The World’s Dart Championship 23/24 will go down as one of the greatest tournaments of the century.
The highly anticipated final drew a staggering 4.8 million viewers, with a peak of 3.7 million, making it the most-watched darts event ever and securing its position as the highest non-football audience on Sky Sports in recorded history!
The atmosphere at the Palace has consistently made this event a sell-out favourite. However, the 23/24 Championship reached new heights of excitement with the meteoric rise of 16-year-old Luke Littler. His phenomenal progress through the rounds not only dominated headlines but shattered viewing records and captured the hearts of the nation.
Here we bring some of the best pictures, moments and posts from the 23/24 World Darts Championship.
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“This was a momentous moment in British sporting history… at this unique sporting event, and Littler had better get used to all this commotion. Ally Pally will be his home for years to come.”– The Daily Mail
Luke Littler, the youngest player to compete in a World Darts Championship, aged just 16.
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“The choice of attire reflects the carnival atmosphere which draws thousands of people to one of London’s most treasured entertainment venues every year. The imposing Victorian building situated on a North London hill has seen the likes of the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Jay-Z play at the venue, though over the last 16 years, it’s become synonymous with darts. If soccer has Wembley Stadium and tennis has Wimbledon, darts has ‘Ally Pally.” – CNN
“I am in the biggest pub in London, squinting through a colourful, throbbing sea of fancy dress and a blurry haze of pints to soak in a scene that has become such an integral part of the festive season. It’s a piece of magic that will have them back for another year.” – The Independent
The enthusiastic fans added to spectacle with their fancy dress costumes.
Swipe through for top fan photos:
Major newspapers covered the tournament through photo essays.
“The festive event is a favourite among darting fanatics, with thousands of spectators descending on the famous venue to drink, chant songs and take in all the drama as the sport’s best players lock horns.” – The Daily Mail
“Sixteen-year-old Littler was the youngest player to ever compete in a world championship final and his progress through the rounds of the event has made headlines over the past three weeks. Here, we bring you some of the best pictures from the final at Alexandra Palace.” – The BBC
“For darts fans, the festive season isn’t just about mince pies and crackers, it’s also the chance to don fancy dress, head to Alexandra Palace to sit at long tables adorned with four-pint pitchers, and enjoy some arrows action.” – The Guardian
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Peter Crouch sent fans wild as he downed a pint.
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Event sponsor Paddy Power raised £1 million for Prostate Cancer UK.
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The highly anticipated final, dubbed the Battle of the Lukes, captivated millions globally. In a nail-biting showdown, Luke Humphries emerged triumphant victor, overcoming the impressive 16-year-old sensation Luke Littler, who etched his name in history as the youngest finalist ever!
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Thanks to the players, staff, Professional Darts Corporation, SKY TV, and all others whose efforts were integral to the championship’s tremendous success.
Ally Pally stands proudly as the home to the PDC World championships, boasting an electrifying party atmosphere like no other, its where sporting dreams come true.
Pictures by Lloyd Winters and PDC
Paddy Power World Darts Championship 2023/2024
The Paddy Power World Darts Championship will return to Alexandra Palace from 15 December 2023 – 3 January 2024.
The prestigious event will see the world’s best darts players descend on London and thousands of fans make the annual pilgrimage to Ally Pally.
For more information about the Championship visit the PDC website.
| Date | Doors open | Start time | End time |
|---|
Find your way around the Park and Palace
Palm Court entrance
///button.master.unit
East Court entrance
///stands.bridge.rust
Phoenix B&K entrance
///alive.daring.lies
BBC Tower entrance
///year.link.hops
Ice Rink entrance
///liability.ended.gangs
Children’s Playground
///ledge.narrow.tins
Skate Park
///held.twigs.pulled
Boating Lake Café
///hunt.joins.spent
Rose Garden
///daily.branch.grow
Grove Café
///scrap.intelligible.them
Little Dinosaurs
///raft.script.common
Garden Centre
///hopes.path.punk
Pitch & Putt
///inform.cheek.wire
How to get here
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace Way
London
N22 7AY
Tube: Wood Green
Railway: Alexandra Palace Rail
Bus: W3 or Shuttle Bus
We are still standing up!
What a tournament. What a sporting spectacle. How do you even begin to sum it up?
Across 16 days and nights, 29 sessions, 75,000 fans journeyed to the Palace from the four corners of the World to join the fun. Meanwhile millions more tuned in on television and radio.
