2026 European Darts Grand Prix

2026 Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Grand Prix
Tournament information
Dates17–19 April 2026
VenueGlaspalast
LocationSindelfingen, Germany
Organisation(s)Professional Darts Corporation (PDC)
FormatLegs
Prize fund£230,000
Winner's share£35,000
High checkout170 Nathan Aspinall
Champion(s)
 Gerwyn Price (WAL)
«Event 4 Event 6»

The 2026 European Darts Grand Prix (known for sponsorship reasons as the 2026 Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Grand Prix) was a professional darts tournament that took place at the Glaspalast in Sindelfingen, Germany, from 17 to 19 April 2026.[1] It was the fifth of fifteen PDC European Tour events on the 2026 PDC Pro Tour. It featured a field of 48 players and £230,000 in prize money, with £35,000 going to the winner.

Gary Anderson was the defending champion, having defeated Andrew Gilding 8–0 in the 2025 final.[2][3] However, he lost 6–3 to Niko Springer in the second round.

Gerwyn Price won the tournament by defeating Ross Smith 8–6 in the final, after Martin Schindler missed a match dart to beat him in the quarter-finals. He became the second player to win ten European Tour titles after Michael van Gerwen.

Prize money

As part of a mass boost in prize money for Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events in 2026, the prize fund for all 2026 European Tour events rose to £230,000, of which the winner will receive £35,000.[4][5]

Stage (num. of players) Prize money
Winner (1) £35,000
Runner-up (1) £15,000
Semi-finalists (2) £10,000
Quarter-finalists (4) £8,000
Third round losers (8) £5,000
Second round losers (16) £3,500*
First round losers (16) £2,000*
Total £230,000
  • Pre-qualified players from the Orders of Merit who lose in their first match of the event shall not be credited with prize money on any Order of Merit.[6]

Qualification and format

The top 16 players on the two-year PDC Order of Merit were seeded and entered the tournament in the second round, while the next 16 highest-ranked players from the one-year PDC Pro Tour Order of Merit automatically qualified for the first round. The seedings were confirmed on 27 March.[7] The remaining 16 places went to players from four qualifying events – 10 from the Tour Card Holder Qualifier (held on 1 April),[8] four from the Host Nation Qualifier (held on 28 February),[9] one from the Nordic & Baltic Associate Member Qualifier (held on 29 March),[10] and one from the East European Associate Member Qualifier (held on 11 April).[11]

Ryan Joyce withdrew and was replaced by Ian White.[12]

Summary

First round

Rob Cross (pictured in 2025) was one of three former world champions to go out in the first round.

The first round (best of 11 legs) was played on 17 April.[13] Cameron Menzies registered a three-dart average of 104.50 to defeat five-time world champion Raymond van Barneveld 6–3. "I felt tremendous there. I wish I could play like that all the time," commented Menzies, who hailed Van Barneveld as a hero of his growing up.[14] Two other former world champions were eliminated in the first round: Peter Wright, the winner of the 2017 European Darts Grand Prix, lost 6–3 to Jeffrey de Zwaan, while 2023 champion Rob Cross was beaten 6–2 by Mickey Mansell. Host nation qualifier Michael Unterbuchner earned his second European Tour victory by defeating William O'Connor in a deciding leg; the other three host nation qualifiers—Michael Hurtz, Paul Krohne and Robin Masino—lost to Krzysztof Ratajski, Andrew Gilding, and Niko Springer, respectively.[13][15]

Latvian qualifier Valters Melderis became the 600th player to compete on the European Tour as he beat Karel Sedláček 6–5; his compatriot Madars Razma lost 6–4 to Damon Heta. Wessel Nijman, who won Players Championship 10 earlier in the week, defeated 2023 champion Ian White 6–2. Oskar Lukasiak missed nine match darts before eventually sealing a 6–5 win over Daryl Gurney. Keane Barry landed checkouts of 124 and 130 on his way to defeating Niels Zonneveld 6–3.[14][15]

Second round

Joe Cullen (pictured in 2022) defeated the top seed Gian van Veen 6–3 in the second round.

The second round (best of 11 legs) was played on 18 April.[16] Two-time defending champion Gary Anderson was eliminated in a 6–3 defeat to Niko Springer. Progressing to a third-round meeting with Danny Noppert after the Dutchman beat Oskar Lukasiak 6–5, Springer recounted the pair's final at the 2025 Hungarian Darts Trophy, calling Noppert a "fantastic player" who he would have to "play the same level" against the following day.[16] Martin Schindler joined compatriot Springer in the third round by winning a deciding leg against Damon Heta.[17] Top seed Gian van Veen was beaten 6–3 by Joe Cullen, who reached the last 16 of a European Tour event for the first time in a year.[18] The 2016 and 2018 champion Michael van Gerwen was the only former winner of the tournament to advance to the third round, defeating Michael Unterbuchner 6–2.[17] Following the match, Van Gerwen was critical of his opponent, stating: "He's never beaten me in his life and he will never beat me in his life. He's not good enough. Even my B-game and C-game beats him but who cares?" He added: "The day I'm going to worry myself about Unterbuchner, that's the day I'm going to quit playing darts."[18]

