This Christmas, the darts are moving into a bigger room. The World Darts Championship heads into the Great Hall at Alexandra Palace for the first time, running from 11th December to 3rd January with a record 180,000 tickets on offer. It is the biggest version of the tournament yet, and a good reason to plan a festive trip to north London.
The darts championship also carries a bookmaker’s name. Paddy Power took over as title sponsor from Cazoo in December 2023 and holds the deal until at least 2031, a long commitment that shows how much a betting and casino brand values three weeks of televised darts over Christmas.
Tickets, Dates and the Resale Route
Full dates and visitor information are on the official page for the World Darts Championship at Alexandra Palace. Tickets were allocated by ballot for the first time this year, and the ballot has now closed. Any tickets put back on sale must go through the official See Tickets Fan-to-Fan resale platform, so it is worth avoiding anything offered elsewhere.
What the Name on the Stage Is Selling
Most people know Paddy Power as a bookmaker, but it also runs an online casino with its own branded games, such as Paddy’s Mansion Heist. Having its name on the biggest darts event of the year puts the whole business in front of fans in the hall and viewers at home. A sponsorship like this works as a shop window for everything the brand does, not just the betting.
Online, the same job is done at the moment someone signs up, where many casino welcome offers are now unlocked by typing in a short code rather than applying automatically. The terms behind codes for casino welcome offers vary widely, from wager-free spins to deposit matches with playthrough conditions, so the code a new customer enters matters as much as the brand behind it. For a sponsor, the name above the oche and the code at sign-up are two ends of the same effort to win new customers.
Getting There and Where to Eat
Alexandra Palace sits on a hill in north London, with Alexandra Palace station close by and buses running up to the venue. Rooms near the venue go quickly in December, so booking a hotel early makes the trip far easier.
Muswell Hill and Wood Green have plenty of pubs and restaurants for a meal before a session. Arriving with time to spare also means catching the walk-ons, one of the best parts of a night at the darts.
If darts is not quite your idea of Christmas, there are calmer options. A festive break in Bath offers Christmas markets, light trails and afternoon tea in Georgian streets, about as far from a packed Great Hall as you can get.
Every 180 Raises Money
There is a good-cause side to the tournament too. City AM reports that the prize pot is £5 million, with £1 million going to the winner, and that Paddy Power donates £1,000 to Prostate Cancer UK for every 180 thrown. The roar that greets every maximum is also money for the charity, which gives the crowd’s favourite moment a little more meaning.
Doors Open on 11th December
When the Great Hall opens on 11th December, the darts will be bigger than ever, with a bookmaker’s name on the stage and its casino side never far behind. For visitors, the practical steps are the same as any big night out: book travel early, stick to the official resale route and pack the fancy dress for one of the best nights of the winter.
Images courtesy of unsplash.com, freepix.com and pexels.com
