The 2026 European Darts Open now has its draw and schedule. In Leverkusen, Nathan Aspinall will begin his title defence against either Mickey Mansell or Michal Smejda, while Michael van Gerwen will wait for Joe Cullen or Charlie Manby in round two.
The event at the Ostermann-Arena, scheduled for 10 to 12 July, still carries real sporting weight despite three notable withdrawals: Gary Anderson, Ryan Searle and Gerwyn Price have dropped out of the original list. They have been replaced by Robert Owen, Max Hopp and Dominik Gruellich, while Michael Smith, first reserve, declined the available place. Put simply, the draw has changed shape, but it remains strong enough to matter before the next part of the month.
Key details ahead of the 2026 European Darts Open
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Dates | 10 to 12 July 2026 |
| Venue | Ostermann-Arena, Leverkusen |
| Field format | 48 players |
| Total prize money | £230,000 |
| Winner’s prize | £35,000 |
| Defending champion | Nathan Aspinall |
A draw that makes the weekend’s danger points clearer
Friday’s first round mainly sets up the bigger Saturday tests. Joe Cullen against Charlie Manby leads directly to Van Gerwen, which immediately gives that part of the draw extra weight. Rob Cross, meanwhile, must get past Max Hopp before a possible meeting with Krzysztof Ratajski.
We will also be watching Kevin Doets against Dominik Gruellich, as the winner could face Martin Schindler, and Niko Springer against Darius Labanauskas, with the winner set to meet Gian van Veen. These are not just opening matches: several of them can immediately make life harder for the seeds.
| Match or route | Why it matters |
|---|---|
| Mansell or Smejda vs Nathan Aspinall | The defending champion starts his title defence |
| Cullen or Manby vs Michael van Gerwen | A first major test for the five-time Leverkusen winner |
| Springer or Labanauskas vs Gian van Veen | The top seed comes in against a dangerous opponent |
| Cross or Hopp vs Krzysztof Ratajski | A tricky section with a former world champion and German crowd interest |
The Leverkusen weekend schedule
The structure is the usual European Tour format. Friday 10 July is reserved for the first round, featuring qualifiers and ProTour players. The 16 seeds enter on Saturday 11 July. On Sunday 12 July, the last 16 take place in the afternoon before the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final are played in the evening.
| Day | Schedule |
|---|---|
| Friday 10 July | First round |
| Saturday 11 July | Second round, seeds enter |
| Sunday 12 July afternoon | Last 16 |
| Sunday 12 July evening | Quarter-finals, semi-finals and final |
Why this event matters in July
The European Tour often works as a better form guide than the surrounding noise. Over a weekend like this, it quickly shows who is scoring steadily, who is finishing cleanly under pressure, and who is still too reliant on short bursts of form. For Van Gerwen, Aspinall, Van Veen or Schindler, Leverkusen can confirm an upswing. For others, it can reopen questions at exactly the wrong time.
Defending champion Nathan Aspinall will be watched closely. Defending a title at this level is not just about another trophy, it is also a way of showing that you remain dangerous in a part of the calendar where a deep field quickly punishes an average performance. Bookmakers such as JB have already started shaping their markets around an open weekend.
Broadcast details for the 2026 European Darts Open
The PDC says the tournament will be streamed on DAZN in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. In Poland, coverage will be available on CANAL+ SPORT 5 and via the CANAL+ streaming service. In other territories, coverage is listed for PDCTV, excluding Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with further worldwide coverage through selected bookmakers.
The editorial question has now shifted. It is no longer whether Leverkusen has enough depth, because it does. The real issue is which favourite avoids Saturday’s trap, and which outsider uses this reshaped draw to turn a standard European Tour stop into a genuine form signal.
