The top 5 most iconic darts venues in history (Ranked 5-1) - 180UK.com
Darts News Will Thomas

The top 5 most iconic darts venues in history (Ranked 5-1)

22 December 2025
Charlie Elliott

By William Thomas

As the sport continues to grow, there is more demand for darts to move to bigger arenas which can hold a bigger capacity, this could mean saying goodbye to some of the most iconic darts arenas in history.

5 The Lakeside Country Club

The Lakeside Country Club, coined the home of world darts, the venue was the home for the BDO World Championships from 1986-2019.

A capacity of 1100, it created a vibrant and warm atmosphere in Frimley Green but is now seen as too small to host any major darts tournaments.

The arena has witnessed huge moments in darts history, as Eric Bristow claimed his fifth and last World Championship, Phil Taylor won his first two, and Raymond van Barneveld clinched his fourth before he won his fifth World Championship in the PDC in 2007.

After two years without a host, the World Darts Federation premiered their grassroots tournament in 2022 at the Lakeside Country club, proving it can still be a place for traditional and competitive darts.

4 The O2 Arena

The O2 Arena first become a host for Premier league darts in 2010, showcasing the likes of Phil Taylor, Raymond van Barneveld and Simon Whitlock competing under the bright lights of the London Arena.

Holding 22,000 it is still the largest darts arena in the UK, reaching record attendances in 2024 Premier League playoffs as Luke Littler dazzled under the lights to win his first Premier League trophy, encapsulating the volume of fans it can hold and the modern experience it can provide to darts fans.

3 Circus Tavern

The Purfleet Night club in Essex held a capacity of 1100, providing an intimate and traditional experience whilst watching the darts, with the fans on the front row within touching distance of the players on stage.

The Circus Tavern was the venue for the World Championships for 14 years before moving to the Alexandra Palace in 2008.

It was the World Darts championship venue Phil Taylor enjoyed the most winning an astonishing 11 world championships there, however it was the last match at the Circus Tavern where he failed to succeed.

Taylor’s game against Raymond van Barneveld in 2007 is still considered one of the best world championship finals of all time as Barney edged out on top winning in sudden death after the match was tied at 6-6 in sets and 5-5 in legs.

Fans can still experience the intimate feeling of the Circus Tavern at the World Senior Darts Championship, having hosted the competition since its introduction in 2022.

2 Winter Gardens

The Winter Gardens in Blackpool is enriched in darts history and is the longest running darts venue for the World Matchplay. It is held inside the picturesque Empress Ballroom boasting a 2000 seated capacity where darts players descend upon the stage to compete for the Phil Taylor trophy every July.

The inaugural World Matchplay was first played in 1994 and besides 2020 during the pandemic where it was played in Milton Keynes, it has been played at the Winter Gardens ever since.

The trophy was named after Phil Taylor, when the 16-time World Champion won the World Matchplay 2017, during his farewell tour defeating the likes of Michael van Gerwen, Adrian Lewis, and Peter Wright to win his 16 Matchplay Trophy.

1 Alexandra Palace

The Alexandra Palace is the holy grail for darts, where the best darts players in the world descend every December to win the illustrious Sid Waddell trophy and write their name in history.

Built on top of a hill overlooking North London in Wood Green, the Palace can provide a mouthwatering atmosphere where fans fly from all over the world to pack the Weston Hall which holds a seated capacity of 3200.

The ‘Ally Pally’ first become the home of the World Championships in 2008 taking over from the Circus Tavern and has been an unbelievable successor for the sport, hosting incredible moments in the world of darts.

The PDC has announced that they’re set to expand the allocation in 2026 by playing in the Great Hall which would see the capacity increase to over 5000 fans per session and over 180,000 fans in total for the tournament, meeting the increased demand for tickets and keeping the tradition and magic of World Championships at the Ally Pally.

AS IT HAPPENS: 2025/26 PDC WORLD DARTS CHAMPIONSHIPS

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