Nordic Darts Masters 2026 | Day One Preview and Order of Play
Stephen Bunting launches his Nordic Darts Masters title defence on Friday, while Luke Littler returns to action in Copenhagen.
The Bullet triumphed 12 months ago in the Danish capital, and now looks to become the first player to successfully defend the crown in six stagings of the tournament.
Bunting won two of the opening three events in last year’s World Series of Darts, also triumphing at the Bahrain Masters and being runner-up to Rob Cross at the Dutch Darts Masters.
The 41-year-old has not quite flown out of the blocks in this season’s Series, which has yielded quarter-final appearances in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.
However, he will hope to deep again in Copenhagen, where a first-round showdown with Sweden’s Victor Tingstrom awaits him.
Elsewhere, Littler steps out for the first time since his Premier League triumph last week, aiming to add this trophy to his glittering silverware haul.
First up for the World champion – and winner of the inaugural Riyadh Season Saudi Arabia Darts Masters – is Norway’s Cor Dekker.
World number two Luke Humphries – runner-up to Littler in their epic Premier League final – faces a potential banana skin in Jeffrey de Graaf, who is fresh from claiming his second career title at Tuesday’s Players Championship event in Milton Keynes.
Top seed Michael van Gerwen, who won the inaugural Nordic Darts Masters title in 2021, returns to the event after a two-year absence, looking to build on his impressive start to this year’s Series.
The three-time World champion was victorious in Bahrain and runner-up to Littler in Riyadh, and Oskar Lukasiak awaits him in round one.
Jonny Clayton also faces Swedish opposition in Andreas Harryson, while Gerwyn Price – the other former champion appearing in this event, having lifted the trophy in 2024 – goes head to head with Lithuania’s Darius Labanauskas.
Elsewhere, James Wade and Gian van Veen begin their latest quests for a maiden World Series title. Three-time UK Open champion Wade faces a tricky test in Latvia number one Madars Razma, with World Championship finalist Van Veen up against Daniel Larsson.
All first-round matches will be contested over the best of 11 legs at Forum Copenhagen on Friday.
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Nordic Darts Masters 2026 Day One Schedule
All times BST (local time +1 hour)
Friday June 5
Round One
6pm-10pm
Jonny Clayton v Andreas Harrysson
Gerwyn Price v Darius Labanauskas
Stephen Bunting v Viktor Tingstrom
Michael van Gerwen v Oskar Lukasiak
James Wade v Madars Razma
Luke Littler v Cor Dekker
Luke Humphries v Jeffrey de Graaf
Gian van Veen v Daniel Larsson
