European Championship Darts Prize Money 2026: Full Payouts

European Championship darts prize money 2026 totals £750,000, with the winner taking home £150,000 when the tournament begins in Dortmund today. Every one of the 32 players is guaranteed at least £7,500, even if they lose in the first round on Thursday, October 22nd.

The pot has risen from £600,000 last year, and the champion’s cheque is up £30,000, as DartsNews reported. For me, that £150,000 top prize is what makes this the major to watch this autumn. It is a 25 per cent increase in the pot, and it sits in a field made up of the top 32 on the European Tour Order of Merit, so nobody is here by accident.

European Championship Darts Prize Money 2026: Full Payout Table

The tournament is at the Westfalenhallen from October 22nd to 25th, and it is the 19th staging of the event. Here is what each round is worth.

Result	Prize Money	Players	Round Total
Winner	£150,000	1	£150,000
Runner-up	£80,000	1	£80,000
Semi-finalists	£50,000	2	£100,000
Quarter-finalists	£35,000	4	£140,000
Second round	£20,000	8	£160,000
First round	£7,500	16	£120,000
Total		32	£750,000

The gap between winning and losing the final is £70,000. Win your first match and you have already made £20,000, more than two and a half times the first-round minimum.

Gian van Veen European Championship Earnings: Can He Defend?

Gian van Veen is the reigning champion. He won his first major title a year ago, beating Luke Humphries in a last-leg decider. Humphries has since pulled out, and Kim Huybrechts has taken his place. We covered the Humphries withdrawal when it came.

Van Veen is seeded eighth and opens against Andrew Gilding on Thursday night. Can he go back to back? I think he can reach the last eight, but a title defence is a big ask. His win last year came by a single leg, which tells you how thin the margin is in this tournament.

Four former champions are also in the field: Michael van Gerwen, Rob Cross, James Wade and Ross Smith.

Luke Littler Prize Money Darts: What Can He Win In Dortmund?

Luke Littler has never won this event, and it is the only major title that has avoided him. The 19-year-old won two European Tour events from three involvements, which comfortably booked his place. That still left him seeded 11th.

He faces William O’Connor in the first round on Friday, October 23rd. Win that and he is guaranteed £20,000. The quarter-finals are worth £35,000 and the title £150,000.

Pieter Verbeek of DartsNieuws.com still rates him the favourite. He wrote: “Although Luke Littler doesn’t seem to have been at his absolute best in recent weeks, he remains the clear favourite to win the European Championship in my eyes.”

Darts European Championship 2026 Dortmund: Schedule And Format

Thursday, October 22nd: the first round starts at 18:00, with eight matches.

Gerwyn Price v Rob Cross is the pick of them. Huge.

Huybrechts plays Ryan Searle in Humphries’ old slot. Van Veen meets Gilding, Smith faces Karel Sedlacek, and Wade plays Damon Heta.

Friday, October 23rd: the other eight first-round matches start at 12:00. Littler v O’Connor is on that card, alongside Kevin Doets v Michael van Gerwen and Josh Rock v Chris Dobey. Our draw report has the full bracket.

Saturday, October 24th: second-round matches at 12:00 and 19:00. Littler’s route runs through Nathan Aspinall or Cristo Reyes if he beats O’Connor.

Sunday, October 25th: quarter-finals at 12:00, then the semi-finals and final from 18:00.

The format gets longer as the week goes on. The first round is best of 11 legs, the second round and quarter-finals are best of 19, and the semi-finals and final are best of 21.

Jack’s Verdict

I’m backing Luke Littler to win it, and I know plenty of you will disagree. He won two of his three European Tour events, he has a £150,000 cheque and the one major he is missing to chase, and his half of the draw looks kinder than Price v Cross on Thursday night. DartsNews’s Samuel Gill picked Ross Smith, and with a former champion in the field, and Littler not at his best lately, that is a fair case. But the best outcome for the sport is Littler against van Veen in a final, the new star against the champion, played to a last-leg decider like last year’s.

Your Questions Answered

Where is the darts European Championship 2026?

The tournament is at the Westfalenhallen in Dortmund, Germany, from October 22nd to 25th. It is the 19th staging of the event. The top 32 players on the European Tour Order of Merit take part, based on money earned across the 15 European Tour events in 2026.

How much can darts players earn at the European Championship?

Every player takes home at least £7,500 for a first-round exit. A second-round loss pays £20,000, a quarter-final exit £35,000 and a semi-final defeat £50,000. The runner-up gets £80,000 and the champion £150,000, from a total pot of £750,000.

How much has the prize money gone up this year?

The total pot has risen from £600,000 to £750,000. The winner’s share is up £30,000, from £120,000 to £150,000. The runner-up receives £80,000, and the first-round minimum is £7,500. The tournament is a 32-player event with no qualifiers on the day.

Jack’s Thoughts

If Littler gets through Friday, I think he wins the title. If he doesn’t, Smith and Price look the likeliest to take it. You can follow the latest rankings in our darts rankings hub.

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