The 2026 World Series of Darts has kicked off with the Bahrain Darts Masters. The format sees eight of the best players from the Professional Darts Corporation take on eight regional representatives in the last-16.
After the Bahrain event, the series continues in Saudi Arabia, Denmark, the United States, New Zealand and Australia, before concluding with the Grand Final in the Netherlands in September.
The winner of each international event earns £30,000 from a £100,000 prize fund, while the World Series of Darts Grand Final carries a total prize fund of £450,000, with £100,000 awarded to the champion.
One day for everything: Bahrain Darts Masters heads from quarters to final
It will be a busy day in Bahrain, with the tournament moving from the quarter-finals to the final and a champion crowned tonight.
All eight Professional Darts Corporation representatives came through their last-16 matches against Asian opponents, with two-time world champion Luke Littler producing a tournament-high average of 106 in his victory over 71-year-old Singaporean Paul Lim.
From quarter-finals to champion: line-up and predictions
The quarter-finals, played as best-of-11 legs, get under way at 4pm GMT today. They will be followed by the semi-finals, played over best-of-13 legs, before the tournament concludes with a best-of-15 legs final.
Quarter-finals
Luke Littler v Gerwyn Price
The quarter-finals open with world number one Luke Littler facing former world champion Gerwyn Price. Given Littler’s dominance over the sport over the past year, it is difficult to look beyond a victory for the 19-year-old sensation.
Price’s best chance may lie in catching Littler cold early on and ensuring his finishing on the doubles is close to flawless.
Prediction: Littler 6-3
Michael van Gerwen v Stephen Bunting
It is clear that ‘Mighty Mike’ is not the player he once was, and after a limp fourth-round defeat to Gary Anderson at the World Championship, van Gerwen will be desperate to arrest his slide and return to challenging for the sport’s biggest titles.
He faces a player in Bunting whose form has often come in streaks, but who has shown far greater consistency over the past twelve months. It should be a close contest, but one that may go Bunting’s way and offer further cause for concern for the once dominant Dutchman.
Prediction: Bunting 6-4
Luke Humphries v Nathan Aspinall
Luke Humphries averaged 103 in his last-16 victory, whitewashing Abdulla Saeed. If he can maintain that level, it is difficult to see Nathan Aspinall having enough in the tank to get past the former world champion.
Prediction: Humphries 6-2
Gian van Veen v Danny Noppert
Gian van Veen announced himself in style on the PDC tour over the past three months, defeating Luke Humphries 11–10 in the European Championship final before reaching the final of this year’s World Championship, where he fell to the unstoppable Littler.
Noppert, meanwhile, has struggled to live up to expectations since winning the UK Open in 2022. Formidable on his day, he may still find Gian van Veen has too much in the tank on this occasion.
Prediction: van Veen 6-3
Semi-final and final predictions
It is difficult to see any scenario in which the final does not feature Luke Littler. If Bunting progresses from his quarter-final and finds his best form, he has the quality to come through, though much will again depend on whether Littler is on hot form from the opening leg. And sometimes that isn’t even enough given his ability to claw back any deficit.
Should the second semi-final pit Humphries against van Veen, it would carry the potential to echo their meeting at the World Championship, where the Dutchman dismantled Humphries in a stunning performance.
Who will win the title?
On current form and dominance, Luke Littler looks the clear favourite, operating on a level that feels a step beyond the rest of the field.
