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Why is there no World Darts Championship today and when will Luke Littler and co be back?
Need to know
The 2026 PDC World Darts Championship will be absent on Boxing Day as Luke Littler and the rest of the PDC elite face a wait before getting back to business at Ally Pally
Everything you need to know about the World Championship’s Boxing Day break
- Ally Pally’s Christmas Break: The tournament schedule includes a brief three-day pause for the Christmas holidays, with no matches taking place from December 24 through December 26. This traditional break allows the players and event staff to spend the festive period away from the intense competition.
- Bank Holiday Absence: There are no matches played on Boxing Day specifically because the tournament organisers align the schedule with the official bank holidays in the UK. This customary rest period ensures that everyone involved can recharge before the longer set formats begin in the later rounds.
- Luke Littler’s Return: Defending champion and world No. 1 Luke Littler successfully started his title defence on the opening night of the tournament. He defeated Darius Labanauskas in straight sets, winning 3-0 to secure his advancement to the second round.
- Close Call: In his second match of the competition on Sunday, Littler faced David Davies and achieved another dominant 3-0 victory. Despite admitting he was not at his absolute best during the game, he capitalised on his opponent’s missed opportunities to maintain his momentum.
- Third-Round Opponent: The reigning champion’s next match will be against Mensur Suljovic, which is set to take place in the third round of the competition. Suljovic earned his place in this highly anticipated clash by defeating David Cameron in his own earlier bracket match.
- Future Foes: Assuming Littler makes his way past Suljovic, he’ll face either Damon Heta or Rob Cross in the quarter-finals of the tournament. From there, some of the higher-seeded opponents left in his potential path include Stephen Bunting, Jonny Clayton, and 2025 runner-up Luke Humphries.
- Ally Pally Comeback: Fans can expect the championship action to officially resume on Saturday, December 27, following the conclusion of the Christmas break. This post-Christmas phase will see the remaining players compete in longer matches as they fight for a spot in the quarter-finals.
- Remaining Schedule: The tournament will continue through the end of the year and into 2026, with the quarter-finals taking place on New Year’s Day. The new world champion will be crowned on the evening of January 3, following the semi-finals on January 2.
- READ MORE on Luke Littler’s route to the final.
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