The 2026 Elten Safety Shoes Baltic Sea Darts Open takes place in Kiel this weekend, as former European Champion Ross Smith targets back-to-back European Tour titles. The eighth European Tour event of 2026 will see 48 players battling it out at the MERKUR Ostseehalle from May 29-31, with the draw and schedule for this weekend’s […]
The 2026 Elten Safety Shoes Baltic Sea Darts Open takes place in Kiel this weekend, as former European Champion Ross Smith targets back-to-back European Tour titles.
The eighth European Tour event of 2026 will see 48 players battling it out at the MERKUR Ostseehalle from May 29-31, with the draw and schedule for this weekend’s showpiece now confirmed.
Friday’s opening round will feature 16 matches across the day, as Scotland’s World Cup star Cameron Menzies takes on two-time European Champion Rob Cross, who triumphed in Kiel back in 2024.
Menzies’ compatriot Alan Soutar faces Dimitri Van den Bergh in another stand-out round one tie, as the Belgian makes his first European Tour appearance since last April.
Ireland’s William O’Connor locks horns with Spanish star Cristo Reyes, while former UK Open champion Andrew Gilding plays Jeffrey de Zwaan – a World Matchplay semi-finalist in 2018.
Home favourite Niko Springer goes up against Hungarian qualifier Nandor Major in his opener, as Max Hopp prepares to meet World Championship quarter-finalist Justin Hood in a tasty contest.
Lukas Wenig – another German representative in round one action – has been handed a tough test against Austrian Darts Open runner-up Kevin Doets, who was a winner on the Players Championship circuit earlier this month.
Niels Zonneveld and Richard Veenstra go head-to-head in an all-Dutch affair, while three-time European Tour event winner Joe Cullen kicks off his campaign against Host Nation Qualifier Marcel Hausotter.
The top 16 players on the PDC Werner Rankings Ladder will enter the fray in round two on Saturday, as top seed Gian van Veen begins his title challenge against Soutar or Van den Bergh.
Ten-time TV title winner James Wade is guaranteed Dutch opposition in the form of Zonneveld or Veenstra, while Bunting has been pitted against Menzies or Cross for a place in the last 16.
O’Connor and Reyes will compete for the right to play fourth seed Danny Noppert, with Ryan Searle – the runner-up in Riesa last weekend – set to take on Dutch star Dirk van Duijvenbode or Germany’s Paul Krohne.
Nathan Aspinall marks his return to European Tour action against Doets or Wenig, while Ross Smith – fresh from his maiden European Tour success in Riesa on Sunday – faces Springer or Major.
German number one Martin Schindler will meet Ryan Joyce or Christian Kist in round two, as top-ranked Belgian Mike De Decker aims to return to winning ways against either Ian White or Jimmy van Schie.
Wessel Nijman opens his bid for a second European Tour title of 2026 against Poland’s number one Krzysztof Ratajski or Daniel Klose, before 2023 champion Dave Chisnall collides with Cullen or Hausotter.
Following the conclusion of round two, the remaining 16 players will battle it out from 1200 local time (1100 BST) on Sunday, before the tournament reaches its climax with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final in a bumper evening session, which begins from 1800 local time (1700 BST).
Live coverage of the Baltic Sea Darts Open will be streamed on DAZN for viewers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, with additional coverage available on CANAL+ SPORT 5 and via the CANAL+ streaming service in Poland.
Coverage will also be broadcast on PDCTV (excluding Germany, Austria and Switzerland) and through bookmakers’ worldwide.
NB: From the original list of entries, Luke Humphries, Michael van Gerwen, Jonny Clayton, Gerwyn Price and Josh Rock have withdrawn from the event, and have been replaced by Rob Cross, Dimitri Van den Bergh, Richard Veenstra, Christian Kist and Cristo Reyes from the Reserve List.
2026 Elten Safety Shoes Baltic Sea Darts Open
Tournament Draw Bracket – Round Two Onwards
Players seeded based on PDC Ranking position
(6) Chris Dobey v James Hurrell/Sebastian Bialecki
(11) Mike De Decker v Ian White/Jimmy van Schie
(3) Stephen Bunting v Cameron Menzies/Rob Cross
(14) Luke Woodhouse v Andrew Gilding/Jeffrey de Zwaan
(7) Nathan Aspinall v Kevin Doets/Lukas Wenig
(10) Jermaine Wattimena v Justin Hood/Max Hopp
(2) James Wade v Niels Zonneveld/Richard Veenstra
(15) Daryl Gurney v Ricky Evans/Teemu Harju
(5) Ryan Searle v Dirk van Duijvenbode/Paul Krohne
(12) Wessel Nijman v Krzysztof Ratajski/Daniel Klose
(4) Danny Noppert v William O’Connor/Cristo Reyes
(13) Damon Heta v Karel Sedlacek/Jason Riedtke
(8) Ross Smith v Niko Springer/Nandor Major
(9) Martin Schindler v Ryan Joyce/Christian Kist
(1) Gian van Veen v Alan Soutar/Dimitri Van den Bergh
(16) Dave Chisnall v Joe Cullen/Marcel Hausotter
Schedule of Play – SCHEDULE OF PLAY SUBJECT TO CHANGE
Friday May 29
Round One
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Ricky Evans v Teemu Harju
Karel Sedlacek v Jason Riedtke
Ryan Joyce v Christian Kist
Ian White v Jimmy van Schie
Krzysztof Ratajski v Daniel Klose
Alan Soutar v Dimitri Van den Bergh
Justin Hood v Max Hopp
Andrew Gilding v Jeffrey de Zwaan
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Niels Zonneveld v Richard Veenstra
Kevin Doets v Lukas Wenig
Cameron Menzies v Rob Cross
James Hurrell v Sebastian Bialecki
Dirk van Duijvenbode v Paul Krohne
William O’Connor v Cristo Reyes
Joe Cullen v Marcel Hausotter
Niko Springer v Nandor Major
Saturday May 30
Round Two
Afternoon Session (1300 local time, 1200 BST)
Wessel Nijman v Ratajski/Klose
Luke Woodhouse v Gilding/De Zwaan
Mike De Decker v White/Van Schie
Daryl Gurney v Evans/Harju
Damon Heta v Sedlacek/Riedtke
Ryan Searle v Van Duijvenbode/Krohne
Dave Chisnall v Cullen/Hausotter
Jermaine Wattimena v Hood/Hopp
Evening Session (1900 local time, 1800 BST)
Danny Noppert v O’Connor/Reyes
Chris Dobey v Hurrell/Bialecki
James Wade v Zonneveld/Veenstra
Stephen Bunting v Menzies/Cross
Nathan Aspinall v Doets/Wenig
Gian van Veen v Soutar/Van den Bergh
Martin Schindler v Joyce/Kist
Ross Smith v Springer/Major
Sunday May 31
Afternoon Session (1200 local time, 1100 BST)
Round Three
Evening Session (1800 local time, 1700 BST)
Quarter-Finals
Semi-Finals
Final
Sunday’s games played in Draw Bracket order