The action was exhilarating, unforgettable. The world’s very best doing what they do best on the biggest stage of them all, mixing it up alongside a cast of fan favourites, legends and future stars. There were massive highs, crushing lows, tension, then the release, the songs and, of course, the fancy dress. All that and Lewis Capaldi and Niall Horan too.
It built and built, all the way up to a simply brilliant finale. That leg, that nine-darter!!! And a thoroughly worthy champion “Na-na, na-na, na-na, na-na-na-na Michael Smith, Michael, Michael Smith”, as the crowd sang.
Thank you to all the players, staff, everyone at the Professional Darts Corporation and SKY tv, plus many, many more, and most of all, the fans – legends one and all.
Here are some reflections from the World Darts Championship 2022/23…
“Forget the World Cup: The Darts Are the Ultimate Sporting Event” – Vice
“Christmas just wouldn’t feel like Christmas without the darts” – The Guardian
“It’s the most fun I’ve had this year…” – Lewis Capaldi
Getting underway
Alexandra Palace
️ January 3
⏰ 1945 GMTGlory awaits pic.twitter.com/jVYvB35Uob
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 3, 2023
The Fans
And a reminder of how events like the Darts interact with schools and the Palace’s charitable projects.
Thanks to @apexlhub @DaubeneyHackney & @OneMrLogan1 for hosting our latest Bullseye Maths session yesterday with World Championship star Leonard Gates.
Find out more about Bullseye Maths at https://t.co/IYuDaeo9ph https://t.co/rPj2nQ6nR5
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) December 21, 2022
Always expect the unexpected
Lewis Capaldi and Niall Horan are IN THE BUILDING pic.twitter.com/MDcGfWk0TJ
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) December 16, 2022
A member of our team getting in the groove:
@pdcdartsdancers Let’s go Patrick our Ally Pally event manager #allypally #pdcdarts #alexandrapalace #pdcdancers ♬ SexyBack (feat. Timbaland) – Justin Timberlake
The final
The calm before the storm…
96 came, just two remain.
Ally Pally like you’ve never seen it before pic.twitter.com/7i1g6o83ZR
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 3, 2023
And of course… that leg
THE BEST LEG OF ALL TIME!
MICHAEL VAN GERWEN MISSES D12 FOR A NINE-DARTER, AND THEN SMITH PINS A PERFECT LEG HIMSELF!
ONE OF THE GREATEST THINGS YOU’LL EVER SEE IN SPORT. pic.twitter.com/WyKWFcxq5V
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 3, 2023
A view from the tables
Relive the moment as the Ally Pally crowd ERUPT after watching the greatest leg of all time! pic.twitter.com/IFtUl1XWeO
— PDC Darts (@OfficialPDC) January 3, 2023
“I CAN’T SPEAK! I CAN’T SPEAK!”
THAT reaction for the COMMENTARY BOX!! pic.twitter.com/OSderR7axb
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) January 3, 2023
WHAT A REACTION FROM ALLY PALLY!! ⭐️ #9darter #LoveTheDarts pic.twitter.com/uXAxzXuvos
— Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) January 3, 2023
Breaking:
This is now a darts feed. Can’t get enough. Love the darts. I can’t speak! I can’t speak! pic.twitter.com/80cs1abjeF
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) January 5, 2023
When that belongs to you pic.twitter.com/AcTkXshJZr
— Michael Smith (@Michael180Smith) January 4, 2023
Until next year…
Pictures by Lloyd Winters and PDC
Cazoo World Darts Championship 2022/2023
The Cazoo World Darts Championship will return to Alexandra Palace from December 15 2022 – January 3 2023.
The 29th staging of the prestigious event will see the world’s best darts players descend on London, with a star-studded field that includes reigning World Champion Peter Wright, plus Gerwyn Price and Michael van Gerwen among a host of stars.
For more information about the Championship visit the PDC website.
For information about cashless payment cards, including registering your card, topping-up and re-claiming unspent funds, click here
| Date | Doors open | Start time | End time |
|---|
The William Hill World Darts Championship is to remain at Alexandra Palace until at least the end of the 2024/25 event under a new four-year contract with the famous London venue.
The World Darts Championship moved to Alexandra Palace ahead of the 2007/2008 event, and has since become established as a must-visit venue for fans from around the world who flock to the annual tournament.
The 14th staging of the World Championship at Ally Pally last year proved a unique one, with only the opening night staged with fans before the remainder of the event was held behind closed doors.
However, the 2021/22 tournament has been confirmed for a return to a full 3,200 capacity inside Ally Pally’s West Hall from December 15-January 3, with tickets on general sale from midday on Thursday July 29.
The tournament will also remain at the iconic London landmark until at least 2025 after a new deal was agreed with the PDC.
“The William Hill World Darts Championship has become synonymous with Alexandra Palace and it’s fantastic news to agree a new four-year deal with this historic venue,” said PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter.
“There are few atmospheres in sport which can match a full Ally Pally during the World Championship, and we’ve seen so many historic moments during the past 14 years – including nine-darters, Phil Taylor’s farewell in a final and Fallon Sherrock’s famous wins two years ago.
“The next four years will give more players the chance to follow in the footsteps of players like Phil Taylor, Michael van Gerwen, Gary Anderson, Peter Wright and reigning World Champion Gerwyn Price in lifting the Sid Waddell Trophy – we can’t wait!”
Around 90,000 fans will attend the 2021/22 World Championship, while 96 players from across the globe will descend on Ally Pally for the festive feast of darts.
Alexandra Palace Commercial Director Lucy Fenner said: “We can’t wait for the William Hill World Darts Championship to return to the Palace this December.
“The World Championship creates special nights for the fans, players and everyone who works at the tournament. It’s a bucket list event, with an atmosphere like nothing else.
“We’re unbelievably proud to have supported the PDC as they’ve grown the event here over the last 14 years, and we’re hugely grateful for the support they’ve shown us in return.
“As a charity we rely on amazing events like this. Each ticket bought contributes to us maintaining and improving the Park and Palace, and helping us to deliver our Creative Learning programme for families, young people and vulnerable people across the community.
“We’re delighted the new deal with the PDC will see the World Championship stay at its spiritual home until 2025 – we’re looking forward to some massive nights to enjoy with everyone.”
Tickets for the 2021/22 William Hill World Darts Championship are available from SeeTickets via pdc.seetickets.com, including table seating, tiered seat tickets and hospitality packages. For more information, please see pdc.tv/WCTickets
William Hill World Darts Championship 2021/2022
The William Hill World Darts Championship will return to London’s Alexandra Palace from December 15 2021 to January 3 2022.
The 28th staging of the prestigious event will see the world’s best dart players descend on London to compete for £2,500,000 in prize money, with a star-studded field that includes reigning World Champion Gerwyn Price, three-time winner Michael van Gerwen and world number two Peter Wright.
Visitors aged 18 and over must be able to demonstrate their COVID-19 status to enter the venue. Full details here.
We use a cashless card system at the William Hill World Darts. All of the bars and food outlets within the venue only take payments via this card. Please register and top up your payment card by clicking on the button below.
| Date | Doors open | Start time | End time |
|---|
How to get here
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace Way
London
N22 7AY
Tube: Wood Green
Railway: Alexandra Palace Rail
Bus: W3 or Shuttle Bus
2020/21 William Hill World Darts Championship
The remainder of the William Hill World Darts Championship will be played behind closed doors at London’s Alexandra Palace.
The sport’s biggest tournament had begun on December 15 with fans for just one night before London was placed into Tier 3 restrictions by the UK government, meaning that play continued behind closed doors.
That had been due to be reviewed on December 23, however with London since being moved into Tier 4 restrictions, it will now not be possible for fans to attend for the remainder of the tournament.
Fans who had purchased tickets for sessions from December 27-January 3 will receive a full refund from SeeTickets back to the payment card used for the original transaction.
The World Championship’s second round will conclude on Wednesday December 23 ahead of a three-day Christmas break, before returning on Sunday December 27.
Play will continue through to Wednesday December 30, before concluding from January 1-3 with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final.
Global coverage will be headlined by coverage on the dedicated Sky Sports Darts channel, while the PDC’s international broadcast partners will include RTL7 in the Netherlands, DAZN in various territories, Fox Sports in Australia, Sky Sport in New Zealand, PDCTV for Rest of the World Subscribers and at matchroom.live.
Find your way around the Park and Palace
Palm Court entrance
///button.master.unit
East Court entrance
///stands.bridge.rust
Phoenix B&K entrance
///alive.daring.lies
BBC Tower entrance
///year.link.hops
Ice Rink entrance
///liability.ended.gangs
Children’s Playground
///ledge.narrow.tins
Skate Park
///held.twigs.pulled
Boating Lake Café
///hunt.joins.spent
Rose Garden
///daily.branch.grow
Grove Café
///scrap.intelligible.them
Little Dinosaurs
///raft.script.common
Garden Centre
///hopes.path.punk
Pitch & Putt
///inform.cheek.wire
How to get here
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace Way
London
N22 7AY
Tube: Wood Green
Railway: Alexandra Palace Rail
Bus: W3 or Shuttle Bus
Dave Allen from the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) introduces some of the most unforgettable matchs from the World Championships at Ally Pally. Glory days:
Although the William Hill World Darts Championship begins in December, it’s usually around now that we at the PDC are planning to launch the event and put the highly sought-after tickets on sale.
