The biggest event on the darts calendar, the 2026 PDC World Darts Championship, kicks off tonight, Thursday, December 11, with the main attraction being Luke Littler Title Defence 2026. The reigning champion and newly crowned World Number 1 will headline the opening night at London’s Alexandra Palace, facing the experienced Lithuanian Darius Labanauskas in the first round. The match is scheduled to begin around 9:00 PM GMT.
Littler, who became the youngest-ever world champion in 2025, enters the tournament as the heavy favorite. After a dominant year that saw him sweep multiple major titles and ascend to the top ranking, the 18-year-old is attempting to become just the fourth player in PDC history to successfully retain the World Darts Championship title. The feat has not been achieved since Gary Anderson managed it in 2016.
His first opponent, Labanauskas, is a former World Championship quarter-finalist who regained his Pro Tour card this year. Despite the vast difference in ranking, Littler acknowledged the difficulty, telling Sky Sports, “He’s not the quickest player… it’s all about getting past that first round.” Former World Champion Michael Smith is also in action on the opening night, facing Lisa Ashton.
With an expanded 128-player field all vying for the record-breaking £1 million winner’s prize, the pressure is squarely on “The Nuke” to perform from the start. The Luke Littler Title Defence 2026 is the centerpiece of the opening night, signaling the start of the three-week festive darts extravaganza that culminates in the final on January 3.
