Scottish Open: Start date, times, how to watch, format & more

The Scottish Open returns to the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh in 2026 for its 33rd edition, having first been held back in 1981.

Steve Davis was the winner on that occasion 42 years ago, when it was called the International Open. Since then it has also been known as the Matchroom Trophy (1985) and the Players Championship (2004).

The tournament now looks at home in its current slot as part of the four-event Home Nations series and many of snooker’s top performers will be in action this year.. 

England's Gary Wilson won back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023, following up his 9-2 victory over compatriot Joe O'Connor with a 9-5 success against Thailand's Noppon Saengkham 12 months later.

His reign was then ended when Lei Peifan was the 9-5 victor in an all-Chinese final against Wu Yize.

The 2025 edition was won by Chris Wakelin, becoming just his second ranking title following his 9-2 win over Chang Bingyu in the final.

Scottish Open dates

The dates for the 2026 Scottish Open are yet to be confirmed, but the competition will take place in mid-December as usual.

Scottish Open times

As with most snooker tournaments, matches are played throughout the day and can sometimes involve a late night finish. The early rounds of the Scottish Open are played on a multi-table format.

Play will likely get underway at the usual time of around 13:00 daily (GMT).

Scottish Open venue

The Scottish Open has been staged at its current home - the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh - since 2022.

Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh has enjoyed plenty of history, becoming the first venue to be included in the hosting of two Commonwealth Games in 1986, having also done so in 1970.

Meadowbank has also staged concerts, including Elton John in 2016, while its wide range of facilities makes it a key sporting hub for Edinburgh.

The tournament's nomadic nature has seen it held at a number of different towns and cities across England and Wales.

Derby, Newcastle, Stoke-on-Trent, Plymouth, Bournemouth and Swindon shared the honours early on before Aberdeen, Glasgow and others hosted.

Recent events have also been held in Milton Keynes and Llandudno.

Scottish Open format

A total of 64 players from the Tour enter the main draw following two pre-qualifying rounds that took place at the Ponds Forge International Sports Centre in Sheffield between 28th-30th October 2024.

The first round, or last 64, will be played over a best-of-seven frame format with the top 32 seeds being kept apart.

It will remain a best-of-seven format up until the quarter-finals, which will be played over the best-of-nine frames, with the semi-finals being best-of-11 and the final best-of-17.

Scottish Open history

The Scottish Open has taken place on 31 previous occasions but has not always been a regular event since first being played in 1981.

There was a hiatus between 1990-1992, as well as 2005-2011 and 2013-2016.

However, it is now a regular on the tour and with Meadowbank's facilities giving it the potential to be a permanent venue, it looks set to continue for some time to come.

Most Scottish Open wins

Steve Davis was the first winner of the Scottish Open in 1981, thrashing Dennis Taylor 9-0 in the final, and he dominated the early years of the tournament, winning it six times, with the last of those successes coming in 1989.

Davis remains the record winner of the event, with Stephen Hendry being the only other player to have triumphed in it more than twice, as he claimed three titles in 1993, 1997 and 1999.

John Higgins, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Selby and current champion Gary Wilson have all lifted the trophy twice and all four will be looking to land their third titles in 2024.