Luke Littler battles Ryan Searle for a place in the World Championship final at Alexandra Palace in London

The stage is set for one of the biggest evenings on the darts calendar.

Semi-final night at the 2026 PDC World Championship has arrived, and the atmosphere at Alexandra Palace is crackling.

Over the next few hours, we’ll find out who earns the right to walk back out tomorrow night with the Sid Waddell Trophy in sight — and a life-changing payday on the line.

Daily Mail Sport will be across every leg, every set and every swing of momentum as the action unfolds.

A Fan’s Once-in-a-Lifetime Shot

Before the professionals take centre stage, there’s a brilliant story warming up the crowd.

Curtis, a qualified electrician from Wrexham and a keen darts thrower, is living out a dream thanks to Paddy Power.

He’ll step onto the famous stage tonight with a simple but daunting challenge: throw nine darts and score more than 180 in total.

Do that, and he’ll walk away £180,000 richer.

No pressure, then. Whatever happens, it’s a moment he’ll never forget — best of luck to him.

Ryan Searle: The Semi-Finalist Who Beat the Odds

For Ryan Searle, tonight is already a landmark moment.

The 38-year-old from Holcombe Rogus in Devon has never gone past the fourth round of the World Championship — until now.

Suddenly, he’s one match away from a first-ever final.

Ranked world No. 20, Searle’s journey in the sport is remarkable.

He competes at the very highest level while living with Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy, an incurable eye condition.

At times, he can’t even see where his darts have landed and has to ask officials to confirm the scores.

That he’s reached this stage at all is an extraordinary achievement — whatever happens next, it’s a special night for him.

Tonight’s Line-Up and What’s at Stake

Two matches stand between four players and darts immortality.

Win your semi-final, and you’re guaranteed a place in the final — and at least £400,000.

Go all the way, and the champion pockets a cool £1 million.

Here’s how the evening shapes up:

• Luke Littler vs Ryan Searle (around 7:40pm)

• Gian van Veen vs Gary Anderson (to follow)

Plenty of experience, plenty of youth, and plenty of drama guaranteed.

Littler’s Ruthless March to the Last Four

Luke Littler’s run through this tournament has been nothing short of frightening.

He’s brushed aside opponent after opponent with barely a wobble, dismantling:

• Darius Labanauskas (3–0)

• David Davies (3–0)

• Mensur Suljovic (4–0)

• Rob Cross (4–2)

• Krzysztof Ratajski (5–0)

Across the entire championship, Littler has dropped just two sets — and only former world champion Rob Cross has managed that.

It’s a level of dominance that underlines why many see him as the favourite to lift the trophy once again.

Welcome to Darts’ Biggest Night

Good evening and welcome to Daily Mail Sport’s live coverage.

The crowd is buzzing, the walk-on music is ready, and the stakes couldn’t be higher.

Will Luke Littler take another step towards a second world title? Can Ryan Searle cap his fairytale run with the biggest win of his career? And who will survive the second semi-final to book a place in the final?

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