The tournament that bridged two rival worlds of darts

Sport & Games · Published 20 October 2026 · Updated 20 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: For years, the darts world was split by a fierce rivalry between two governing bodies. The Grand Slam of Darts was designed to break that wall, creating a prestigious invitational where the best from both sides could finally face off on the same stage.

The Grand Slam of Darts, now known as the Mr Vegas Grand Slam of Darts, serves as a unique invitational for the sport's elite. In contrast to typical open circuits, this competition focuses on individuals who have secured national ranking peaks or appeared in semi-finals and finals of major events. This exclusivity creates a high-prestige environment where consistency is rewarded; for example, Gary Anderson and James Wade both qualified for 15 consecutive tournaments between 2007 and 2021. Historically, the tournament acted as a bridge between the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) and its rival, the British Darts Organisation (BDO). This cross-pollination was a significant shift in the sport's landscape. Although a 1997 Tomlin Order allowed BDO participants to join the World Grand Prix and World Matchplay from 1997 to 2001, the Grand Slam represented the initial UK-based event dedicated to such head-to-head encounters.

The tournament's evolution reflects the shifting power dynamics of the sport. It was held at the Wolverhampton Civic Hall until 2017 before moving to WV Active - Aldersley. In 2018, the trophy was renamed to honor the late Eric Bristow. While the BDO collapsed into liquidation in 2020, ending the era of invited cross-organization competition, the tournament remains a staple of the PDC calendar, currently held at WV Active - Aldersley and broadcast by Sky Sports through 2025.

The tournament also holds a place in the record books for high-pressure performance. It has seen seven nine-darters thrown since the first one occurred in 2008. Its commercial success was early on, with the 2009 event achieving nine of the top ten places in ITV4's weekly output, drawing a peak audience of 454,000 for the final.

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