The PDC World Darts Championship is a sporting fan favourite over the festive period. Throughout most of December and into the New Year, tens of thousands of people pile into the iconic Alexandra Palace in North London for an electric atmosphere and thrilling action at the oche.
Last year’s tournament saw unprecedented and unexpected growth. The rise of Luke ‘The Nuke’ Littler saw more people tune in than ever before, with viewership for the final reaching 4.8 million—making it the highest non-football peak audience on Sky Sports.
Hopefully, the majority of those new darts followers will return this year, helping the tournament continue to reach new heights in homes across the country and making the demand for tickets even harder—as just 3,000 people can attend each of the 28 sessions inside ‘Ally Pally.’
As anticipation grows for this year’s tournament, we’ve put together a comprehensive list of everything you need to know ahead of the 2025 World Darts Championship.
Key dates
Darts’ biggest event will kick off on December 15 and continue until the unmissable final on January 3.
There’s a gap in the action from 23-27 December to allow for Christmas, and the World Championship is ramped up a notch after the New Year.
The quarter-finals begin on January 1, with the semi-finals the following day and the grand finale 24 hours later.
Favourites
There’s nothing to separate last year’s finalists in the Darts World Championship 2025 odds, with defending champion Luke Humphries and Littler neck-and-neck at 5/2.
Three-time World Champion Michael van Gerwen follows at odds of 6/1, which could be good value if the Dutchman can rediscover his best form at Ally Pally.
Dual winner Gary Anderson (14/1) while other previous champions Michael Smith (16/1), Gerwyn Price (18/1) and Rob Cross (20/1) all follow.
Belgium’s Mike De Decker, who won his first Premier Ranked event at this year’s World Grand Prix, is an interesting outsider at 22/1.
Prize pool
The World Darts Championship received a significant cash injection in 2019, raising the prize pool from £1.8 million and £50,000 for the winner to £2.5 million and a whopping £500,000 for the champion.
Prize money breakdown:
- Winner: £500,000
- Runner-up: £200,000
- Semi-final: £100,000
- Quarter-final: £50,000
- Fourth round: £35,000
- Third round: £25,000
- Second round: £15,000
- First round: £7,500
Fancy dress
One of the unique traditions of the World Darts Championship is the incredible fancy dress. Fans arrive decked out in outrageous costumes, from superheroes to Santa Claus and The Grinch, adding a festive, carnival-like atmosphere to the event.
It’s become such a staple that groups often coordinate their outfits, aiming to be the most creative in the crowd. Expect to see everything from crayons to bananas, adding a splash of fun and colour to the tournament.
Recap of last year
As already mentioned, last year’s renewal was the biggest and arguably best edition of the World Dart Championship yet.
The two Lukes progressed to the final, setting up a thrilling encounter at Ally Pally that attracted unprecedented interest.
It was a tense start to the showpiece, with the pair tying 2-2 after the first four legs. Littler then took a two-leg lead and gained the advantage in the darting betting markets.
Humphries, who received a hostile welcome from the crowd, fought back—winning five legs on the bounce for a 7-4 win.
