The Amateur Darts Circuit has never been accused of thinking small, but with the unveiling of the Winmau Championship 2026, it has delivered something that feels not merely ambitious, but transformative.
This is not a cosmetic tweak or a light rebrand; it is a wholesale re-engineering of national men’s darts, designed with intent, accessibility, and credibility coursing through its foundations.
In little more than a handful of years, the ADC has constructed a reputation that many amateur bodies spend decades chasing. Trustworthy. Player-first. Logistically sound. Ruthlessly professional without ever forgetting its grassroots soul.
The 2026 ADC Winmau Championship is the clearest expression yet of that philosophy, expanding into a fully regionalised, two-tier national tour that brings meaningful opportunity directly to the players rather than forcing them to chase it across the country.
For the first time, the competition is split cleanly into North and South, a deceptively simple structural decision that carries enormous consequence. It democratises access, reduces financial strain, and ensures that elite-level amateur darts is no longer geographically exclusionary. Action is already underway in the South, tonight’s warm up was won by Adam Beck (pictured), with the North Edition poised to follow in April.
Across the season competitors will contest 24 ranking events – 12 in each region – in a relentless pursuit of points, prize money, and prestige.The northern campaign will be staged at Middlesbrough Sports Village, while the southern battleground is set at Bradmoor Farm.
These are not accidental choices. They are venues selected for consistency, quality, and player experience – hallmarks of the ADC’s operational credibility.
At the sharp end of the season lies the Winmau Championship Grand Finals, hosted at the MODUS Live Lounge in Portsmouth, where the top 16 players – eight from each region – will converge with careers, confidence, and futures on the line. Beyond national glory, there is an even larger prize dangling in the distance: qualification for the ADC Global Championship, where a £150,000 prize fund awaits the sport’s next wave of breakout names.
Financially, the offering is as robust as it is fair. A £78,000 total prize fund, split into £34,000 per region and £10,000 for the Grand Finals, underlines the ADC’s commitment to rewarding depth, not just dominance.
Each tour event pays £1,000 to the winner, with prize money cascading down to the last 32, ensuring competitive relevance deep into every draw. Come October, the overall champion will lift the trophy, pocket £3,000, and earn a permanent place on the ADC honours board – a roll of distinction that grows more meaningful with each passing season.The dates are locked, the pathways are clear, and the intent is unmistakable.
WINMAU CHAMPIONSHIP DATES – NORTH
Tour Events 1–4: April 18–19Tour Events 5–8: June 27–28Tour Events 9–12: September 5–6
WINMAU CHAMPIONSHIP DATES – SOUTH
Tour Events 1–4: February 7–8
Tour Events 5–8: May 9–10
Tour Events 9–12: August 8–9
In a remarkably short space of time, the ADC has become a gold standard for how the amateur game should be run – aspirational yet grounded, ambitious yet attainable.
The Winmau Championship 2026 is not just another tournament. It is infrastructure. It is belief, formalised. And for hundreds of players across the UK, it is proof that the ladder is real – and very much climb
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Images: ADC
