2026 IDF European Championship

2026 IDF European Championship
Tournament information
Dates	22–25 October 2026
Venue	Westfalenhallen
Location	Dortmund, Germany
Organisation(s)	IDF
Format	Legs
Prize fund	£600,000
Winner's share	£120,000
2027»

The 2026 IDF European Championship is a professional darts tournament organised by the International Darts Federation (IDF), taking place from 22 to 25 October 2026 at the Westfalenhallen in Dortmund, Germany.

The tournament features the top 32 players from the final 2026 IDF European Tour Order of Merit. Alex Brow is the defending champion, having won the 2025 IDF European Championship.

The IDF introduced an expanded match format for the 2026 edition, with the second round and quarter-finals increasing to best of 21 legs, the semi-finals to best of 25 legs and the final to best of 31 legs.

Elias Storm made his return to competitive darts at the tournament after missing several weeks with a broken wrist sustained during the break following the 2026 IDF World Grand Prix. Storm narrowly won his opening match against Cole Hamilton 6–5.

Format

The tournament is being played as a 32-player single-elimination event.

All matches are contested in a straight legs format, with players required to finish each leg on a double.

The match lengths are:

• First round: best of 11 legs
• Second round: best of 21 legs
• Quarter-finals: best of 21 legs
• Semi-finals: best of 25 legs
• Final: best of 31 legs

The first round is therefore first to six legs, the second round and quarter-finals first to 11, the semi-finals first to 13, and the final first to 16.

The 2026 tournament is the first edition of the IDF European Championship to feature a best-of-31-legs final.

Prize money

The total prize fund for the tournament is £600,000, with £120,000 awarded to the champion.

Stage	Prize money	Players	Total
Winner	£120,000	1	£120,000
Runner-up	£60,000	1	£60,000
Semi-finalists	£40,000	2	£80,000
Quarter-finalists	£25,000	4	£100,000
Second round	£12,500	8	£100,000
First round	£8,750	16	£140,000
Total			£600,000

Prize money earned at the tournament counts towards the IDF Order of Merit.

Qualification

Qualification was determined by the final 2026 IDF European Tour Order of Merit following the conclusion of the European Tour season.

The top 32 players qualified for the tournament and were seeded according to their final positions on the European Tour Order of Merit.

Brow finished first on the European Tour Order of Merit and entered the tournament as the top seed. Logan White qualified second, with Max Mad third and Parker Reeves fourth.

Storm qualified fifth despite missing the closing European Tour events after breaking his wrist.

Qualifiers

1. Alex Brow
2. Logan White
3. Max Mad
4. Parker Reeves
5. Elias Storm
6. Quinn Sanders
7. Jack Mercer
8. Wyatt Walker
9. Duncan MacLeod
10. Hunter Jackson
11. Rhys Morgan
12. Bram De Waal
13. Niklas Hofer – first round
14. Benjamin Carter
15. Ethan Mitchell
16. Oliver Bartlett – first round
17. Harry Lewis
18. Callum Pike
19. Blake Carter
20. Jeroen van Dijk
21. Nathan Owens
22. Noah Parker
23. Sean Donovan – first round
24. Lukas Weber
25. Matteo Vermeulen – first round
26. Connor Hayes
27. Mason Kelly – first round
28. Cole Hamilton – first round
29. Jamie Fletcher – first round
30. Daniel McKenna
31. Ryan Thomas
32. Lewis Moorcroft – first round

Tournament summary

First round

The tournament began on 22 October with four matches during the afternoon session.

Eighth seed Wyatt Walker opened the tournament with a 6–2 victory over Matteo Vermeulen. Walker broke throw in the third leg and moved 4–1 ahead before closing out the match in eight legs. He averaged 103.74, compared with Vermeulen's 96.82.

Jeroen van Dijk produced the first upset of the tournament by defeating 13th seed Niklas Hofer 6–5. Hofer led 4–2 before Van Dijk won three consecutive legs to move ahead. Hofer forced a deciding leg, but Van Dijk held throw in 13 darts to complete the victory. Van Dijk averaged 101.46, while Hofer averaged 100.83.

Sixth seed Quinn Sanders defeated Mason Kelly 6–3. Kelly remained within one leg at 4–3 before Sanders won the final two legs, including a 12-dart leg to seal the match. Sanders averaged 104.18 to Kelly's 99.37.

The afternoon session concluded with Harry Lewis defeating 16th seed Oliver Bartlett 6–4. Bartlett led 3–1 before Lewis won four consecutive legs to move 5–3 ahead. Bartlett reduced the deficit in the ninth leg, but Lewis completed the win on double 16 in the following leg. Lewis averaged 102.29, compared with Bartlett's 100.14.

The evening session began with fourth seed Parker Reeves defeating Jamie Fletcher 6–3. Fletcher broke throw in the opening leg, but Reeves responded immediately and moved 4–2 ahead. Fletcher reduced the deficit to one leg before Reeves won the final two legs to progress. Reeves averaged 104.36, while Fletcher averaged 98.91.

Tenth seed Hunter Jackson defeated Sean Donovan 6–4. Jackson led 3–0 before Donovan recovered to level the match at 3–3. The pair exchanged the next two legs before Jackson secured the decisive break in the ninth leg and held throw to complete the victory. Jackson averaged 102.71 compared with Donovan's 100.48.

