Traditions play a big role in darts. This particularly applies to the venues for major tournaments. In recent years, steel darts has experienced a big boom throughout Europe , which has led to the PDC sometimes moving to larger halls.
In the Premier League, it is not uncommon for games to be played in front of more than 10,000 spectators , while at the World Cup there are still just over 3,000 fans present per session.
It would be easy to choose a different venue to increase capacity . However, the PDC deliberately decided not to do this, as the move to the Dart Ally Pally only took place years ago - with some background noise.
The World Cup has now firmly established itself in the Ally Pally. That's why the PDC doesn't want to change the location for the World Cup again.
The Ally Pally – the Mecca of darts fans
Alexandra Palace, as it is actually called, was built in 1873 in north London. For the British, the Ally Pally, as it is affectionately known, is an iconic structure .
The Darts World Cup has been held in Alexandra Palace since December 2007 - or rather in the west wing of the huge building complex. The PDC has already discussed the idea of moving to a larger hall in Alexandra Palace several times.
But nothing has come of this so far. And this despite the fact that at the World Cup all sessions with more than 3,000 visitors are usually completely sold out .
Nevertheless, the PDC is sticking to the venue. Not without reason. The Darts Alexandra Palace is now the Mecca for darts fans . But what many didn't even know. Long before the 2008 World Cup, darts were played at Alexandra Palace. This tradition and the solidarity, including on the part of the PDC, are no coincidence.
The News of the World Darts Tournament was played in Ally Pally as early as 1990. It is considered one of the oldest darts tournaments in the world . This shows once again how important it is in darts to preserve and maintain traditions.
The fans love their Dart Ally Pally and would probably not support a move to another large hall without flair.
The Circus Tavern – predecessor of the Alexandra Palace
Before moving to Ally Pally, the World Darts Championship was held for years in the venerable Circus Tavern . The Circus Tavern is located in Purfleet, England and gained great fame by hosting the Darts World Cup.
With only around 1,100 seats, the Circus Tavern is anything but a large festival hall. Nevertheless , the Darts World Cup was held there from 1994 to 2007 .
After it became clear that a move to a larger hall was desired, the PDC tried to find a successor hall that also deserved to follow in the footsteps of the Circus Tavern. This was finally achieved with the Dart Ally Pally.
However, the PDC did not simply ignore the Circus Tavern as it progressed: in 2009 and 2010, the PDC organized the Players Championship Finals . The rival association, the BDO, also booked the hall in 2019 for the BDO World Masters .
The World Matchplay in Blackpool – the Winter Gardens
In addition to the Darts Alexandra Palace and the Circus Tavern, there is a third location that has achieved absolute cult status over the years. We're talking about the Winter Gardens in Blackpool .
It is the venue that has by far the most tradition in terms of the PDC. Since the PDC was founded in 1994, the Matchplay has been held in the Winter Gardens in Blackpool - after the World Championship, the most important tournament in the darts calendar for the PDC and all players.
The location is already unique. Blackpool's seafront promenade is just 250 meters from the entrance to the Winter Gardens. Both players and spectators love the venue for this.
In addition, a particularly expert audience has established itself in Blackpool over the years. While people from all over the world come to the Darts World Cup in strange costumes and celebrate loudly , the audience at the World Matchplay is considered calm, knowledgeable and focused . It's less about partying and more about the players' performances on the oche .
Big halls in the Premier League – Aberdeen, Dublin, Berlin & Rotterdam
In addition to the three halls mentioned, which will probably forever remain closely linked to the major tournaments in darts, there are currently some arenas that are setting new standards in terms of spectator capacity .
This is certainly also due to the fact that the PDC has been exporting to many European countries for years, where darts are experiencing a real boom.
In this context, we would like to introduce you to four halls in which the Premier League is also held.
P&J Live Arena in Aberdeen
The P&J Live Arena in Aberdeen can accommodate well over 10,000 spectators . The Scottish venue is particularly popular with Gary Anderson , Peter Wright and John Henderson .
The audience gained notoriety by throwing numerous cups throughout the arena whenever one of the local heroes delivered a good match .
3Arena in Dublin
Five-digit audience numbers for darts are also not uncommon in the 3Arena in Dublin. The Irish audience sometimes creates absolutely goosebumps at the Premier League evenings.
Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin
Around 12,000 spectators came to Berlin for the 2019 Premier League matchday . A number that the PDC in Germany would never have dared to dream of a few years earlier.
The location has established itself in the Premier League over the past few years, so that the PDC will even host the finals in Berlin in 2021 . Another sign of the boom in darts Germany, because it will be the first time that the finals of the Premier League will not take place in the O2 Arena in London, but in Germany.
Rotterdam Ahoy in Rotterdam
The gigantic arena in the Netherlands holds a total of 25,000 spectators . At darts events there are usually fewer due to the stage setup. Characteristic of the evenings in the Rotterdam Ahoy Arena are the Dutch fans , who bathe the entire hall in “orange”.
Particularly in times of the Barney Army ( Raymond van Barneveld 's fans), spectators were often able to influence the performance of the national hero's opponents .
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