The European Darts Open returns to Leverkusen's Ostermann-Arena from July 10-12 as the 10th European Tour event of 2026, offering a £35,000 top prize. Defending champion Nathan Aspinall opens his title defence against Mickey Mansell or Michal Smejda in Saturday's evening session, while Michael van Gerwen hunts a sixth Leverkusen crown against Joe Cullen or Charlie Manby. Dutch rising star Gian van Veen faces Niko Springer or Darius Labanauskas in the same round.

Friday's opening round features 16 matches across afternoon and evening sessions, including Rob Cross versus Max Hopp and Daryl Gurney against Maik Kuivenhoven. Saturday's second round pits Jonny Clayton against Karel Sedlacek or Rhys Griffin, while James Wade meets the Gurney-Kuivenhoven winner. The condensed Sunday schedule runs Round 3 at noon before quarter-finals, semi-finals and the final unfold in the evening.

The tournament serves as a final tune-up before the Betfred World Matchplay at Blackpool's Winter Gardens from July 18-26, where Luke Littler defends his title in a £1 million field. Aspinall's form in Leverkusen will signal whether his 2025 European Tour consistency translates to major success, while van Gerwen's pursuit of a sixth local title tests his resilience amid a transition season.