The World Snooker Championship will remain at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield until at least 2045, it was officially announced on Tuesday.
Snooker’s blue-riband tournament will stay at the iconic venue for at least another 19 years after a momentous deal was struck.
After several years of negotiations, a new agreement between the World Snooker Tour and Sheffield City Council will keep the sport’s flagship event at its spiritual home.
In addition to there being an option to extend the deal until 2050, there are separate plans in place to invest £45 million in a significant redevelopment of the venue.
That includes the prospect of adding 500 extra seats which would take the capacity up to around 1,500 people, while improvements to enhance spectator facilities are also in the works.
The current contract to stage the World Championship at the Crucible was due to expire in 2027, and at times there was a genuine possibility that a shift away from Sheffield might have been possible.
However, most people would share the opinion that this is positive news for the sport, especially with plans in place to give the historic theatre an overdue facelift that will help it meet modern demands.
The World Snooker Championship will continue at the Crucible Theatre in its current design through to 2028, after which the redevelopment phase is set to begin.
There remains a possibility that the tournament will be hosted temporarily at an alternative venue in 2029 with construction on the upgraded Crucible set to last for 18 months.
The agreement reflects a citywide commitment, ensuring Sheffield and its partners continue to benefit from snooker’s long-term future in the city.
The World Snooker Championship first came to the Crucible in 1977, and the tournament will celebrate its 50th anniversary in Sheffield next year.
The venue has provided the backdrop to so many of the sport’s most memorable moments.
A tearful Alex Higgins winning in 1982, Dennis Taylor pipping Steve Davis on the final black in 1985, Jimmy White suffering heartache after heartache, an all-time great final between John Higgins and Mark Williams, and a pair of seven-time world champions in Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan are just a few of the stories that have been enjoyed at the Crucible.
Then last year, of course, Zhao Xintong became the first world champion at the Crucible from China, sparking global headlines for the sport.
“I am so happy, because I love the Crucible,” said Zhao, who won his maiden world title while competing under amateur status.
“It is a very special place and all Chinese players want to play there. Sheffield has become my home in the UK.”
“It is famous around the world as the home of snooker. I am so pleased that we are working together to keep the World Championship in the city.”
Barry Hearn, who had aggressively lobbied for this to happen, said: “For over 50 years, I have been promoting sport all over the world but no venue on this planet means more to me than the Crucible.”
“I am so happy that after a long period of meetings and discussions, we have finally agreed a deal to stage the World Championship at its historic home – the Crucible.
“My thanks must go to Sheffield City Council for all of their hard work in ensuring this great tournament remains at its spiritual home.”
The 2026 World Snooker Championship, meanwhile, gets under way in just a couple of weeks with the qualifiers taking place at the English Institute of Sport from April 6 to 15.
The main event will then commence on April 18 with the champion to be crowned on May 4, and there will be plenty to celebrate at the Crucible with this new deal marking a new era for the sport in Sheffield.
Featured photo credit: WST
