2026 World Grand Prix snooker information: Draw, results, format, schedule, prize money

The opening Players Series event of the season (with the Players and Tour Championships to come), there is a £700,000 prize fund on offer, from which £180,000 will go to the eventual champion.

Last year, the elite-field tournament moved to Hong Kong for the first time - the region’s first ranking event action since 1989 - and was won by Neil Robertson who whitewashed Stuart Bingham 10-0 in the final.

How does the draw work and how did players qualify?

Only the top 32 ranked players from the one-year/seasonal ranking list immediately following the 2025 Scottish Open held last December have been invited to the 2026 World Grand Prix.

This list consisted solely of the cumulative prize money players won in ranking events from the 2025 Championship League Ranking Event to the 2025 Scottish Open. The main, two-year ranking list did not come into play.

The fixed drawsheet is as per the seedings for the event with number one on the list facing number 32 at the top of the draw, and number 2 v number 31 at the bottom. 3 v 30, 4 v 29 etc.

There has been a slight increase in match length for the opening two rounds this year, meaning all matches in round one (last 32), round two (last 16) and the quarter-finals are the best of nine frames. The semi-finals are the best of 11, and the two-session final is the best of 19.

Four tables will be in operation per session for the opening two rounds, with two for the quarters, and then one for the semis.

Who is playing in the 2026 World Grand Prix?

There really is an all-star line-up for this event with all of the world’s top 23 having qualified for, and scheduled to be in it.

Reigning and defending champion Robertson is the number one seed. The Australian is comfortably top of the one-year standings due to pocketing £500,000 for winning the Saudi Arabia Masters last August. In round one, Robertson faces former Crucible runner-up Jak Jones who claimed the final spot.

UK Champion Mark Selby is the number two seed, with Shaun Murphy number three, and Mark Williams number four.

Despite not having won a ranking event in over two years now, seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan comfortably qualified for this event due to the £200,000 he collected for being runner-up to Robertson in Saudi. Number six seed O’Sullivan plays Joe O’Connor in the opening round.

It will be a very quick turnaround for Judd Trump, who ended a 14-month wait for a title on the professional tour last Sunday night by winning the 2026 German Masters in Berlin. Trump, Robertson and O’Sullivan all possess residency status in Hong Kong through the ‘Quality Migrant Admission Scheme’ as elite sportspeople.

Reigning world champion Zhao Xintong, and new Masters champion Kyren Wilson are both in the field, but seeded 18th and 22nd respectively. This is the final event to count towards qualification for the Players Championship to be held later this month; only the top 16 from the one-list will make the grade for that, meaning both Wilson and Zhao have a lot of work to do to make the cut.

Tournament schedule:

• Tuesday 3rd & Wednesday 4th: Round One
• Thursday 5th: Round Two
• Friday 6th: Quarter-Finals
• Saturday 7th: Semi-Finals
• Sunday 8th: Final

For the daily match schedule, visit the World Snooker Tour website here.

What is the prize money, how much does the champion get?

• Champion: £180,000
• Runner-up: £80,000
• Losing semi-finalists: £35,000 (each)
• Losing quarter-finalists: £20,000 (each)
• Last 16 losers: £15,000 (each)
• Last 32 losers: £10,000 (each)
• Highest break: £10,000
• Total prize fund: £700,000

How to watch the 2026 World Grand Prix snooker:

• UK & Ireland: TNT Sports and discovery+
• Mainland Europe: Eurosport and locally relevant streaming platforms (discovery+ in Germany, Italy and Austria and HBO Max in all other markets)
• China: Huya.com, Migu, CBSA-WPBSA Academy WeChat Channel, CBSA-WPBSA Academy Douyin
• Hong Kong China: Now TV
• Malasyia & Brunei: Astro Supersport
• Taiwan: Sportcast
• Thailand: True Sport
• Philippines: TAP Sports
• All other territories: WST Play