Going to the World Darts Finals
I didn't understand what was happening at Alexandra Palace, and frankly I didn't need to
Firstly, another confession from me: I don’t care much about darts. If I’m in a pub and the dart board is free then I’ll happily throw some arrows at it for a while, but I’m never likely to play it competitively nor do I ever watch it on telly. Which makes the fact that my first ever experience of watching professional darts in person was at the final of the World Championships a little bit weird, no? But that’s exactly what happened to me one chilly January morning at the very start of 2026. A good friend had messaged me several weeks earlier to see if I was up for it, though I half suspected he knew that my default position for anything like that is “of course I am”. He had an old friend who could sort out tickets for a human sounding price rather than the £5k plus I’d seen some on sale for, so it made sense to take him up on the offer. In case you didn’t know, the tournament is an annual competition to see who the best darts player in the world is. Held over the Christmas and new year period, it sees a massive hall in Alexandra Palace in London filled with beer drinking fans doing what they do best - dressing up in fancy dress costumes, drinking beer, and singing at the top of their lungs at the merest provocation. I’d been in that venue before for the snooker, which is a VERY different environment. The darts was loud, boisterous, and everything you’d expect it to be. The edges of the hall were filled with tiered seating, while us lucky few were on trestle tables in front of the stage like some homage to Oktoberfest. The four of us rocked up after some pre-drinking down the road, already pretty merry and in good spirits. Inside the venue is all manner of darts-related fun: sideshow games you can line up and play, stalls for buying merch, food and drink stalls, and lights and noise everywhere. If you are into the game itself then it’s no doubt heaven on earth - I’m sure my grandad would’ve been in his element. As it was, I didn’t pay it all that much attention, and we instead wandered to our designated spots on the second row of tables from the front, right next to the walk-in runway. That runway is one of the many changes that Barry Hearn, the master promoter, has made to help make the game into the massive event it is today. Players now all have their own entrance music, and are encouraged to dance, sing, and interact with the crowd as much as they can. Considering that these players aren’t often described as at peak physical shape, at least compared to traditional athletes, this actually adds to the fun brilliantly. It was as the players started their walks that I committed a fairly cardinal sin, apparently, and nearly got kicked out before a single dart had been thrown. In an attempt to get a better view of the players I hopped up onto my chair to see over the heads of those in between us - as I climbed down I was greeted by a very polite but very serious security guard who told me to get my coat as I had to leave. According to him, standing on chairs was a big no-no, and there was no alternative but for me to leave. Thankfully, though we’d all had a lot to drink, everybody stayed calm and coherent, even the very helpful guy next to us who argued our case while dressed as a character from Shrek. After a couple of minutes of bargaining he cracked a smile and told me he was only joking, but that we should all stay with our feet on the ground from now on. I’m still not sure whether or not he was joking, but by then I was too relieved to delve much deeper! By then the players were on stage, warming up by throwing darts at the board; I blinked, and then saw that we were already halfway through the first leg. Or game. Or set. Or something - I didn’t really have time to pick up on all of the terminology. Whatever the points added up to, 18 year old Luke Littler wasn’t hanging around, and to near-constant cheers of “180” he seemed to blast his way into an unassailable lead. The other player, Gian van Veen, had apparently been brilliant in the tournament and in the lead up to the championship, but he was totally blown away by the young lad, who just made the whole thing look ridiculously simple. I was surprised that there weren’t more breaks in play, even between legs - I’d expected them to drag things out a bit, even if only to accommodate adverts on the telly. This meant there weren’t loads of moments to pop out to get more beer, but thankfully we’d prepped for this by buying three pitchers to have on the table, which we polished off in quick order. We talked, we drank, and whenever everyone else cheered we cheered. And then it was all over. The music blared, the confetti rained, and Littler held the trophy above his head before doing a surprisingly long interview on stage. I had no idea what had really happened, other than that it was pretty much a whitewash. Reluctantly we took off our novelty hats and oversized green y-fronts from the sponsors Paddy Power, and filed out of that magnificent venue to head back down the hill to Wood Green and even more beers. (yes, we did get turned away from one pub, but we soon found another). Did I really understand it all? Nope. Would a proper darts fan have appreciated the tickets even more? Probably? Would I go back again? Absolutely! It was an absolute blast in terms of a day and the atmosphere, and great fun to be part of. No doubt we were surrounded by celebs and sportspeople, but being part of the same darts crowd made us all beer drinking equals who were just happy to be there. If ever you get the chance to go yourself, don’t hesitate to say yes. Top tips Predrink Obviously drinking isn’t essential, but having a couple before you get there means you turn up in the spirit you’ll continue with for the rest of the day. Just be sober enough to get in! Stay on the ground I still don’t know how serious that security guard was, but to avoid risking anything don’t stand on the chairs, and definitely don’t stand on the table! Dress up Fancy dress isn’t mandatory, but it’s definitely encouraged, and helps add to the surreal nature of it all Get set No need to be getting up and down throughout the match when they serve beer by the pitcher. Buy a couple of those and you’re set for the whole thing Get involved Darts is the least spectator of all the spectator sports I’ve seen. The fans are encouraged to sing, to cheer, and to generally be an active part of it all. The fans are what makes it so special, so be part of that.