The 2026 World Seniors Snooker Championship will take place this week with an expanded field and a host of high-profile names competing at the Crucible Theatre.
The popular event on the World Seniors Snooker Tour runs from May 6th to 10th in Sheffield, beginning just two days after the conclusion of the 2026 World Snooker Championship at the same iconic venue.
Defending champion Alfie Burden returns as the top seed, but the 2026 edition boasts one of the strongest line-ups in the tournament’s history with the field increased from 16 to 24 players.
Who is in the 2026 World Seniors Championship draw?
There is considerable intrigue surrounding this year’s draw with several decorated professionals joining the seniors ranks.
Seven-time world champion and all-time legend Ronnie O’Sullivan headlines the field alongside six-time ranking event winners Stuart Bingham and Ali Carter, all of whom are seeded through to the last 16.
Burden begins his title defence against either 2024 champion Igor Figueiredo or Mohamed Elkhayat, while Joe Perry – the reigning British Seniors Open champion and second seed – will face Reanne Evans or Aaron Canavan.
Mark Williams was due to take part but has withdrawn, with replacement Nigel Bond opening his campaign against Craig Steadman or Neal Jones instead.
Bingham is set to meet either Peter Lines or Anthony Hamilton, while Carter will make his maiden seniors bow against either Tony Drago or Roger Farebrother.
One of the standout ties in the opening round sees Ken Doherty take on Gerard Greene in an all-Ireland clash, with the winner earning a high-profile showdown against O’Sullivan.
Jimmy White, a record four-time world seniors champion and bidding to roll back the years once again in Sheffield, will also feature in the first round against qualifier Daniel Ward.
Robert Milkins, this season relegated from the main tour, awaits the winner of that tie, while Matthew Stevens will play either two-time ranking event winner Dominic Dale or Wayne Townsend.
With the top eight seeds receiving byes into the last 16, the opening couple of days promise plenty of competitive action before the tournament intensifies later in the week.
Players will compete for a total prize fund of £80,000 – up from £50,000 last year.
The winner is set to receive £30,000, making it the largest prize in the history of the World Seniors Snooker Tour.
2026 World Seniors Snooker Championship Draw
Round 1 – Last 24 (bo7)
Igor Figueiredo vs Mohamed Elkhayat
(May 6th, est: 20:00 BST)
Peter Lines vs Anthony Hamilton
(May 7th, 12:00 BST)
Ken Doherty vs Gerard Greene
(May 7th, 12:00 BST)
Craig Steadman vs Neal Jones
(May 6th, 19:00 BST)
Jimmy White vs Daniel Ward
(May 7th, est: 13:00 BST)
Tony Drago vs Roger Farebrother
(May 6th, 19:00 BST)
Dominic Dale vs Wayne Townsend
(May 7th, est: 13:00 BST)
Reanne Evans vs Aaron Canavan
(May 6th, est: 20:00 BST)
Round 2 – Last 16 (bo7)
Alfie Burden vs Figueiredo/Elkhayat
(May 8th, est: 20:00 BST)
Stuart Bingham vs Lines/Hamilton
(May 8th, 12:00 BST)
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Doherty/Greene
(May 8th, est: 13:00 BST)
Nigel Bond vs Steadman/Jones
(May 8th, 12:00 BST)
Robert Milkins vs White/Ward
(May 7th, 19:00 BST)
Ali Carter vs Drago/Farebrother
(May 8th, est: 20:00 BST)
Matthew Stevens vs Dale/Townsend
(May 7th, 19:00 BST)
Joe Perry vs Evans/Canavan
(May 8th, est: 13:00 BST)
Quarter-Finals (bo7)
May 8th: From 19:00 BST
Semi-Finals (bo13)
May 9th: 12:00 and 19:00 BST
Final (bo19)
May 10th: 12:00 and 19:00 BST
Who are the betting favourites?
All-time great and seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan heads the outright betting market as the clear favourite at 8/11.
Ali Carter (5/1) and Stuart Bingham (6/1) are also among the leading contenders this year.
Defending champion Alfie Burden will be aiming to mount a strong defence of his crown and is priced at 25/1, while Joe Perry’s recent success on the seniors circuit enhances his credentials at 16/1.
Further down the market, Jimmy White is a 50/1 outsider but remains a dangerous opponent given his pedigree in this competition.
What is the format?
The format has undergone some notable tweaks for the 2026 edition, both in terms of match length and how tied matches are decided.
The first round, last 16, and quarter-finals will be contested over the best-of-seven frames, with the semi-finals extended to best-of-13 and the final played over 19 frames.
However, in a significant departure from traditional rules, matches will not feature a deciding frame.
Instead, if players are tied at 3-3, 6-6, or 9-9 depending on the round, the contest will be settled by a black-ball shootout.
How to watch the World Seniors Snooker Championship?
Viewers in the United Kingdom and parts of Ireland will be able to watch the 2026 World Seniors Snooker Championship live on 5.
Pluto TV will also provide live streaming coverage in the UK and internationally, depending on location.
A number of tickets are still available for fans wishing to attend at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
What happened last year?
In 2025, Alfie Burden won the World Seniors Snooker Championship title with an 8-4 victory over Aaron Canavan in the final.
The Englishman produced a composed display at the Crucible Theatre to secure one of the most significant titles of his career.
Previous World Seniors Snooker Championship Finals
1991: Cliff Wilson 5-4 Eddie Charlton
2010: Jimmy White 4-1 Steve Davis
2011: Darren Morgan 2-1 Steve Davis
2012: Nigel Bond 2-0 Tony Chappel
2013: Steve Davis 2-1 Nigel Bond
2015: Mark Williams 2-1 Fergal O’Brien
2016: Mark Davis 2-1 Darren Morgan
2017: Peter Lines 4-0 John Parrott
2018: Aaron Canavan 4-3 Patrick Wallace
2019: Jimmy White 5-3 Darren Morgan
2020: Jimmy White 5-4 Ken Doherty
2021: David Lilley 5-3 Jimmy White
2022: Lee Walker 5-4 Jimmy White
2023: Jimmy White 5-3 Alfie Burden
2024: Igor Figueiredo 5-2 Ken Doherty
2025: Alfie Burden 8-4 Aaron Canavan
Featured photo credit: WST
To have a black ball shootout in a decider is gimmicky.
I’ve got mixed feelings about the increase of quality in the field. It will bring added eyeballs but adding players like O’Sullivan distorts the field somewhat.
The main 5 channel will have evening coverage for the first time in seniors competition.