UK Open: Dates, schedule, players, history & more

The UK Open is a PDC major that sees 96 players battle it out over three days to be crowned the champion at Butlin's Minehead Resort.

The UK Open is one of the most entertaining and enthralling competitions on the darts circuit and the format of the tournament, with it having an unseeded draw after each round, has seen it earn the nickname of the 'FA Cup of Darts'.

Here's everything you need to know about the PDC's UK Open…

UK Open Date

The UK Open has a settled date in the darting calendar, taking place each year on the opening weekend of March. The tournament has been played in early March since 2014.

The 2024 renewal gets underway on Friday 1st March before drawing to its climax on Sunday 3rd March.

UK Open Venue

The UK Open Darts has been held at Butlin's Minehead Resort in Somerset since 2014, apart from in 2021 when it was staged at Milton Keynes' Marshall Arena.

The resort's Skyline Pavilion can hold 5,000 fans and the weekend-long tournament is seen as one of the most vibrant events on the sport's calendar.

There is a main stage in the Skyline Pavilion, a second stage in the intimate Reds arena and multi-board action elsewhere in the venue.

Prior to moving to Butlin's, the tournament was held for 11 years in the Premier Suite at Whites Hotel, situated in Bolton Wanderers' stadium, currently known as the Toughsheet Community Stadium, starting with the inaugural edition staged in 2003.

TV details & how to watch the UK Open

The 2024 UK Open Darts is available to watch on ITV4 in the UK, as well as on PDCTV.

It will be broadcast to international viewers on DAZN and Viaplay, whilst bet365 customers in the UK can live stream selected action right here at bet365.

History of the UK Open

The tournament was first staged in 2003 at the then-named Reebok Stadium in Bolton.

In 2014, the competition was moved to Butlin's resort in Minehead, and took on a new identity with it. The first event in Somerset saw a huge shock when Aden Kirk, playing in his first televised match, beat defending and five-time champion Taylor 9–7 in the third round.

Other upsets include when amateur qualifier Barry Lynn recorded a last-16 victory over the then-reigning world champion Gary Anderson in 2016.

The total prize pool has grown to £600,000 from an opening of £124,000 and the UK Open is without doubt one of the highlights of the darting calendar.

UK Open reigning champion

Andrew Gilding beat three-time UK Open title-winner Michael van Gerwen 11-10 in 2023 to claim his first and currently only major title, producing a huge shock.

UK Open most successful players

Player	Titles	Years
Phil Taylor	5	2003, 2005, 2009, 2010, 2013
Michael van Gerwen	3	2015, 2016, 2020
James Wade	3	2008, 2011, 2021
Raymond van Barneveld	2	2006 and 2007

Phil Taylor is out on his own with five UK Open titles, triumphing in 2003, 2005, 2009, 2010 and 2013.

Van Gerwen (2015, 2016 and 2020) and Wade (2008, 2011 and 2021) are next best with three apiece.

Raymond van Barneveld is the only other arrowsmith to have won the event on more than one occasion, taking the spoils in both 2006 and 2007.

Roland Scholten (2004), Robert Thornton (2012), Adrian Lewis (2014), Peter Wright (2017), Anderson (2018), Nathan Aspinall (2019), Danny Noppert (2022) and Gilding (2023) have all been crowned UK Open on one occasion.

UK Open Odds

Three-time Minehead champion Van Gerwen is the 11/2 favourite.

Luke Littler is next in the betting at 13/2, ahead of the man who beat him to become world champion, Luke Humphries, who is a 15/2 chance.