Snooker Masters 2026: Dates, Broadcast & Info

London is set to host the Masters snooker tournament from January 11th to 18th, 2026, a prestigious event kicking off the snooker calendar year. The defending champion, Shaun Murphy, will face Wu Yize in the opening round, while a highly anticipated matchup pits record winner Ronnie O’Sullivan against Neil Robertson. Alexandra Palace, with a capacity of 2,200 spectators, will be filled to capacity for all 15 matches.

A Cool £1.015 Million on the Line at the Masters

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A Cool £1.015 Million on the Line at the Masters

The tournament boasts a total prize fund exceeding one million pounds, making it one of the most lucrative events in snooker.

The total prize money for the 2026 Masters is £1.015 million (approximately €1.17 million).
The winner will receive a substantial £350,000 (approximately €402,500).
Even first-round losers aren’t going home empty-handed, receiving a consolation prize of £25,000 (approximately €29,000).
The tournament format features best-of-19 frame matches in the final, and best-of-11 in all other rounds.

The 2026 Masters offers a significant financial reward for competitors. The winner will take home £350,000 (approximately €402,500), while the runner-up receives £140,000 (approximately €161,000). Reaching the semi-finals guarantees a prize of £75,000 (approximately €86,000), and quarter-finalists will earn £40,000 (approximately €46,000). Even those defeated in the first round will receive £25,000 (approximately €29,000), and a bonus of £15,000 (approximately €17,000) is awarded for the highest break of the tournament.

Did you know? In 1975, the inaugural Masters champion, John Spencer, received a bonus of just £2,000 (equivalent to around 10,800 German marks at the time) for his 9-8 victory over Ray Reardon.

Tournament Format

The final will be played as a best-of-19 frames match, a format that has been in place since 1995. All other matches, including the semi-finals, will be decided as best-of-11 frames contests.

Champions and Challengers

The tournament features a compelling mix of experience and emerging talent. Nine former champions will compete against seven players seeking their first Masters title. Kyren Wilson and Barry Hawkins have both reached the final twice, while Wu Yize and Xiao Guodong will make their debuts at Alexandra Palace.

Ronnie O’Sullivan, the most decorated Masters champion with eight titles (1995, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2024), leads the field. Other past champions include Mark Selby (2008, 2010, 2013), Mark Williams (1998, 2003), John Higgins (1999, 2006), Neil Robertson (2012, 2022), Judd Trump (2019, 2023), Shaun Murphy (2015, 2025), Ding Junhui (2011), and Mark Allen (2018).

Round of 16 Schedule

Sunday, January 11th

Shaun Murphy – Wu Yize, 14:00

Mark Selby – Xiao Guodong, 20:00

Monday, January 12th

Mark Williams – Mark Allen, 14:00

Zhao Xintong – Gary Wilson, 20:00

Tuesday, January 13th

Kyren Wilson – Si Jiahui, 14:00

John Higgins – Barry Hawkins 20:00

Wednesday, January 13th

Judd Trump – Ding Junhui, 14:00

Neil Robertson – Ronnie O’Sullivan, 20:00

Masters 2026 Results and Broadcast Information

Live scoring and match updates will be available on the World Snooker Tour website and Snooker.org. Highlights and analysis can be found on eurosport.de/snooker. Additional tournament statistics and information are available on the Wikipedia page.