Snooker’s Global Showdown Returns: Wu Yize, Selby, and Wilson Headline a Star-Studded 2026/27 World Tour
The 2026/27 World Snooker Tour calendar has been unveiled, promising another action-packed season for fans of the sport. The schedule, while still provisional and subject to adjustments, highlights the dates for the sport’s premier Triple Crown events alongside a host of other significant tournaments spread across the year.
Defending world champion Wu Yize is set to begin his title defence at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, with the championship running from April 17th to May 3rd, 2027. Prior to that, the World Championship qualifiers will be held at the English Institute of Sport in Sheffield from April 5th to 14th. Meanwhile, the UK Championship, where Mark Selby returns as the reigning champion, is slated for November 28th to December 6th at York Barbican, with its qualifying rounds taking place in Selby’s hometown of Leicester from November 21st to 26th. In January, Kyren Wilson will look to defend his Masters crown at Alexandra Palace in London, scheduled from January 10th to 17th, 2027.
The calendar continues to reflect a strong focus on tournaments in the United Kingdom and China. Mainland China will host five ranking events next season, including the return of the Shanghai Masters invitational in late July. Notably, the China Open makes a comeback in Taiyuan City from August 8th to 16th, marking its first appearance since 2019. Other key Chinese events include the Wuhan Open, won twice consecutively by Xiao Guodong, the Xi’an Grand Prix, and the International Championship. The World Open in Yushan, scheduled for March, further emphasizes the sport’s growing footprint in China, complemented by Hong Kong’s World Grand Prix in February.
Back in the UK, all four Home Nations events are set to return alongside the British Open, reinforcing the domestic base of the tour. The German Masters remains the only notable European exception outside the UK, while no events in Saudi Arabia appear on the current calendar, following the discontinuation of the Saudi Arabia Masters and no confirmed return of the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship. A three-day slot in November is currently marked as “Potential Event TBC,” suggesting room for adjustments.
The season will kick off with Q School events in Thailand and Leicester during May, leading into ranking event qualifiers in June. Other highlights include the Champion of Champions in Leicester in November, the Shoot Out at Blackpool’s Tower Circus, and the Tour Championship in Manchester at the end of March. The Championship League tournaments also play a key role, with ranking and invitational editions scheduled in mid-summer and December-January, respectively. As always, while further changes are possible, the tour promises a vibrant and densely packed season, offering fans a full calendar of world-class snooker action.
2026/27 Snooker Season Calendar
Dates and other information are provisional and subject to change
May 2026
14-24: Asia-Oceania Q School – Bangkok, Thailand
20-31: Q School – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
June 2026
10-14: Quals: China Open – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
15-18: Quals: Wuhan Open – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
22-27: Championship League Snooker (Stage One/wk1) – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
29-July 4: Championship League Snooker (Stage One/wk2) – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
July 2026
6-9: Championship League Snooker (Stage One/wk3) – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
10-11: Championship League Snooker (Stage Two/wk1) – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
13-14: Championship League Snooker (Stage Two/wk2) – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
15: Championship League Snooker (Stage Three & Final) – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
19-22: Quals: Xi’an Grand Prix – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
23-24: Quals: British Open – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
25-26: Quals: English Open – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
27-August 2: Shanghai Masters – Shanghai, China
August 2026
8-16: China Open – Taiyuan City, China
23-29: Wuhan Open – Wuhan, China
31-September 6: British Open – The Centaur, Cheltenham
September 2026
7-13: English Open – Brentwood Centre, Brentwood
13-16: Quals: Northern Ireland Open – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
17-19: Quals: International Championship – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
20-23: Quals: Scottish Open – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
28-Oct 4: Xi’an Grand Prix – Venue & City TBC
October 2026
18-25: Northern Ireland Open – Waterfront Hall, Belfast
31-November 7: International Championship – Nanjing, China
November 2026
9-15: Champion of Champions – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
16-19: Quals: German Masters – Robin Park, Wigan
19-21: Potential Event TBC – TBC
21-26: Quals: UK Championship – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
28-December 6: UK Championship – York Barbican, York
December 2026
9-12: Shoot Out – Tower Circus, Blackpool
14-20: Scottish Open – Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh
21-22: Championship League Snooker (Group 1) – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
January 2027
2-9: Championship League Snooker (Groups 2-5) – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
10-17: The Masters – Alexandra Palace, London
18-23: Championship League Snooker (Groups 6-7 & Winner) – Mattioli Arena, Leicester
25-31: German Masters – Tempodrom, Berlin
February 2027
2-3: Quals: Welsh Open – Ponds Forge, Sheffield
4-6: Quals: World Open – Ponds Forge, Sheffield
8-14: Welsh Open – Venue Cymru, Wales
16-21: World Grand Prix – Kai Tak Arena, Hong Kong
March 2027
2-7: Players Championship – Telford International Centre
15-21: World Open – Yushan, China
29-April 4: Tour Championship – Manchester, Central Manchester.
April 2027
5-14: Quals: World Championship – EIS, Sheffield
17-May 3: World Championship – The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield
