France is finally set to host its own leg of the PDC European Tour. On Friday 25 September, PDC Europe officially announced the launch of the Darts Grand Prix de France, scheduled to take place from 19 to 21 March 2027 at the Arena Stade Couvert in Liévin, in the Pas-de-Calais. This marks the first time a Professional Darts Corporation tournament will be held on French soil.
The announcement came alongside the full 2027 calendar. For the first time in its history, the European Tour will visit ten countries and fifteen cities, with Liévin and Ghent (Belgium) as new destinations. The Liévin event will be the fourth stop on the circuit, coming just after Kiel, Kraków and Riesa, and just before the traditional Easter stop in Germany.
What Liévin means for the tour
France had been conspicuously absent from the PDC map. It is now becoming a market in its own right. Enthusiasm for darts has been growing there for the past two seasons, fuelled by the sport’s coverage on the L’Équipe channel and by the French team’s performances in the World Cup. PDC Europe acknowledges this: “The fact that we will be touring ten countries and fifteen cities for the first time in 2027 marks an important milestone for PDC Europe,” summarised Werner von Moltke, the organisation’s president. “With Ghent and Liévin, we are welcoming two new destinations to the European Tour and we look forward to writing new chapters in the history of darts there alongside the fans.”
The choice of the Arena Stade Couvert is no coincidence. The venue in Liévin, which is no stranger to indoor athletics and major public events, offers the potential for a large-scale event: nearly 30,000 spectators are expected over three days, according to estimates reported by La Voix du Nord. The event is being organised locally by the promoter À Gauche de la Lune, with the support of the Pas-de-Calais department, the Lens-Liévin urban community and the town of Liévin.
Six sessions, three days, a classic format
The schedule follows the usual format of European Tour events, with six separate sessions spread over three days and one ticket per session available when tickets go on sale.
| Day | Sessions (Paris time) | Round |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 19 March 2027 | 1 pm and 7 pm | First round |
| Saturday 20 March 2027 | 1 pm and 7 pm | Second round |
| Sunday 21 March 2027 | 1 pm (round of 16) and 7 pm (quarter-finals, semi-finals and final) | Final stages |
Times are subject to change: these are the start times for the sessions, not fixed match start times.
48 players, and four places for the French
As with every stop on the circuit, the field will consist of 48 players. The top sixteen in the PDC Order of Merit will enter the competition directly in the second round on Saturday. The next sixteen in the ProTour Order of Merit complete the top half of the draw, followed by the ten qualifiers from the Tour Card Holder Qualifier.
The key detail for the French public: four places are reserved for the Host Nation Qualifier, a qualifying tournament open to French players. Two further places come from the Nordic & Baltic Qualifier and the East Europe Qualifier. The list of entrants will be announced no later than two weeks before the event. On the official poster for the event, Thibault Tricole is listed alongside Luke Littler, Luke Humphries, Gerwyn Price, Stephen Bunting and Gian van Veen, although none of their participation is guaranteed at this stage.
Ticket sales: pre-sale on 3 November, general sale on 4 November
Registration for the pre-sale is already open at darts-grand-prix-de-france.fr. Those who have registered will have access to the pre-sale on 3 November 2026, one day before general sale begins on 4 November 2026. PDC Europe has also stated that ticketing details and practical information for the various stages of the 2027 season will be revealed from late October.
Where does Liévin fit into the season?
The French leg forms part of a packed European schedule. The 2026 season ended with James Wade’s victory at the Flanders Darts Trophy, the circuit’s most recent leg. The 2027 season will then continue with stops in Göttingen, Sindelfingen, Graz, Prague, Leverkusen, Bratislava, Ghent, Basel, Budapest and Maastricht.
For the players, there is more at stake than just the title. The European Tour Order of Merit determines qualification for the European Championship, which is reserved for the top thirty-two in the rankings. In terms of prize money, the 2026 events offered a total of £230,000, with £35,000 going to the winner. The exact prize money for the 2027 edition will be confirmed alongside the event’s practical details.
One thing is already certain: next March, France will crown its first-ever PDC champion on home soil.
