The 2026 Elten Safety Shoes Baltic Sea Darts Open opens in Kiel, Germany, on May 29. Forty‑eight professional players will battle over three days in the MERKUR Ostseehalle. Friday’s first round splits into two sessions, while the top 16 from the PDC Werner Rankings enter on Saturday. The event sets the stage for Europe’s eighth PDC Tour clash.

Top seed Gian van Veen follows the withdrawal of Michael van Gerwen, Josh Rock, and the four Premier League Final Night players, leaving James Wade, Stephen Bunting, and Danny Noppert as the next highest seeds. Chris Dobey, Nathan Aspinall, and Ross Smith also line up for the knockout stages. The prize for the champion stands at £35,000, a figure that keeps the competition fiercely competitive.

Saturday’s afternoon session pits 48‑man qualifiers against the seeded field, while Sunday’s afternoon sees the last 16 narrowing to eight. Sunday evening will host quarter‑finals, semi‑finals, and the final, all in a single marathon. The outcome will dictate seedings for the upcoming World Matchplay and influence the PDC rankings heading into the summer as the season ramps up.