The current situation obviously means that plans are progressing at a slower rate than usual this year, but it’s also been a chance to reflect on some of the great Alexandra Palace memories.
Since the World Championship moved to Ally Pally for the 2007/2008 event, we’ve had so many fantastic matches and it’s now become a must-see event during the festive period.
Raymond van Barneveld’s retirement after last year’s World Championship brought back so many memories from his fine career – he reached one final at the venue and landed two nine-darters, but his best night at Ally Pally was probably the 2015/2016 win over Michael van Gerwen.
Barney won 4-3 on that night in a run to the semi-finals, defeating his Dutch rival in a classic contest.
Phil Taylor won the final three of his 16 World Championship titles at Ally Pally, including an incredible performance to defeat Van Barneveld 7-1 in the 2008/2009 final – he averaged almost 111 in an unplayable display.
Michael van Gerwen is another three-time World Champion at Ally Pally, but his finest hour came on December 30, 2012 as he came a whisker away from being the first player in history to hit back-to-back nine-dart finishes.
In the midst of a tough semi-final against James Wade, Van Gerwen scored 180 and 177 before taking out 144 to complete a perfect leg of 501 – and then returned to the oche with 180 and 180 before hitting treble 20 and treble 19, only to miss the double 12 just inside the wire.
I was in the Press Office – then a marquee within the Great Hall – and could only watch open-mouthed as we came so close to the most stunning moment of history.
I saw some of these highlights again whilst preparing archive footage for the new Matchroom Live platform, and it brought a tingle to my spine to relive these, and more, great achievements.
Our live-streamed PDC Home Tour during the current global lockdown has given fans worldwide the chance to see some darts during the suspension of most sport globally, but perhaps also made us more appreciative of the magic we get to witness each Christmas at Ally Pally.
* See more classic World Darts Championship moments and many more great sporting memories at matchroom.live – register now for free.
Here at Alexandra Park and Palace Charitable Trust (APPCT) we are delighted to have announced that The Matchroom Sport Charitable Foundation have pledged £150,000 to fund our new Young People’s Park Programme. The activity will be delivered our Creative Learning team for the next three years.
The funding will help develop Alexandra Park as a place of learning through an outdoor activity programme and additional infrastructure like bird feeders, shelters and wayfinding to encourage children and young people to discover what the great outdoors has to offer. In addition to ecology and conservation, the programme will also include creative outputs utilising the park for performance, sculpture and more.
The programme is set to have a transformative effect on the lives of thousands of young people in Haringey, with more and more research confirming that time spent outdoors is critical for physical and mental wellbeing, and can help young people adopt healthy lifestyle habits for life.
We have an extraordinary partnership with Matchroom Sport which sees the venue host a number of the organisation’s world-class events including the World Darts Championship, World Championship of Ping Pong, the Mosconi Cup and snooker’s Masters.
Louise Stewart, Chief Executive of APPCT, said: “Our relationship with Matchroom now extends well beyond events. Through their support of our Creative Learning Programme, we will be able to deliver more benefit that will be felt throughout our local community. Alexandra Park is an invaluable asset and this funding underscores the importance of green spaces in helping us lead healthy lives.”
Matchroom Sport Charitable Foundation trustee Edward Lowy said: “Alexandra Palace has become a home for events staged across our Matchroom portfolio, so to be able to help fund the Young People’s Park Programme is an exciting way for us to expand our relationship. We look forward to seeing the development of the Young People’s Park Programme in the coming years.”
Since 2012, our Creative Learning team has grown its young people’s provision from the ground up – from zero to over 5,000 participants last year. You can find out more about the work here
William Hill World Darts Championship 2019/2020
The sport’s biggest tournament was held at the Palace from December 13 2019 to January 1 2020, with Peter Wright claiming his first World title.
We hope you enjoyed all the action, fun, food and entertainment.
Just a gentle reminder that if you have not done so already, you can claim your refund (anything over £2) on the cashless payment card you registered during your visit. You have until midnight Monday 17th January to request a refund via this link
How to get here
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace Way
London
N22 7AY
Tube: Wood Green
Railway: Alexandra Palace Rail
Bus: W3 or Shuttle Bus