The 2026/27 WST Snooker Calendar: Everything You Need to Know

The new season is almost here — and it's packed with reasons to be excited.

The ink is barely dry on Wu Yize's name on the World Championship trophy, but World Snooker Tour has already unveiled the provisional calendar for the 2026/27 season. It's another heaving schedule of action, and with some big shake-ups to digest alongside the familiar classics, now is the time to get yourself up to speed.

Here's your complete guide to what's coming.

The Big News: Saudi Arabia Is Out, China Is Back

Let's get the headline change out of the way first. The Saudi Arabian Masters — which had been one of the richest events on the calendar — will not be returning next season. After talks between WST, the Saudi Arabian Snooker Federation, and Matchroom, all parties agreed to part ways. As for the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship invitational, there's no mention of it on the provisional calendar either, though a three-day gap in November is listed as "Potential Event TBC" — so watch that space.

But what Saudi takes away, China more than gives back. Five ranking events are scheduled for mainland China next season — a remarkable show of strength from a market booming on the back of back-to-back Chinese World Champions in Zhao Xintong and Wu Yize.

The headline return is the China Open, back on the calendar for the first time since 2019 after vanishing during the pandemic years. It takes place in Taiyuan City from 8–16 August. Add to that the Wuhan Open, the Xi'an Grand Prix (venue TBC), the International Championship in Nanjing, and the World Open in Yushan, and you've got a season that firmly cements China as the global home of professional snooker outside the UK.

The Triple Crown: The Cornerstones of the Season

As ever, snooker's three most prestigious tournaments anchor the campaign.

UK Championship — York Barbican, 28 November – 6 December 2026 Mark Selby returns as reigning champion. Qualifying takes place in Leicester from 21–26 November. The Barbican remains one of the best venues on the calendar — expect drama as usual.

The Masters — Alexandra Palace, London, 10–17 January 2027 Kyren Wilson defends his title at Alexandra Palace. Only the world's top 16 are invited, which means 16 reasons to tune in from the very first session. Ally Pally continues to deliver unmissable snooker nights.

World Championship — The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, 17 April – 3 May 2027 Wu Yize will defend his crown at the Crucible, having beaten Shaun Murphy 18–17 in a nail-biting final last season. Qualifiers take place at the EIS in Sheffield from 5–14 April. There's nothing else like it in snooker — seventeen days of Crucible drama to close out the season.

The Players Series: Prestige for the Elite

The World Grand Prix, Players Championship, and Tour Championship form the prestigious Players Series — and after Zhao Xintong became the first player ever to win all three in a single season last year, the bar has been set outrageously high.

• World Grand Prix — Kai Tak Arena, Hong Kong, 16–21 February 2027 (Top 32)

• Players Championship — Telford International Centre, 2–7 March 2027 (Top 16)

• Tour Championship — Manchester Central, 29 March – 4 April 2027 (Top 8)

The journey from 32 to 16 to 8 is one of the most compelling storylines the sport tells across a season. Who steps up when it matters most?

The Home Nations Series

The four Home Nations events return, offering some of the most passionate atmospheres on the entire tour:

• English Open — Brentwood Centre, Brentwood, 7–13 September 2026

• Northern Ireland Open — Waterfront Hall, Belfast, 18–25 October 2026

• Scottish Open — Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh, 14–20 December 2026

• Welsh Open — Venue Cymru, Wales, 8–14 February 2027

Other Tournaments to Pencil In

• Championship League (Ranking) — Mattioli Arena, Leicester, 22 June – 15 July 2026 — the first silverware of the season

