The Premier League Darts 2026 will follow hot on the heels of the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace with Luke Humphries aiming to defend his title.
The coveted places will be settled this afternoon after Luke Littler thrashed Gian Van Veen 7-1 in the final to claim back-to-back world titles and pocket the record £1m prize.
There is big money up for grabs across the 16-week league phase of the Premier League, before the play-offs kick in with the finale settled at The O2 Arena, London.
A total purse of £1,250,000 will see the overall winner pick up £350,000, with a £10,000 bonus available at each weekly stop, with Antwerp, Belgium a new venue this year.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Premier League:
How does the PDC decide who is picked as a Premier League wildcard?
The top four from the PDC’s order of merit will automatically qualify for the Premier League. Then the remaining four are chosen by the PDC, handing each player a lifeline with big prize money, exposure and high-level competition to build a successful 2026 on the circuit.
PDC chief executive Matt Porter has hinted at "star quality" and those who can "perform on the big stage" as deciding factors for the wildcard picks.
Predicted line-up
Automatic entries
The following players have locked in their places in the Premier League for 2026:
- Luke Littler
- Luke Humphries
- Gian van Veen
- Michael van Gerwen
Wildcard candidates
Josh Rock
The 24-year-old has a high-powered scoring game to mix it with the very best. A semi-finalist in the World Matchplay and UK Open, alongside his World Cup win for Northern Ireland with Daryl Gurney, Rock’s journey at the worlds was stopped by a majestic Justin Hood in the last 16.
Gerwyn Price
The 40-year-old Welshman is a huge character within the game, often enduring a love-hate relationship with the fans, although that seems to have softened somewhat in recent times, certainly compared to the days of him ludicrously walking out on to the Ally Pally stage in ear defenders to drown out the booing. Was a Premier League runner-up in 2023 and although he’s down to No 12 in the world, his pedigree and name value should likely see him earn a spot.
Gary Anderson
The two-time world champion would be a lock to feature, should he want to. Scintillating form at the worlds has shown the Scot is a real threat against anyone. But the schedule does not suit Anderson, who recently said: “No, no, I'm quite happy, I need to concentrate on my rankings. If I've done the Premier League, Europeans gone, Players Championship gone. I can't do it, it's been great the years I’ve done it. But I can’t do it for 16 weeks on the road then try to get back for them. I can't do it.”
Jonny Clayton
After Gian Van Veen’s run to the World Championship final, Clayton dropped out of the top four in the rankings but he remains under consideration for a wildcard spot as a former Premier League winner in 2021.
Ryan Searle
'Heavy Metal' is in fine form and made the last four at the World Championship, with just two sets dropped en route to the semi-finals, before being demolished by Littler. Even with that run, Searle has hinted that he doesn’t expect a place.
“I've kind of said privately that the Premier League is something that I would like to do once, just to say that I've done it,” he said. “Whether it’s this year or not… if you look at Chris Dobey last year, he kind of had a similar path to me, where in previous majors he didn't do a huge amount and then got to the worlds and made a semi and they put him in. Not sure whether my face fits for that, but we'll see what happens.”
Stephen Bunting
Down to No 7 in the world after an abrupt end to his time at the World Championship, Bunting has endured a tough time and admitted to struggling with criticism, including online trolls targeting his 13-year-old son Toby. Loved for his walkout song, and wildly popular, despite some critics, Bunting’s inclusion this year is uncertain.
Nathan Aspinall
Snuck into the Premier League last year and performed admirably, finishing third in the regular standings, winning two nights. He could edge out Bunting for that final spot if the PDC sees Rock as a player to throw their weight behind, given his high potential. Was stopped in the third round of the worlds by an inspired Kevin Doets.
Rob Cross
The 2018 world champion put up a decent fight against Luke Littler but dropping out at the worlds in the last 16 has seen him fall to 20th in the world. Seventh in last year’s edition, ‘Voltage’ is poised for a year out of the Premier League.
Justin Hood
The breakout star of the World Championships on debut, Hood won thousands of new fans at Ally Pally, with his unpredictable facial expressions on stage between sets and his stated desire to open a Chinese restaurant. The world No 86 came unstuck in the last eight against Anderson, which probably ends hopes of a Premier League place.
Predicted line-up for 2026 Premier League Darts
- Luke Littler
- Luke Humphries
- Gian van Veen
- Michael van Gerwen
- Jonny Clayton
- Gerwyn Price
- Josh Rock
- Nathan Aspinall
