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Top 10 Best Darts Venues in the UK

Top 10 Best Darts Venues in the UK

Alex Moss |

Top 10 best darts venues in the UK

A ticket to watch live darts has become one of the most sought-after tickets in sport. The demand for tickets has grown rapidly over the years with darts fans all wanting to watch their favourite players in action in the sport’s biggest tournaments.

The electric atmosphere generated inside venues at events like the PDC World Darts Championship and Premier League has made darts an exciting game to watch on television from the comfort of your own home too. In this blog, Darts Corner picks out our 10 must-visit darts venues including legendary spots like the Lakeside along with some fan favourite locations such as the Winter Gardens.

Alexandra Palace

Venue: Alexandra Palace | Location: London | Capacity: 3,200 (West Hall) | Key Events: PDC World Darts Championship | Iconic Moment: Fallon Sherrock becomes the first female player to win a match in the PDC World Darts Championship (2019)

Alexandra Palace, commonly referred to as ‘Ally Pally’, has played host to the PDC World Darts Championship since the 2007/08 edition of the tournament. Opened in 1873, the North London darts venue is a Grade II listed building and has a rich and long history spanning more than 150 years.

Before taking over from the Circus Tavern as the host venue of the PDC’s flagship event, Alexandra Palace was also used as a darts venue during the 1960s and 1970s, staging the popular News of the World Darts Championship from 1963 to 1977. Now the home of the biggest tournament in world darts, a visit to the Ally Pally darts venue should be on the bucket list for every darts fan.

Fans from over 50 different countries flock to Ally Pally every year over the festive period for the World Championship, all to experience the lively atmosphere of a World Championship session inside the venue’s West Hall.

Check out our ‘How Much Does It Cost To Attend The PDC World Darts Championship?’ blog to find out how much a trip to Ally Pally will cost you.

Circus Tavern

Venue: Circus Tavern | Location: Purfleet | Capacity: 1,100 | Key Events: PDC World Darts Championship (1994-2007) | Iconic Moment: Raymond van Barneveld beats Phil Taylor in a sudden-death leg to win the PDC World Darts Championship (2007)

The Circus Tavern was the first venue for the PDC World Darts Championship, hosting the tournament’s first 14 editions from 1994 to 2007. With a capacity of 1,100, the Purfleet nightclub provided an intimate setting with the fans in the front row almost within touching distance from the players on the stage.

It was a World Darts Championship venue that the legendary Phil Taylor enjoyed the most, with 11 of his record 16 world titles won at the Circus Tavern. However, it was a final that Taylor lost which is regarded as the best match ever played inside the venue. The 2007 PDC World Darts Championship final was locked at 6-6 in sets and 5-5 in legs and saw Raymond van Barneveld edge out Taylor in a sudden-death leg.

Whilst no longer on the list of PDC darts venues, fans can still experience the nostalgic appeal of the Circus Tavern with the World Seniors Darts Championship being held there every year since its introduction to the calendar in 2022.

Winter Gardens

Venue: Winter Gardens | Location: Blackpool | Capacity: 2,000 (Empress Ballroom) | Key Events: PDC World Matchplay | Iconic Moment: Phil Taylor wins a record-extending 16th World Matchplay title in his final year on the PDC tour (2017)

The Winter Gardens is steeped in darts history as the long-running venue for the World Matchplay. Held inside the Empress Ballroom, which is part of the Winter Gardens complex, the world’s top darts players descend on Blackpool every July for one of the most prestigious tournaments on the calendar.

Built in 1896, the Empress Ballroom has a long and iconic history with bands like the Rolling Stones and Queen having performed in the venue over the years. The darts has become a staple on the venue’s events list, hosting the inaugural World Matchplay in 1994 and every other edition since apart from one in 2020 (event played behind closed doors in Milton Keynes during the pandemic).

Players now compete for the Phil Taylor Trophy with the trophy being named after ‘The Power’ who won a record 16 World Matchplay titles during his illustrious career. In his last trip to the Winter Gardens, Taylor upset the odds to win his record 16th title, beating Gerwyn Price, Raymond van Barneveld, Michael van Gerwen, Adrian Lewis and Peter Wright in a memorable farewell run.

