When the PDC European Tour stops off on the River Elbe, every fan knows it’s going to be loud, emotional and traditional. The ELTEN Safety Shoes International Darts Open has long been a fixture in the calendar and will return to the historic WT Energiesysteme Arena from 22 to 24 May 2026.
Hardly any other place exudes the history of the European Tour as much as Riesa. Since its premiere in 2015, the arena has regularly been transformed into a cauldron where records are broken and heroes are born. Whether it’s the dominance of record winner Gerwyn Price or Martin Schindler’s historic first European Tour title in 2024, Saxony provides the perfect stage for magical moments.
General tournament information
Date: 22 to 24 May 2026
Venue: WT Energiesysteme Arena, Riesa (Germany)
Competition: European Tour (Event No. 7)
Field of participants: 48 players
Match overview with session information
The tournament will be played in the classic knockout system. The first four rounds will be played in a best of 11 legs format, the semi-finals in a best of 13 legs format and the final in a best of 15 legs format. All legs will be played in double-out mode. Tickets for the individual sessions are available HERE.
Match schedule & sessions
Friday, 22 May 2026
Afternoon session (from 1 p.m.) – 1st round
Ryan Joyce v Jeffrey Sparidaans
Connor Scutt v Finn Behrens
Madars Razma v Gyorgy Jehirszki
Andrew Gilding v Bradley Brooks
Cameron Menzies v Michael Unterbuchner
Karel Sedlacek v Johan Engstrom
Ricardo Pietreczko v Maik Kuivenhoven
Niels Zonneveld v Keane Barry
Evening session (from 7 p.m.) – 1st round
Dave Chisnall v Liam Maendl-Lawrance
Kevin Doets v Tom Bissell
William O’Connor v Paul Krohne
Joe Cullen v Chris Landman
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Rob Cross
Krzysztof Ratajski v Cristo Reyes
Niko Springer v Charlie Manby
Daryl Gurney v Kim Huybrechts
Saturday, 23 May 2026
Afternoon session (from 1 p.m.) – 2nd round
Jermaine Wattimena v Andrew Gilding / Bradley Brooks
Damon Heta v Niels Zonneveld / Keane Barry
Luke Woodhouse v Kevin Doets / Tom Bissell
Danny Noppert v Ricardo Pietreczko / Maik Kuivenhoven
Ross Smith v Joe Cullen / Chris Landman
Mike De Decker v Dirk van Duijvenbode / Rob Cross
Wessel Nijman v William O’Connor / Paul Krohne
Josh Rock v Cameron Menzies / Michael Unterbuchner
Evening session (from 7 p.m.) – 2nd round
Chris Dobey v Daryl Gurney / Kim Huybrechts
James Wade v Dave Chisnall / Liam Maendl-Lawrance
Ryan Searle v Niko Springer / Charlie Manby
Gerwyn Price v Ryan Joyce / Jeffrey Sparidaans
Gian van Veen v Connor Scutt / Finn Behrens
Michael van Gerwen v Madars Razma / Gyorgy Jehirszki
Stephen Bunting v Krzysztof Ratajski / Cristo Reyes
Martin Schindler v Karel Sedlacek / Johan Engstrom
Sunday, 24 May 2026
Afternoon session (from 12 p.m.) – Round of 16
Evening session (from 6 p.m.) – Quarter-finals, semi-finals & final
The top-ranked players in the PDC Order of Merit will enter the tournament in the second round, while the remaining players will compete in the first round.
Prize money
In 2026, the prize money for European Tour events was significantly increased. A total of £230,000 will be distributed as follows:
- Winner: £ 35,000
- Runner-up: £ 15,000
- Semi-finalists: £ 10,000
- Quarter-finalists: £ 8,000
- Round of 16: £ 5,000
- Second round: £ 3,500
- First round: £ 2,000
The prize money counts towards the PDC Order of Merit, the ProTour Order of Merit and the European Tour Order of Merit (qualification for the European Championship).
Qualification
The field of participants is made up of various qualification routes to ensure a mix of world stars and regional talent:
Top 16 of the PDC Order of Merit: Luke Littler*, Luke Humphries, Gian van Veen, Michael van Gerwen, Jonny Clayton*, James Wade, Stephen Bunting, Gerwyn Price, Josh Rock, Gary Anderson*, Danny Noppert, Ryan Searle, Chris Dobey, Nathan Aspinall*, Ross Smith, Martin Schindler
Top 16 of the ProTour Order of Merit: Wessel Nijman, Jermaine Wattimena, Damon Heta, Dirk van Duijvenbode, Luke Woodhouse, Niko Springer, Niels Zonneveld, Krzysztof Ratajski, Daryl Gurney, William O’Connor, Joe Cullen, Ryan Joyce, Kevin Doets, Andrew Gilding, Dave Chisnall, Cameron Menzies
Tour Card Holder Qualifier: Kim Huybrechts, Tom Bissell, Bradley Brooks, Keane Barry, Charlie Manby, Jeffrey Sparidaans, Chris Landman, Madars Razma, Cristo Reyes, Connor Scutt
Host Nation Qualifier: Finn Behrens, Michael Unterbuchner, Paul Krohne, Liam Maendl-Lawrance
Nordic & Baltic Qualifier: Johan Engström
East Europe Qualifier: György Jehirszki
*Luke Littler, Jonny Clayton, Gary Anderson, and Nathan Aspinall did not register for the tournament in Riesa from the outset. As a result, Mike De Decker, Karel Sedláček, Ricardo Pietreczko, and Michael Smith moved up into the field of participants via the Pro Tour rankings. The seeded positions were taken over by Jermaine Wattimena, Mike De Decker, Wessel Nijman, and Damon Heta.
TV broadcast
Fans can watch the entire tournament live. The ELTEN Safety Shoes International Darts Open will be broadcast on the following channels:
PDC TV:
International live stream for subscribers (original commentary).
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Current scores and highlights can be found on the PDC Europe channels.
DAZN:
Broadcasts all sessions live in Germany, Austria and Switzerland in German.
Previous winners
- 2025: Stephen Bunting 8:5 Nathan Aspinall
- 2024: Martin Schindler 8:5 Gerwyn Price
- 2023: Gerwyn Price 8:4 Michael van Gerwen
- 2022: Gerwyn Price 8:4 Peter Wright
- 2020: Joe Cullen 8:5 Michael van Gerwen
- 2019: Gerwyn Price 8:6 Rob Cross
- 2018: Gerwyn Price 8:3 Simon Whitlock
- 2017: Peter Wright 6:5 Kim Huybrechts
- 2016: Mensur Suljović 6:5 Kim Huybrechts
- 2015: Michael Smith 6:3 Benito van de Pas
