The 2027 Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) schedule is set to become one of the busiest ever, highlighted by the debut of the European Open and the first ever PDC European Tour stop in France. While these additions promise to broaden the sport’s reach across the continent, they also tighten the competitive landscape for rising star Luke Littler, whose ambition to claim every major title could become even more demanding. The flagship of the new slate is the European Open, slated for June 18-20 in Salzburg. This three‑day tournament will sit directly after the World Cup of Darts, which returns to Frankfurt from June 10-13, and before the traditional World Matchplay in Blackpool, scheduled for July 17-25.
All holders of a PDC Tour Card will be eligible to compete, and the event will feature a £750,000 prize pool, raising the total number of PDC majors from eleven to twelve. For world number one Luke Littler, the extra major represents a fresh obstacle on his quest to emulate Michael van Gerwen’s rare achievement of winning every premier televised PDC title. Littler has already shown a willingness to prioritize his schedule, opting out of several European circuit events earlier in the year.
His recent comments about possibly boycotting Dutch tournaments after a hostile reception at the World Series of Darts Finals add further intrigue to his upcoming campaign. The European circuit itself is also expanding dramatically. The European Championship will grow to accommodate 48 competitors, stretch to six days of play, and offer a £1 million prize fund. Meanwhile, the European Tour will venture into France for the first time, with the town of Liévin hosting the fourth of fifteen tour stops from March 19-21, just before the Easter break.
This French leg follows earlier tour stops in Kiel (Germany), Krakow (Poland), and Riesa (Germany), and will be followed by a return to established venues across Austria, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belgium, Switzerland, Hungary, and the Netherlands throughout the season. PDC chief executive Matt Porter praised the growth, noting that the expanded calendar reflects darts’ rising popularity across Europe and creates more earning opportunities for players at every tier. He highlighted increased investment in the Challenge and Development Tours, which will now run over six three‑day weekends with prize money lifted to £30,000 per event and payouts extending to the last 128 participants.
The year will kick off with the Q‑School qualifiers in Milton Keynes and Kalkar from January 4-10, followed by the Winmau World Masters in Milton Keynes (January 27-31). The Premier League will launch in Glasgow on February 4, embarking on a 17‑night tour that culminates with the Finals Night at London’s O2 Arena on May 27. The Players Championship series will also begin in February, featuring 34 events spread across the UK and Europe.
The European Tour’s opening leg will be in Kiel from February 12-14, before breaking new ground in France the following month. After the World Cup and the newly minted European Open in June, the World Matchplay will return to Blackpool’s Winter Gardens, concluding on July 25 alongside the inaugural Women’s World Matchplay. The tour will resume in July with a stop in Leverkusen, then continue to Bratislava, Ghent, Basel, Budapest and Maastricht during the second half of the season. September will see the World Grand Prix back in Leicester (September 27‑October 3), while the European Championship expands to a six‑day showdown in Dortmund from October 26-31.
The Grand Slam of Darts will be staged in Wolverhampton (November 6-14), and the Players Championship Finals will head to Minehead (November 26-28). The calendar will close with the World Darts Championship at London’s Alexandra Palace in December, broadcast live on Sky Sports. These developments not only increase the number of high‑stakes tournaments but also diversify the locations, giving fans in new markets a chance to experience top‑level darts live. For players, the expanded prize structures and additional ranking events mean more routes to climb the Order of Merit and secure Tour Cards.
For Littler, the challenge is clear: navigate a denser schedule, adapt to new venues, and maintain the consistency required to add the European Open to his growing trophy cabinet. Whether he can achieve a clean sweep of all twelve majors remains to be seen, but the 2027 season promises to be a defining chapter for both him and the sport as a whole.