Lakeside Country Club

Venue: Lakeside Country Club | Location: Frimley Green | Capacity: 1,100 | Key Events: BDO World Darts Championship (1986-2019) | Iconic Moment: Eric Bristow wins a then record fifth World Championship title (1986)

Referred to as ‘the home of world darts’, the Lakeside Country Club is one of the most famous darts venues. The Frimley Green location has hosted more World Championships than any other venue, having played host to the BDO World Championships from 1986 to 2019.

The Lakeside darts venue has been the setting for many of the sport’s most iconic moments. Eric Bristow won his fifth and last world title in the first year that the Lakeside held a World Championship, Phil Taylor claimed the first two of his record 16 world titles and Trina Gulliver won all of her record 10 Women’s World Championships all inside the same venue.

In 2022, World Championship darts returned to the Lakeside with the first staging of the WDF World Championships. Whilst the Lakeside is considered one of the old darts venues it still holds a unique atmosphere, with a classic charm inside its intimate setting making it a beloved location for fans of traditional darts.

The O2

Venue: The O2 | Location: London | Capacity: 20,000 | Key Events: PDC Premier League | Iconic Moment: Luke Littler hits a nine-dart leg in the Premier League final and wins his first major title (2024)

The rising popularity of darts was clear to see when some 14,000 fans packed out The O2 for the play-offs of this year’s Premier League Darts in May. A UK record crowd for the PDC witnessed Luke Littler become the youngest Premier League champion, as the 17-year-old hit a nine-dart leg on his way to beating Luke Humphries in the final.

The London venue opened in 2007 and has played host to many top stars in the music and entertainment world. In 2011, the PDC added The O2 to its roster of Premier League darts venues as the location for the tournament’s opening night. A year later The O2 was selected to stage the Premier League finals, with 2024 marking the 10th occasion that the London venue has hosted the tournament’s end of season play-offs.

A visit to The O2 for a Premier League night provides fans with a modern experience of attending a darts event. The large crowd will witness the biggest names battling it out in high-stakes matches for the one of the most lucrative prizes in the sport.

Butlin’s Minehead Resort

Venue: Butlin’s Minehead | Location: Minehead | Capacity: 5,000 | Key Events: PDC UK Open and Players Championship Finals | Iconic Moment: Andrew Gilding beats Michael van Gerwen in a last-leg decider to win the UK Open (2023)

Butlin’s Minehead Resort has the unique distinction of hosting two of the PDC’s major events each year. The holiday camp site in Somerset hosts the UK Open and Players Championship Finals, two of the most unpredictable tournaments on the darts calendar.

In 2012, Butlin’s Minehead took over as the location of the Players Championship Finals, and two years later the site became the new UK Open darts venue. The two events are each played over three days (Friday to Sunday) with darts fans flocking to Minehead with a weekend package that includes accommodation and tickets to every session.

The UK Open, often referred to as ‘The FA Cup of Darts’, includes a large field of players and features a FA Cup-style draw from the third round onwards, meaning the top stars can draw each other as early as the last 64 stage. As well as the main arena, the event has two other rooms to watch the action, including a multi-board room that can have up to seven matches going on at the same time.

Marshall Arena

Venue: Marshall Arena | Location: Milton Keynes | Capacity: 5,000 | Key Events: PDC Masters (now rebranded as the World Masters) | Iconic Moment: Stephen Bunting claims his first PDC major title at the Masters (2024)

The Marshall Arena has been the home of the Masters for almost a decade, with the Milton Keynes venue hosting every edition of the tournament since 2015. With a total capacity of 5,000 and having first opened its doors in 2014, it is one of the more modern darts venues UK fans can visit to watch the sport’s top players in action.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Marshall Arena became the unofficial ‘new home of world darts’ as it played host to many of the PDC’s major events that were held behind closed doors. This included nights 7-16 of the 2020 Premier League and the entirety of the 2020 World Matchplay.

In the Masters, it was Michael van Gerwen who dominated the early years of the tournament when it moved to the Marshall Arena. The Dutchman won the Masters for five consecutive years from 2015 to 2019, but the following five years it has produced five different winners with Peter Wright, Jonny Clayton, Joe Cullen, Chris Dobey and Stephen Bunting all tasting success in Milton Keynes.

