New Zealand Darts Masters 2026: Dates, Venue and Format
The New Zealand Darts Masters is one leg of the PDC’s World Series of Darts — the invitational circuit that takes the sport’s biggest names outside Europe for one-off, high-intensity events. This year’s edition runs across two days, 14-15 August, at the Spark Arena in Auckland, with eight PDC representatives drawn against eight Oceania representatives in round one.
Round one and the quarter-finals are both played over the best of 11 legs, the semi-finals step up to the best of 13, and the final is the best of 15 — a format that rewards the PDC pros’ experience once matches tighten up, but leaves enough room for an Oceania representative to cause an upset early on.
Why Luke Littler Is Skipping the New Zealand Darts Masters
The headline is who’s missing. Littler has confirmed he’s taking the entire month of August off — “I’ve got the whole of August off for the first time,” as he put it — dropping out of both the New Zealand and Australian Darts Masters rather than adding another long-haul trip to a year that’s already seen him crisscross the globe defending the World Matchplayand sweeping most of the sport’s other majors.
It’s an understandable call from a 19-year-old who has barely had a week off since his breakthrough at Alexandra Palace. Littler isn’t alone, either — Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen are also absent from the Auckland field, which is why Van Veen — the Dutch world number three — heads to New Zealand as the highest-ranked player in the building.
The Full Field for the New Zealand Darts Masters 2026
With three of the sport’s biggest draws staying home, the eight PDC spots go to a mix of major winners and in-form ProTour regulars, who’ll be paired against eight Oceania representatives earning a rare shot at PDC ranking silverware on home soil.
| Player | Country | Route |
|---|---|---|
| Gian van Veen | NED | PDC |
| Gerwyn Price | WAL | PDC |
| Jonny Clayton | WAL | PDC |
| James Wade | ENG | PDC |
| Josh Rock | NIR | PDC |
| Stephen Bunting | ENG | PDC |
| Ross Smith | ENG | PDC |
| Damon Heta | AUS | PDC |
| Simon Whitlock | AUS | Oceania |
| Adam Leek | AUS | Oceania |
| Raymond Smith | AUS | Oceania |
| Ben Robb | NZL | Oceania |
| Jonny Tata | NZL | Oceania |
| Mark Cleaver | NZL | Oceania |
| Kayden Milne | NZL | Oceania |
| Haupai Puha | NZL | Oceania |
Prize money for the 2026 edition hadn’t been published by the PDC at the time of writing — last year’s Auckland event carried a £100,000 fund, and this year’s is expected to be in a similar range once confirmed.
Legs to Win: New Zealand Darts Masters Format by Round
Legs required to win, by round
What This Means for the World Series of Darts Rankings
Beyond the trophy, the New Zealand Darts Masters matters for the wider season. Prize money earned in Auckland adds to the two-year rolling PDC Order of Merit, and ranking points from the event feed into the 2026 World Series of Darts standings — the same table that decides 24 of the 32 places at September’s World Series of Darts Finalsin Amsterdam. For a player like Van Veen, already the tournament’s top seed, a strong week in Auckland would be a meaningful step towards an automatic Amsterdam spot rather than relying on the Werner Rankings Ladder or a late qualifier.
For the Oceania representatives — headlined by veteran Simon Whitlock and Adam Leekalongside local wildcards from New Zealand and Australia — it’s a rare chance to bank ranking points and prize money against PDC-level opposition without leaving the region.
What’s Next in Darts
The World Series doesn’t stop in Auckland. The tour moves on to the Australian Darts Masters the following weekend, 21-22 August, before the full circuit regroups for the World Series of Darts Finals in Amsterdam from 17-20 September. Track how the field shapes up on the live PDC Order of Merit, or compare Van Veen’s form against the players sitting this one out via the Van Veen vs Littler head-to-head.