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

The Scottish Open returns to the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh in 2024 for its 31st 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 is the two-time defending champion, following up his 9-2 victory over compatriot Joe O'Connor in the 2022 final with a 9-5 success against Thailand's Noppon Saengkham 12 months ago.

Scottish Open dates

The Scottish Open's various guises have seen it moved around on the calendar. The event's early years as the International Open and Matchroom Trophy saw the tournament take place in August, September and October.

It was held in April in 1993 and then February from 1994 to 1997. The February or early spring date remained after the tournament first became the Scottish Open in 1998, but it has been held towards the end of the year since returning from an eight-year hiatus in 2012.

That slot has remained after the tournament returned from another break in 2016 and the 2024 event will take place between 9th to 15th December 2024. 

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.

Scottish Open venues

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 been held in Milton Keynes and Llandudno, but the tournament has been staged at its current home - the Meadowbank Sports Centre in Edinburgh - since 2022.

Newly rebuilt and reopened, 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.

Scottish Open how to watch

Selected matches from this year's Scottish Open will be available to watch on bet365’s Sports Live Streaming Service.

Eurosport holds the television broadcasting rights, with matches at the tournament shown across their TV channels and on discovery+.

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.

Who is playing in the 2024 Scottish Open?

As the two-time defending champion, Gary Wilson is the number one seed in Edinburgh and has been drawn against Long Zehuang in the first round.

World champion Kyren Wilson is the second seed and will face fellow Englishman David Grace in his opener, while Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Selby, Mark Williams and home favourite John Higgins are among the other big names set to be in action.

One man that will not be featuring in Edinburgh is world number one Judd Trump, who has opted to withdraw from the event following his recent triumph at the UK Championship.

Scottish Open history

The Scottish Open has taken place on 30 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 wins of the Scottish Open 

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.