The Dutch Darts Championship 2026 takes place in Maastricht from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October, serving as the fifteenth and final tournament of this season's PDC European Tour. With Michael van Gerwen, Gian van Veen, Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton among those competing, an exciting weekend of darts is in store.
The tournament brings the European Tour season to a close, with players competing not only for the year's final European Tour title but also for vital places in the European Tour Order of Merit. The top 32 players in the standings qualify for the European Championship, which takes place in Dortmund from 22 to 25 October. Ross Smith has already secured top spot in the standings and will begin the European Championship as the top seed, while several other players still have plenty to play for in Maastricht as they look to secure their place in Dortmund.
The 48-player field includes 16 seeded players who enter the tournament in the second round. Luke Humphries is the top seed, followed by Gian van Veen and Gerwyn Price. Jonny Clayton, who won the Swiss Darts Trophy in Basel last Sunday, is seeded fourth. Michael van Gerwen, Danny Noppert, Wessel Nijman and Jermaine Wattimena are also among the seeded players. Other players, including Dirk van Duijvenbodd, Niels Zonneveld and Jeffrey de Graaf, qualified through the ProTour Order of Merit. Kim Huybrechts is also in the field, and the tournament is particularly important for 'The Hurricane', who is still fighting for a place in the European Championship. Other familiar names in action on the opening day include Rob Cross, Damon Heta, Cameron Menzies, Joe Cullen and Dave Chisnall. Scott Williams, Max Hopp and Michael Smith are among those who qualified through the Tour Card qualifier.
The Dutch Darts Championship gets under way with the first round on Friday 16 October, as the 32 unseeded players compete across the afternoon and evening sessions. The 16 seeded players do not begin their campaigns until Saturday, facing Friday's winners in the second round. That means players such as Van Gerwen, Van Veen, Nijman, Humphries, Price and Clayton will play their opening matches on Saturday 17 October. Sunday 18 October is devoted entirely to the tournament's conclusion, with the afternoon session featuring all eight third-round matches before the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are played in succession during the evening session.
Darts fans in the UK can watch the Dutch Darts Championship live on PDCTV. A PDCTV subscription is required to watch the matches, and the platform also carries other PDC events, including the Players Championship tournaments. The first round takes place on Friday 16 October from 12:00–16:00 and 18:00–22:00 GMT. The second round follows on Saturday 17 October from 12:00–16:00 and 18:00–22:00 GMT. The third round is scheduled for Sunday 18 October from 12:00–16:00 GMT, with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final taking place that evening from 18:00–22:00 GMT.
