World Grand Prix 2025: Where, When and Who!
The 2025 season is heading towards its climax, but there’s still plenty of time for top-class darts events – and this October’s World Grand Prix ticks that box.
Between October 6-12, 32 of the world’s best darts players will aim (quite literally) to get their name etched on this famous trophy, first won by Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor way back in 1998.
Returning to Leicester’s Mattioli Arena for the fifth consecutive year, this unique tournament is more than capable of throwing up a shock result – none more so than when Mike de Decker defeated Luke Humphries 6-4 to win the 2025 World Grand Prix.
In this article, we’ll look at the history of the competition and why this tournament is one of a kind, before offering our expert predictions and darts tips. In a rush? Scroll to the bottom for DartsTips.com’s full World Grand Prix predictions. If not, read on!
Dartstips.com’s World Grand Prix tips
Tip number one. Stephen Bunting. The Bullet has had a 2025 to remember, recently adding the Swiss Darts Trophy to his ever-growing cabinet. The Liverpudlian has now reached 10 finals this year – a feat only matched by Gerwyn Price – highlighting his form and consistency. This each-way price looks too good to turn down.
Bunting has reached the last-four twice in this tournament before and although he faces a potential banana skin first in Niko Springer, victory here and potential upsets elsewhere could see the fan favourite quickly become one of the bookies’ favourites.
Back Stephen Bunting to win the World Grand Prix EACH-WAY (20.0, SkyBet/Paddy Power)
Hear us out. This bet could fall at the very first hurdle, but Van Veen is a young man in sparkling form. The 2024 World Youth Champion defeated Luke Littler at the Czech Darts Open last month, marking the third time in a row he’s got the better of the World Number 2.
Van Veen is 3.0 to beat Littler again here in a mouth-watering Round 1 clash. That’s the same odds you can get on Littler to win the World Grand Prix! Clinical on doubles, this match could favour the young Dutchman even more.
NB. Van Veen’s outright winner odds will be cut massively if he does get the win – so it’s worth placing an E/W bet pre-tournament in the hope he makes it through.
Back Gian van Veen to beat Luke Littler in Round 1 (2.0, Bet365 and others)
Back Gian van Veen to win the World Grand Prix EACH-WAY (26.0, Bet365 and others)
What is the World Grand Prix?
The World Grand Prix is one of the most unique tournaments on the darts schedule, notable for the double-start format. What does that mean? It means that players can’t start scoring until a double is hit, potentially removing any advantage in each and every leg.
If the doubles desert you, you’re in big trouble. Even the most decorated players in World Grand Prix have come unstuck in the format, like Phil Taylor on occasions and Michael van Gerwen, who was whitewashed by Daryl Gurney back in 2024.
The format also presents the opportunity for a unique nine-dart finish, as the traditional 180 or 167 starts are taken out of play by the double-start. However, a 160 (D20, T20, T20) start, followed by a 180 and a T20-T17-Bull finish is right there… and it has been done.
TOP TIP: Keep an eye out on the 180 betting odds – they’ll be slightly higher than usual.
History of the World Grand Prix
World Grand Prix: The Early Years
The inaugural World Grand Prix took place in 1998, back when only 16 players took part in the contest and just four seeds. The then-World Number 1, Rod Harrington, and number three seed Phil Taylor met in the final – with The Power coming out on top in Kent.
Taylor went on to dominate the event (and the sport) by going on to win 11 World Grand Prix titles, the last of which was a 6-0 whitewash of Dave Chisnall in 2013.
After two early editions in Rochester, the World Grand Prix was held in Ireland for 20 years before moving to the Midlands and its current home, Leicester.
World Grand Prix: The Champions
As mentioned, Phil Taylor is the World Grand Prix king with 11 titles, a record unlikely to be beaten. Between Taylor and Michael van Gerwen, the pair have won an incredible 17 of 27 editions!
Luke Littler will be looking to add this one to this long list of honours as he continues to take the darts world by storm – but he faces some stiff competition. Of the tournament’s multiple winners, Michael van Gerwen (6) and James Wade (2) remain in the hunt to add to their trophy cabinet this time around.
Wade is just one of three players to hit the perfect leg of darts in the World Grand Prix – beginning with a double top and taking out the remaining 461. It’s not happened in a Final… yet!
World Grand Prix Finals: Last 10 Winners
2015: Robert Thornton 5-4 Michael van Gerwen (Dublin)
2016: Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Gary Anderson (Dublin)
2017: Daryl Gurney 5-4 Simon Whitlock (Dublin)
2018: Michael van Gerwen 5-2 Peter Wright (Dublin)
2019: Michael van Gerwen 5-1 Dave Chisnall (Dublin)
2020: Gerwyn Price 5-2 Dirk van Duijvenbode (Coventry)
2021: Jonny Clayton 5-1 Gerwyn Price (Leicester)
2022: Michael van Gerwen 5-3 Nathan Aspinall (Leicester)
2023: Luke Humphries 5-2 Gerwyn Price (Leicester)
2024: Mike Decker 6-4 Luke Humphries (Leicester)
World Grand Prix 2025: Qualifying
PDC Top Seeds and Automatic Qualification
The World Grand Prix will consist of 16 seeds and 32 players in all, with the top seeds consisting of the top players in the PDC Order of Merit.
Luke Littler and Luke Humphries will be among this year’s competitors, going up alongside the likes of six-time champ Michael van Gerwen and last year’s winner, Mike de Decker.
The remaining 16 players will be filled by 16 more qualifiers from the most recent year of Pro Tour rankings, with the final World Grand Prix line-up decided by the end of September.
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