When the World Series of Darts Finals was first staged at Glasgow’s Braehead Arena in November 2015, few could have predicted how quickly it would become one of the most distinctive events on the PDC calendar — or how completely Michael van Gerwen would come to dominate it.
In that inaugural final, van Gerwen edged Peter Wright 11-10 in a high-quality contest that set the tone for what was to follow. Twelve months later the Dutchman was back in the same venue and once again too strong for Wright, this time winning 11-9 on the second night of a two-day tournament. By the end of 2017 he had completed a hat-trick of titles, brushing aside Gary Anderson 11-6 to confirm his early grip on the event.
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The first genuine shift came in 2018 when the Finals left Scotland for the Multiversum in Schwechat, just outside Vienna. James Wade produced one of the great last-leg victories of the modern era, defeating Michael Smith 11-10 to become the first player other than van Gerwen to lift the trophy.
Amsterdam’s AFAS Live hosted the event for the first time in 2019 and immediately felt like a natural home. Van Gerwen returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion, thrashing Danny Noppert 11-2. A year later the global pandemic forced a temporary move to Salzburg, where Gerwyn Price claimed his first title with an 11-9 win over Rob Cross.
When the tournament returned to Amsterdam in 2021, another Welshman, Jonny Clayton, took his chance, beating Dimitri Van den Bergh 11-6. Price then made it two for Wales in 2022, surviving a dramatic 11-10 final against Dirk van Duijvenbode.
By 2023 the AFAS Live had become the established home of the Finals, and van Gerwen was ready to reclaim what he clearly regarded as his territory. Nathan Aspinall was swept aside 11-4 as the Dutchman collected a fifth title.
The following year the field expanded to 32 players and a new force arrived. Luke Littler, still a teenager, produced a stunning run and crushed Michael Smith 11-4 in the final.
Van Gerwen, however, had other ideas. In 2025 he produced one of the most satisfying victories of his recent career, defeating Littler 11-7 to claim a record-extending sixth World Series Finals crown. The AFAS Live erupted. The King was back on his throne.
The 2026 World Series of Darts Finals
This week the circus returns once more to Amsterdam. From 17 to 20 September the AFAS Live will again host the best players from the World Series season, with a £450,000 prize fund and £100,000 waiting for the winner.
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Michael van Gerwen walks in as defending champion and the clear record-holder. Luke Littler will be desperate to regain the title he won so impressively two years ago. Around them, a host of established stars and rising talents will battle for their own place in the story.
From the intense atmosphere of Glasgow’s Braehead Arena to the passionate Dutch crowds of Amsterdam, the World Series of Darts Finals has grown into one of the most prestigious events on the PDC calendar. It has produced last-leg thrillers, dominant masterclasses, and the occasional changing of the guard.
Through it all, one name has remained constant. Michael van Gerwen has won it more times than anyone else, and this week he will try to make it seven.
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Images: PDC
