Thousands to turn out for annual darts spectacular
Thousands will descend on Wolverhampton next week to see Welsh darts ace Gerwyn Price defend his championship title when the annual Cazoo Grand Slam of Darts returns to its “spiritual home”.
A major attraction that has been hosted by the city since 2007, the event – which is televised globally – will again be held at Aldersley Leisure Village, running from Saturday, November 12 to Sunday, November 20.
Champion player Price – nicknamed ‘The Iceman’ – won his third Grand Slam of Darts title at the venue last year by beating Peter Wright 16-8 in the final.
Councillor Steve Evans, the council’s cabinet member with responsibility for events, said: “Wolverhampton is the spiritual home of the Grand Slam of Darts and we’re incredibly proud to be hosting this event for the 15th year – welcoming the best darts players in the world and their fantastic, passionate fans who create an amazing, fun atmosphere.
“This is all part of our events strategy to bring the very best in art, music and sport to the city to boost the local economy, create new jobs and build an outstanding cultural reputation.”
The tournament, organised by the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), has become synonymous with Wolverhampton since the city hosted the inaugural event in 2007, attracting thousands of visitors from across the world, bringing over £500,000 into the local economy and providing global media coverage.
Also, the Aldersley venue has proved popular with darts fans since the event moved from the Civic Halls in 2018 to make way for the current refurbishment programme. It is anticipated that the Grand Slam will return to the Civic following its reopening in June next year.
The PDC is already in negotiations with incoming Civic Halls operators AEG Presents to return in November 2023.
PDC chief executive Matthew Porter said: “November is always one of the most exciting months on our calendar, and this year is shaping up to be better than ever.
“We are looking forward to returning to Wolverhampton – the spiritual home of the Grand Slam of Darts, before heading to Minehead for the players’ last tilt at TV glory before the world championship.”
