Overview
- Defending champion and world No. 1 Luke Littler opens against Darius Labanauskas on Thursday at Alexandra Palace, with the final set for January 3.
- The event expands to 128 players, with all top-32 seeds entering in round one under set play; early rounds are best-of-five sets and the final is best-of-13.
- The prize fund rises to a record £5m, including a £1m winner’s cheque and a £60,000 bonus for a nine-darter.
- Five women will compete on the Ally Pally stage for the first time, led by Beau Greaves and featuring Fallon Sherrock, Lisa Ashton, Gemma Hayter and Noa-Lynn van Leuven.
- Organisers have committed the championship to Alexandra Palace through 2031 with a move to the larger Great Hall, and Sky Sports holds exclusive UK live coverage with international partners.