Midnite has confirmed the return of its ‘Midnite Maximum’ initiative for the 2026 World Snooker Championship, with a top prize of £100,000 available if a 147 break is compiled during the final.
The campaign, which debuted at last year’s tournament, rewards a randomly selected fan whenever a maximum break is made during a session at the Crucible Theatre.
In 2025, Mark Allen produced a 147 break that earned one spectator £25,000, highlighting the impact of the initiative.
For this year’s edition, the prize structure has been expanded. A maximum break in the opening round will be worth £5,000, increasing to £10,000 in the second round, and £25,000 in the quarter-finals.
The figure then rises to £50,000 in the semi-finals, before reaching £100,000 if a 147 is made in the final.
The scaled format means that the potential reward grows as the tournament progresses, adding further intrigue to the latter stages of the competition.
Away from the main arena, Midnite will also reintroduce its fan engagement hub in Sheffield city centre.
The ‘Midnite Lounge’ will host exhibition matches, amateur competitions involving local clubs, and free-to-play table sessions throughout the 17-day event.
Midnite has been an official partner of the World Snooker Tour since 2025 and continues to focus on initiatives designed to enhance the spectator experience both inside and outside the venue.
World Snooker Tour’s chief commercial officer Peter Wright said the activation had added to the atmosphere in recent events, referencing the excitement generated by last year’s maximum at the Crucible.
“Last year, the Midnite Maximum made by Mark Allen was one of the most thrilling moments of
the tournament,” Wright said.
“Particularly the reaction from Brian Nicholls who came for a day at the Crucible and went home with £25,000.”
“Raising the prize to as much as £100,000 creates even more drama and let’s hope we see another 147 in the final, which was achieved by Mark Selby in 2023.”
There have been 15 maximum 147 breaks compiled at the Crucible Theatre, and one-third of those have been achieved since 2020.
The 2026 World Snooker Championship commences on Saturday, April 18 with Zhao Xintong launching the defence of his title against one of the qualifiers.
The preliminary competition is at its final stages with the final round known as Judgement Day taking place on Tuesday and Wednesday at the English Institute of Sport.
When the 16 qualifiers are determined, the eagerly anticipated draw for the last 32 at the Crucible Theatre will be conducted on Thursday.
As was the case a year ago, the top prize for the 2026 World Snooker Championship is £500,000.
Featured photo credit: WST
Good idea overall but no player is that bothered when they get to the final stages… their mind is on the ultimate prize! But a nice bonus pay packet should the opportunity arise. On a full size table, my highest break was about 38 lol, no prize for that…