2026 BOYLE Sports World Grand Prix in Leicester saw its 2-player field confirmed today. The unique double-start tournament returns to the Mattioli Arena from 28 September to 4 October.
The darts elite will be chasing a newly-boosted £150,000 top prize and the coveted silverware held aloft by many of the modern greats of the game.
Littler claimed his first World Grand Prix title in Leicester last year and arrives as back-to-back World Champion and world number one. The teenager’s rapid rise has rewritten the record books, and he will once again be the man to beat on the double-start stage.
2023 champion Luke Humphries will also be hunting a second World Grand Prix crown, while Dutch number one Gian van Veen returns to the arena where he produced a record average last year only to fall to Littler in a memorable clash.
Six-time champion Michael van Gerwen and two-time winner James Wade add further pedigree, joined by Welsh duo Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton — the 2020 and 2021 champions respectively.
Northern Irish star Josh Rock and two-time semi-finalist Danny Noppert will be present, while Stephen Bunting and Wessel Nijman make their Leicester returns.
Former European Champion Ross Smith and World Championship semi-finalist Ryan Searle complete a strong looking top half of the draw, alongside Chris Dobey and 2022 runner-up Nathan Aspinall.
The top 16 from the PDC Order of Merit are joined by the leading 16 players on the one-year ProTour rankings, headed by Baltic Sea Darts Open winner Luke Woodhouse.
Kevin Doets will make his World Grand Prix debut after an impressive 12 months, with Jermaine Wattimena, Andrew Gilding and Krzysztof Ratajski all returning.
William O’Connor makes his first appearance since 2015, while Damon Heta, Rob Cross and 2020 runner-up Dirk van Duijvenbode strengthen the field further.
Niels Zonneveld is the second debutant, joined by 2024 semi-finalist Ryan Joyce and Scotland’s Cameron Menzies. Niko Springer remains the sole German representative.
Two-time finalist Dave Chisnall, newcomer Sebastian Bialecki and Joe Cullen complete the 32-man line-up.
With a boosted prize fund and a field packed with past champions, rising stars and double-start specialists, the 2026 World Grand Prix looks set to deliver another week of high drama in Leicester.
The draw for the 2026 World Grand Prix, which will pit the PDC’s top 16 against the 16 ProTour qualifiers, will be made on Monday September 14, and will be available across the PDC’s social media channels.
The tournament will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the UK, through the PDC’s worldwide broadcast partners including DAZN and Viaplay, and on PDCTV (excluding subscribers based in the UK, Germany, Austria & Switzerland).
2026 BoyleSports World Grand Prix
Top 16 from the PDC Werner Ladder Rankings
(Seeded for round one draw)
- Luke Littler
- Luke Humphries
- Gian van Veen
- Gerwyn Price
- Jonny Clayton
- James Wade
- Josh Rock
- Danny Noppert
- Michael van Gerwen
- Gary Anderson
- Stephen Bunting
- Wessel Nijman
- Ross Smith
- Ryan Searle
- Chris Dobey
- Nathan Aspinall
Qualifiers from ProTour Darts Rankings
Luke Woodhouse
Kevin Doets
Jermaine Wattimena
Krzysztof Ratajski
Andrew Gilding
William O’Connor
Damon Heta
Rob Cross
Ryan Joyce
Dirk van Duijvenbode
Niels Zonneveld
Cameron Menzies
Niko Springer
Dave Chisnall
Sebastian Bialecki
Joe Cullen
Images: PDC and PDC Europe