• Shanghai Masters (Invitational) — Shanghai, 27 July – 2 August 2026

• British Open — The Centaur, Cheltenham, 31 August – 6 September 2026

• Xi'an Grand Prix — Venue TBC, 28 September – 4 October 2026

• International Championship — Nanjing, China, 31 October – 7 November 2026

• Champion of Champions — Mattioli Arena, Leicester, 9–15 November 2026

• Shoot Out — Tower Circus, Blackpool, 9–12 December 2026

• German Masters — Tempodrom, Berlin, 25–31 January 2027

• World Open — Yushan, China, 15–21 March 2027

2026/27 WST Snooker Calendar

Dates	Event	Venue
14–24 May 2026	Asia-Oceania Q School	Bangkok, Thailand
20–31 May 2026	Q School	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
10–14 Jun 2026	Quals: China Open	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
15–18 Jun 2026	Quals: Wuhan Open	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
22 Jun – 15 Jul 2026	Championship League (Ranking)	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
19–22 Jul 2026	Quals: Xi'an Grand Prix	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
23–24 Jul 2026	Quals: British Open	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
25–26 Jul 2026	Quals: English Open	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
27 Jul – 2 Aug 2026	Shanghai Masters (Invitational)	Shanghai, China
8–16 Aug 2026	China Open	Taiyuan City, China
23–29 Aug 2026	Wuhan Open	Wuhan, China
31 Aug – 6 Sep 2026	British Open	The Centaur, Cheltenham
7–13 Sep 2026	English Open	Brentwood Centre, Brentwood
13–16 Sep 2026	Quals: Northern Ireland Open	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
17–19 Sep 2026	Quals: International Championship	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
20–23 Sep 2026	Quals: Scottish Open	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
28 Sep – 4 Oct 2026	Xi'an Grand Prix	Venue TBC
18–25 Oct 2026	Northern Ireland Open	Waterfront Hall, Belfast
31 Oct – 7 Nov 2026	International Championship	Nanjing, China
9–15 Nov 2026	Champion of Champions	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
16–19 Nov 2026	Quals: German Masters	Robin Park, Wigan
19–21 Nov 2026	Potential Event TBC	TBC
21–26 Nov 2026	Quals: UK Championship	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
28 Nov – 6 Dec 2026	UK Championship	York Barbican, York
9–12 Dec 2026	Shoot Out	Tower Circus, Blackpool
14–20 Dec 2026	Scottish Open	Meadowbank Sports Centre, Edinburgh
21–22 Dec 2026	Championship League Snooker (Invitational Gp 1)	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
2–9 Jan 2027	Championship League Snooker (Invitational Gps 2–5)	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
10–17 Jan 2027	The Masters	Alexandra Palace, London
18–23 Jan 2027	Championship League Snooker (Invitational Gps 6–7 & Winner)	Mattioli Arena, Leicester
25–31 Jan 2027	German Masters	Tempodrom, Berlin
2–3 Feb 2027	Quals: Welsh Open	Ponds Forge, Sheffield
4–6 Feb 2027	Quals: World Open	Ponds Forge, Sheffield
8–14 Feb 2027	Welsh Open	Venue Cymru, Wales
16–21 Feb 2027	World Grand Prix	Kai Tak Arena, Hong Kong
2–7 Mar 2027	Players Championship	Telford International Centre
15–21 Mar 2027	World Open	Yushan, China
29 Mar – 4 Apr 2027	Tour Championship	Manchester Central, Manchester
5–14 Apr 2027	Quals: World Championship	EIS, Sheffield
17 Apr – 3 May 2027	World Championship	The Crucible Theatre, Sheffield

The Bottom Line

Strip it all back and the 2026/27 calendar is a cracker. The Triple Crown events remain exactly where they belong, the Home Nations Series delivers its reliable mix of colour and competition, and the expansion of Chinese events keeps the sport growing in one of its most important markets. The loss of the Saudi events stings financially, but the return of the China Open more than fills the gap in prestige and spectacle.

With Wu Yize hungry to defend his world title, Zhao Xintong riding the crest of a historic treble, and the old guard of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump, and John Higgins always capable of stealing the show, the stage is set for another unforgettable season.

Note: All dates and venues are provisional and subject to change. Source: WST provisional calendar.

Follow Snooker 247 for full coverage of every tournament throughout the 2026/27 season.