Mattioli Arena

Venue: Mattioli Arena | Location: Leicester | Capacity: 3,000 | Key Events: PDC World Grand Prix | Iconic Moment: Luke Humphries defeats Gerwyn Price in the World Grand Prix final to become a major champion (2023)

The Leicester Arena, known as the Mattioli Arena for sponsorship reasons, is one of the newest additions to the list of darts venues. Another modern venue, having been opened in 2016, the Mattioli Arena hosted the now defunct Champions League of Darts for one year in 2019.

Big-time darts returned to the East Midlands venue two years later when the PDC moved its prestigious World Grand Prix tournament there in 2021. The double-in double-out event is one of the most unique major competitions on the calendar, with players having to start and finish each leg on a double.

Whilst the World Grand Prix had previously been staged in Ireland for the best part of 20 years, the Mattioli Arena has quickly made itself the event’s new home with the PDC having already confirmed the Leicester venue will stage the tournament again in 2025. Along with the televised World Grand Prix, the venue is also used to host many other events away from the cameras including Players Championships and Challenge Tour, Development Tour and Women’s Series weekends.

SSE Arena Belfast

Venue: SSE Arena Belfast | Location: Belfast | Capacity: 11,000 | Key Events: PDC Premier League | Iconic Moment: Gerwyn Price hits two nine darters on the same night (2022)

The Premier League Darts roadshow has become of one of the sport’s flagship events. From its humble beginnings in leisure centres in 2005 to now filling out some of the biggest indoors arenas in UK and across Europe, every year for 17 consecutive Thursday nights between February and May the world’s top players compete against each other to be crowned the Premier League champion.

The SSE Arena in Belfast was on the Premier League Darts venues 2024 list, with it first being added to the roster for the first time in 2008. The Premier League night is the only time that the Northern Ireland capital hosts the sport’s big stars each year, but it has staged some of the most memorable moments in the tournament’s history.

In 2018, Daryl Gurney enjoyed an unforgettable Belfast homecoming as the Northern Irish star defeated the then reigning world champion Rob Cross 7-5. In 2022, Gerwyn Price produced one of the all-time great performances as he threw two nine-dart legs, whilst this year’s Premier League night in Belfast saw Luke Littler win the nightly title in front of a raucous crowd of 11,000 people.

WV Active Aldersley

Venue: WV Active Aldersley | Location: Wolverhampton | Capacity: 1,800 | Key Events: PDC Grand Slam of Darts | Iconic Moment: Michael Smith ends his wait for a first major title by winning the Grand Slam of Darts (2022)

The WV Active Aldersley in Wolverhampton is the home of the Grand Slam of Darts – one of the biggest darts tournaments of the year. Each November, 32 of the world’s top players battle it out over nine days for £650,000 in prize money, with the eventual winner pocketing £150,000 and taking home the Eric Bristow Trophy.

The Grand Slam was first introduced to the calendar in 2007 and was held at the Civic Hall, in Wolverhampton up until 2017. The following year the tournament moved to its current home at the WV Active Aldersley, with a new host venue required whilst the Civic Hall underwent renovation work.

Whilst the Civic Hall reopened last year, the Grand Slam has remained at the WV Active Aldersley. This year’s edition of the tournament saw the venue's capacity expanded up to 1,800 and concluded with Luke Littler being crowned the champion. The 17-year-old defeated Martin Lukeman 16-3 in the final in front of a packed-out Wolverhampton crowd.

Get tournament ready with Darts Corner

Whether you want to experience the nostalgia of Lakeside or the party atmosphere at the Ally Pally, there is something for every darts fan to enjoy in our list of the top 10 darts venues in the UK. What do you think of our list? Let us know your thoughts via our social media channels on X (Twitter) and Facebook.

You can replicate the excitement of live darts at home with your own setup from Darts Corner. Choose from our extensive range of professional-quality dartboards, darts and accessories and create some iconic darts moments of your own at home!

Pictures: PDC/Chris Sargeant/TipTopPics

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