World Champion Luke Humphries has defended keeping the PDC World Championship at its traditional Alexandra Palace home, despite growing pressure to relocate the tournament.
The defending champion, who faces Welsh outsider Nick Kenny in the third round tonight, expressed his desire to maintain the event’s current location.
“I could see it going other places, but I wouldn’t want it to – I really like it here,” Humphries said.
He emphasised the tournament’s festive significance, adding: “For me, the World Championship has to stay in England because it’s a Christmas thing.”
Luke Humphries is the defending champion
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The prestigious competition has been held at Alexandra Palace since 2007.
The tournament’s popularity has reached unprecedented levels, with this year’s allocation of 90,000 tickets selling out in just 15 minutes.
The PDC is responding to this overwhelming demand by expanding next year’s tournament to accommodate 128 players, up from the current 96.
Alexandra Palace’s current capacity of 3,500 spectators is creating significant challenges for organisers.
PDC chairman Barry Hearn revealed the scale of unmet demand, stating: “I asked my people in head office, ‘tell me, how many could I have sold?’ They said, somewhere over 300,000.”
Luke Humphries wants the tournament to stay at the Alexandra Palace
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This disparity between supply and demand has forced organisers to consider alternative venues.
Hearn acknowledged the venue’s limitations, comparing it to a previous relocation from the Circus Tavern.
“I have to grow all the time. If you ever get complacent you go backwards,” the PDC chairman told TalkSport in November.
He emphasised that while the PDC could “sell out any arena in the world,” the key challenge lies in maintaining atmosphere across multiple sessions.
“Can I do it for 30 or 40 sessions? That’s the key issue because the atmosphere makes it a great night,” Hearn explained.
The potential venue change mirrors previous PDC developments, with organisers constantly seeking ways to meet growing demand.
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Barry Hearn is considering moving the PDC World Darts Championship
PA
The PDC has already outlined concrete plans to expand the tournament from next year.
The tournament has changed drastically since its inception in 1993 when Dennis Priestley beat Phil Taylor at the Circus Tavern for £16,000.
Humphries picked up £500,000 for winning last year’s title with dozens of top darts stars now classified as millionaires.