smashing Luke Humphries 8-4 with an outrageous 115.02 average. Currently competing in the US Darts Masters in New York, Littler won his opening tie 6-4 against David Cameron and faces Jim Long in the quarter-final. He has also played in the Bahrain Darts Masters, Saudi Darts Masters and Nordic Darts Masters this year.
Despite playing only two European Tour events and zero Players Championship tournaments, Littler has still played a lot of darts in 2026. He will be the favourite heading into the World Series of Darts Finals, World Grand Prix, European Championship, Grand Slam of Darts, Players Championship Finals and the PDC World Darts Championship. The busy period calls for schedule management, and Littler’s decision to take August off is a clear priority for time away from the oche.
