PDC Darts heads to Saudi Arabia as 2026 World Series schedule confirmed
Saudi Arabia will host a televised darts event for the first time in 2026, with the World Series heading to Riyadh in January.
The 2026 World Series of Darts schedule has been confirmed, with seven events set to take place across four continents.
A landmark moment will see the sport head to Riyadh for the inaugural Saudi Arabia Darts Masters from January 19-20.
Darts will follow in the footsteps of other Matchroom products including boxing and snooker – which have seen lucrative events held in the Kingdom in recent years.
On the Netflix series Matchroom: The Greatest Showman, Turki Al-Sheikh – chairman of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority – revealed he had his sights set on hosting major darts events in the region.
Al-Sheikh commented to Barry Hearn: “I want to do the darts, but I want to do it crazy way. Crazy concept, yeah? Crazy play, something.”
Al-Sheikh’s vision points towards a potential curveball in the event, having already introduced a ‘golden ball’ in snooker, offering the potential of a 167 break and an extraordinary $1 million bonus to any player who achieves the feat.
Hearn told Sky Sports’ Love the Darts podcast: “We are not going to be restricted. Obviously, we want to make sure it is credible. But we are not going to be tied up with ‘oh, we cannot do that.’
“We will look at everything, and it will all be money orientated. The one thing about Turki Al-Sheikh, His Excellency, is he does not walk away.
“If you can’t drink in a country, we must respect their traditions and laws – we don’t drink. Or we don’t go. If you don’t want to go, don’t go.
“It’s an adventure, and nobody knows exactly where it will end. What I do know is that the journey will be a long one.”
Next year’s World Series will begin with the fourth edition of the Bahrain Darts Masters on January 15-16, subject to a contract renewal, before heading to Saudi Arabia the following Monday.
The Nordic Masters will again take place at Forum Copenhagen on June 5-6, before the PDC visits New York for a fifth consecutive year as Madison Square Garden plays host to the US Masters and the North American Championship from June 26-27.
The New Zealand Masters kicks off the Oceanic double-header in Auckland on August 14-15, before the Australian Masters takes place on August 21-22 in Wollongong.
Following the conclusion of the global events, Amsterdam’s AFAS Live will host the World Series Finals, as 32 stars descend on the Dutch capital from September 17-20.
Player selections for World Series of Darts events will be confirmed in due course, with each event to feature eight PDC stars taking on eight regional representatives in the opening round.
World Series of Darts 2026 Schedule
Bahrain Darts Masters*
January 15-16 – *Subject to agreement renewal
Saudi Arabia Darts Masters
January 19-20 – Global Theater, Riyadh
Nordic Darts Masters
June 5-6 – Forum Copenhagen
US Darts Masters
June 26-27 – The Theater at Madison Square Garden, New York
New Zealand Darts Masters
August 14-15 – Spark Arena, Auckland
Australian Darts Masters
August 21-22 – WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
World Series of Darts Finals
September 17-20 – AFAS Live, Amsterdam
