PDC confirms 160-player field and £750,000 prize fund for new European Open in Salzburg in June 2027

The PDC has set out how its new European Open will work. The tournament will be played at the Salzburgarena in Salzburg, Austria, from 18 to 20 June 2027, and 160 players will compete for a £750,000 prize fund. The PDC announced the field and qualification structure on Wednesday, 14 October. The event borrows heavily from the UK Open, where pros and amateurs play in one open draw.

Who gets in

Every one of the PDC's 128 Tour Card holders is guaranteed a place. That includes players who earn their cards at Q-School ahead of the 2027 season, so a new card now brings entry to the European Open as well as the UK Open.

The other 32 places will go to qualifiers. The routes include international qualifying events, the Challenge Tour and the Development Tour, which is the PDC's youth circuit. There will also be places for amateurs coming through a new grassroots series run by PDC Europe. Coverage of the announcement compares this pathway to the Riley's amateur qualifiers that send pub and club players to the UK Open. The PDC says the full qualifier format will be announced later.

The UK Open model, transplanted to Austria

The format follows the UK Open. Eight boards will be in use at the same time in the early stages, and fans can move between boards to watch different matches. The organisers are also promising a beer garden and other activities for spectators over the three days.

PDC chief executive Matt Porter described the event as "another significant step in the growth of our sport across Europe."

The timing fits into the summer calendar. The European Open starts the week after the 2027 World Cup of Darts, which will be held in Frankfurt from 10 to 13 June.

Why Salzburg matters

Continental Europe, and the German-speaking countries in particular, has become one of the PDC's biggest growth areas, and many European Tour events are played there. The new amateur series is designed around that region. A full open-draw event gives local players a direct route onto a big stage against the world's best without a Tour Card.

The format also tends to produce upsets. At the UK Open, early-round amateurs and lower-ranked professionals regularly knock out seeded names in short matches, and the European Open is likely to have the same unpredictability.

Tickets and timeline

• Ticket presale opens on 12 November 2026, and general sale begins the following day.
• Friday and Saturday are sold as day tickets covering all sessions in the multi-board hall.
• Sunday's sessions are ticketed separately.

Before then, the 2026 European Tour finishes with the Dutch Darts Championship in Maastricht, which starts on Friday, 16 October. After that come the European Championship, the Grand Slam of Darts and the Players Championship Finals, ahead of the World Championship in December.

Key takeaways

• The new PDC European Open will be held at Salzburgarena, Austria, from 18 to 20 June 2027.
• The field has 160 players: all 128 Tour Card holders plus 32 qualifiers, including amateurs.
• The prize fund is £750,000, and play will be on eight boards at once, as at the UK Open.
• Tickets go on presale on 12 November 2026.

FAQ

Can amateurs play in the European Open? Yes. Some of the 32 qualifying places go to amateurs who come through a new PDC Europe grassroots series. Other places go to players from the international qualifiers, the Challenge Tour and the Development Tour.

When and where is the European Open? It runs from 18 to 20 June 2027 at the Salzburgarena in Salzburg, Austria, the week after the World Cup of Darts in Frankfurt.

How much prize money is on offer? The total prize fund is £750,000. The PDC has not yet published how it will be split.

Sources: PDC, DartsNews, DartsNews.de, DartsKing