Defending champion Alex Brow began his title defence with a 6–2 victory over Lewis Moorcroft. Brow won the opening three legs and, despite Moorcroft taking two of the next three, closed the match with consecutive legs to advance. Brow averaged 106.92, the highest average of the opening day, while Moorcroft averaged 98.53.

The final match of the session marked Storm's first competitive appearance since breaking his wrist. Storm narrowly defeated Cole Hamilton 6–5 in a match in which he struggled to reproduce the scoring level he had shown before the injury. Hamilton led 2–0 and later 4–2 before Storm won three consecutive legs to move 5–4 ahead. Hamilton forced a deciding leg after Storm missed two match darts in the tenth, but Storm held throw in 15 darts to complete the victory.

Storm averaged 97.46, considerably below the averages he recorded at the World Grand Prix, while Hamilton averaged 96.88. Storm converted six of 17 attempts at double and hit three maximums.

Draw

The draw was confirmed following the completion of the European Tour Order of Merit.

Unlike an open draw, the bracket was determined directly by ranking position, with first playing 32nd, second playing 31st and the remaining players placed into a fixed seeded bracket.

	First round Best of 11 legs					Second round Best of 21 legs					Quarter-finals Best of 21 legs					Semi-finals Best of 25 legs					Final Best of 31 legs
	1	Alex Brow 106.92	6
	32	Lewis Moorcroft 98.53	2
						1	Alex Brow
						17	Harry Lewis
	16	Oliver Bartlett 100.14	4
	17	Harry Lewis 102.29	6
	8	Wyatt Walker 103.74	6
	25	Matteo Vermeulen 96.82	2
						8	Wyatt Walker
	9	Duncan MacLeod
	24	Lukas Weber
	4	Parker Reeves 104.36	6
	29	Jamie Fletcher 98.91	3
						4	Parker Reeves
						20	Jeroen van Dijk
	13	Niklas Hofer 100.83	5
	20	Jeroen van Dijk 101.46	6
	5	Elias Storm 97.46	6
	28	Cole Hamilton 96.88	5
						5	Elias Storm
	12	Bram De Waal
	21	Nathan Owens
	2	Logan White
	31	Ryan Thomas
	15	Ethan Mitchell
	18	Callum Pike
	7	Jack Mercer
	26	Connor Hayes
						10	Hunter Jackson
	10	Hunter Jackson 102.71	6
	23	Sean Donovan 100.48	4
	3	Max Mad
	30	Daniel McKenna
	14	Benjamin Carter
	19	Blake Carter
	6	Quinn Sanders 104.18	6
	27	Mason Kelly 99.37	3
						6	Quinn Sanders
	11	Rhys Morgan
	22	Noah Parker

Schedule

22 October

Afternoon session

First round:

• Wyatt Walker (8) 6–2 Matteo Vermeulen (25)
• Jeroen van Dijk (20) 6–5 Niklas Hofer (13)
• Quinn Sanders (6) 6–3 Mason Kelly (27)
• Harry Lewis (17) 6–4 Oliver Bartlett (16)

Evening session

First round:

• Parker Reeves (4) 6–3 Jamie Fletcher (29)
• Hunter Jackson (10) 6–4 Sean Donovan (23)
• Alex Brow (1) 6–2 Lewis Moorcroft (32)
• Elias Storm (5) 6–5 Cole Hamilton (28)

23 October

Afternoon session

First round:

• Bram De Waal (12) v Nathan Owens (21)
• Ethan Mitchell (15) v Callum Pike (18)
• Rhys Morgan (11) v Noah Parker (22)
• Duncan MacLeod (9) v Lukas Weber (24)

Evening session

First round:

• Benjamin Carter (14) v Blake Carter (19)
• Jack Mercer (7) v Connor Hayes (26)
• Max Mad (3) v Daniel McKenna (30)
• Logan White (2) v Ryan Thomas (31)

24 October

Afternoon session

Second round:

• Alex Brow (1) v Harry Lewis (17)
• Wyatt Walker (8) v winner of MacLeod/Weber
• Parker Reeves (4) v Jeroen van Dijk (20)
• Elias Storm (5) v winner of De Waal/Owens

Evening session

Second round:

• Winner of White/Thomas v winner of Mitchell/Pike
• Winner of Mercer/Hayes v Hunter Jackson (10)
• Winner of Mad/McKenna v winner of Benjamin Carter/Blake Carter
• Quinn Sanders (6) v winner of Morgan/Noah Parker

25 October

Afternoon session

Quarter-finals:

• Quarter-final 1
• Quarter-final 2
• Quarter-final 3
• Quarter-final 4

Evening session

• Semi-final 1
• Semi-final 2
• Final

Background

Brow entered the tournament as defending champion after winning the 2025 edition.

The 2026 European Championship marks Storm's first competitive appearance since winning the 2026 IDF World Grand Prix. Storm broke his wrist during the subsequent break and withdrew from the remaining events scheduled during his recovery.

Storm was cleared to return shortly before the European Championship. His 97.46 average in his first-round victory over Hamilton was substantially below the level he had produced prior to the injury, although he advanced to the second round.