Two other seeded players were eliminated in the second round alongside Van Veen and Anderson: Wessel Nijman beat tenth seed Ryan Searle 6–2 with an average of 104.12, and Krzysztof Ratajski defeated sixteenth seed Mike De Decker 6–4. Nathan Aspinall, who won the 2026 German Darts Grand Prix, began his campaign by beating Jeffrey de Zwaan 6–1, a win that included a 170 checkout. Andrew Gilding, the runner-up the previous year, lost 6–2 to Chris Dobey. Jonny Clayton averaged 106.78 on his way to defeating Valters Melderis 6–1, while James Wade averaged 104.15 to claim a 6–3 win over Kim Huybrechts, marking the end of a five-match losing streak for Wade on the European Tour. Premier League players Gerwyn Price, Josh Rock, and Stephen Bunting defeated Dave Chisnall, Keane Barry, and Mickey Mansell, respectively. Ross Smith defeated Cameron Menzies 6–3, while Jermaine Wattimena beat Kevin Doets by the same scoreline.[16][17][18]

Final day

Gerwyn Price (pictured in 2026) won his tenth European Tour title, becoming the second player to achieve the feat.

The third round, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final were played on 19 April. The third round and quarter-finals were contested over the best of 11 legs, the semi-finals over the best of 13 legs, and the final over the best of 15 legs.[19] The final day saw Ross Smith and Gerwyn Price reach the final. Smith began the day by defeating Josh Rock in a deciding leg, and advanced to the title decider following a 6–4 win against Nathan Aspinall and a 7–5 victory over Krzysztof Ratajski. Meanwhile, Price defeated Chris Dobey 6–4 before winning a deciding leg against Martin Schindler, who missed a match dart at double 5 to eliminate the Welshman.[20][21] In the semi-finals, Price defeated Wessel Nijman 7–4 in a rematch of the European Darts Trophy final.[19] Despite the loss, Nijman's run to the semi-finals resulted in him entering the top 16 of the PDC World Rankings for the first time.[22] Smith looked to win his first European Tour title in his fourth final, while Price, competing in his second European Tour final in two appearances in 2026, aimed to win his tenth title.[20]

Price started the final by taking a 3–0 lead, but a run of four consecutive legs from Smith that included two breaks of throw saw the Englishman go in front. Price responded with a 130 checkout to equalise at 4–4.[23] Momentum shifted in Price's favour when Smith missed five darts at double to go 6–5 ahead, allowing Price to reclaim the lead with a break.[19] Price kept control of the match from there and hit double 12 to complete an 8–6 victory, finishing the match with a three-dart average of 95.70.[20][24]

Price won his tenth European Tour title, making him the second player to reach that mark after Michael van Gerwen, who was on 38 titles at the time of Price's victory.[25] "We [Price and Smith] have both had great tournaments and I was just struggling to get over the winning line," admitted Price after the match.[20] On his title milestone, he joked: "I've been in the PDC for 12 years now, so less than one a year on average isn't very good."[19] Speaking in defeat, Smith said: "It's fine margins. You're playing the best players in the world—if you don't hit your doubles, you're going to get punished." He concluded: "It is what it is. I'll crack on with the next one."[19]

Draw

The draw was announced on 16 April.[12] Numbers to the left of a player's name show the seedings for the top 16 in the tournament. The figures to the right of a player's name state their three-dart average in a match. The reserve player is indicated by 'Alt'. Players in bold denote match winners.[24]

First round
(best of 11 legs)
17 April		Second round
(best of 11 legs)
18 April		Third round
(best of 11 legs)
19 April		Quarter-finals
(best of 11 legs)
19 April		Semi-finals
(best of 13 legs)
19 April		Final
(best of 15 legs)
19 April
  Joe Cullen 87.5861 Gian van Veen 92.703
 Maik Kuivenhoven 84.311 Joe Cullen 91.736
  Cullen 86.932
  Ratajski 90.706
  Krzysztof Ratajski 90.73616 Mike De Decker 87.094
Germany Michael Hurtz 75.003 Krzysztof Ratajski 93.306
  Ratajski 90.946
8 Noppert 90.515
  Daryl Gurney 77.8058 Danny Noppert 84.536
 Oskar Lukasiak 82.376 Oskar Lukasiak 86.775
8 Noppert 98.346
  Springer 87.584
  Niko Springer 89.7769 Gary Anderson 90.493
Germany Robin Masino 75.951 Niko Springer 95.446
  Ratajski 95.555
12 Smith 90.587
  Dirk van Duijvenbode 94.6634 James Wade 104.156
 Kim Huybrechts 93.846 Kim Huybrechts 93.843
4 Wade 103.083
13 Aspinall 106.206
  Peter Wright 86.89313 Nathan Aspinall 92.016
 Jeffrey de Zwaan 91.546 Jeffrey de Zwaan 84.351
13 Aspinall 90.244
12 Smith 93.446
  Niels Zonneveld 96.1235 Josh Rock 97.986
 Keane Barry 95.736 Keane Barry 91.673
5 Rock 95.875
12 Smith 98.646
  Cameron Menzies 104.50612 Ross Smith 96.906
 Raymond van Barneveld 96.053 Cameron Menzies 91.433
12 Smith 96.256
6 Price 95.708
  William O'Connor 93.7052 Michael van Gerwen 91.376
 Michael Unterbuchner 95.526 Michael Unterbuchner 82.952
2 van Gerwen 88.616
15 Wattimena 85.485
  Kevin Doets 95.68615 Jermaine Wattimena 98.886
 Jurjen van der Velde 85.804 Kevin Doets 97.833
2 van Gerwen 82.572
  Nijman 89.776
  Rob Cross 92.9527 Stephen Bunting 93.026
 Mickey Mansell 100.326 Mickey Mansell 89.723
7 Bunting 90.023
  Nijman 87.626
  Wessel Nijman 98.35610 Ryan Searle 96.002
Alt Ian White 95.362 Wessel Nijman 104.126
  Nijman 96.914
6 Price 98.967
  Karel Sedláček 92.0153 Jonny Clayton 106.786
 Valters Melderis 86.646 Valters Melderis 86.321
3 Clayton 94.031
14 Schindler 100.986
  Damon Heta 95.65614 Martin Schindler 92.116
 Madars Razma 90.754 Damon Heta 93.315
14 Schindler 96.435
6 Price 100.956
  Dave Chisnall 95.2666 Gerwyn Price 99.416
 Petr Křivka 90.024 Dave Chisnall 91.394
6 Price 105.966
11 Dobey 99.314
  Andrew Gilding 96.95611 Chris Dobey 98.186
 Paul Krohne 89.663 Andrew Gilding 94.122

References

  1. ↑ "Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Grand Prix 2026". PDC Europe. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  2. ↑ "Anderson thrashes Gilding to retain European Grand Prix title". BBC Sport. 4 May 2025. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  3. ↑ Mills, Stephen (5 May 2025). "European Darts Grand Prix: Gary Anderson defends title with whitewash victory over Andrew Gilding in Sindelfingen". Sky Sports. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  4. ↑ Phillips, Josh (31 March 2025). "Biggest prize money increase in PDC history confirmed". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  5. ↑ "European Darts Grand Prix 2026". Mastercaller. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  6. ↑ "PDC Rankings Rules". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  7. ↑ Gorton, Josh (27 March 2026). "2026 ET5-6 Seeds & Tour Card Holder qualifier entries confirmed". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 17 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "PDC ET05 Tour Card Holder Qualifier". Dart Connect TV. 1 April 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  9. ↑ "PDC ET05 Host Nation Qualifier". Dart Connect TV. 28 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
  10. ↑ "PDCNB 2026 Tour - Latvia 2 - Weekend 02". Dart Connect TV. 29 March 2026. Retrieved 10 April 2026.
  11. ↑ "PDC ET05 E. Europe Qualifier". Dart Connect TV. 11 April 2026. Retrieved 11 April 2026.
  12. 1 2 Gorton, Josh (16 April 2026). "2026 Elten Safety Shoes European Darts Grand Prix draw & schedule". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 16 April 2026.
  13. 1 2 Gorton, Josh (18 April 2026). "Magnificent Menzies stars on Day One in Sindelfingen". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  14. 1 2 "European Darts Grand Prix: Cameron Menzies puts in sensational display against Raymond van Barneveld as Dave Chisnall, Joe Cullen also progress". Sky Sports. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  15. 1 2 "ELTEN Safety Shoes European Darts Grand Prix: Unterbuchner shines in opening session". PDC Europe. 17 April 2026. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  16. 1 2 3 Gorton, Josh (18 April 2026). "Springer dumps out Anderson on Day Two of European Darts Grand Prix". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 "ELTEN Safety Shoes European Darts Grand Prix: The King of Sindelfingen has been dethroned". PDC Europe. 18 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  18. 1 2 3 "European Darts Grand Prix: Michael van Gerwen mocks opponent Michael Unterbuchner after win". Sky Sports. 19 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 Simpson, Will (19 April 2026). "Peerless Price claims tenth European Tour title in Sindelfingen". Professional Darts Corporation. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  20. 1 2 3 4 Wellens, Megan (19 April 2026). "European Darts Grand Prix: Gerwyn Price picks up record-making 10th European title with 8-6 win over Ross Smith". Sky Sports. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  21. ↑ "Price schlägt Schindler und holt Titel" [Price beats Schindler and wins title]. Sport1 (in German). 19 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  22. ↑ Walsh, Alex (19 April 2026). "Wessel Nijman reaches major career milestone at 2026 European Darts Grand Prix". The Sporting News. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  23. ↑ Michael, Lucas (19 April 2026). "Gerwyn Price secures 10th Euro Tour title against Ross Smith in closely fought final". dartsnews.com. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
  24. 1 2 "Results of European Darts Grand Prix 2026". Mastercaller. Retrieved 18 April 2026.
  25. ↑ "ELTEN Safety Shoes European Darts Grand Prix: Price makes history in the Glaspalast". PDC Europe. 19 April 2026. Retrieved 20 April 2026.
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