Australian legend Simon Whitlock will make his big stage return later this year in the inaugural PDC ANZ Premier League, which will now visit Melbourne and the Gold Coast.
The PDC ANZ Premier League will see eight arenas across Australia and New Zealand host electrifying evenings of darts action, with the eventual champion earning a place in the 2025/26 World Darts Championship.
Melbourne and the Gold Coast will now host two of the legs, with John Cain Arena in the heart of Melbourne hosting the opening event on October 4 and the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre staging round seven on November 15.
The first player confirmed for the ANZ Premier League is the most successful Australian darts star in history, Simon “The Wizard” Whitlock – who will entertain fans across Australia and New Zealand as he searches for glory and a return to the World Championship.
Whitlock reached the 2010 World Championship final, took home the European Championship title in 2012 and won the 2022 PDC World Cup of Darts alongside Damon Heta during 15 years at the sport’s highest level.
Joining Whitlock in travelling Down Under will be Russ ‘The Voice’ Bray, the legendary referee who was inducted into the PDC Hall of Fame in 2024.
Bray will feature heavily in the events and will also be helping to train Australian and New Zealand referees throughout the Premier League, providing key insights from his 28-year career.
Alongside Whitlock, a further seven players from the Australian and New Zealand domestic circuits will compete in the PDC ANZ Premier League, doing battle on the big stage across eight consecutive Saturdays in the region’s biggest-ever roadshow event.
Organised with leading sports promoters TEG Sport, each night of the PDC ANZ Premier League will feature the noise and thrills of sport’s greatest party with the PDC ANZ Premier League now begin on Saturday October 4 at John Cain Arena, Melbourne.
The action then moves to the Newcastle Entertainment Centre on October 11, visits Canberra’s AIS Arena on October 18 and then heads to the MyState Bank Arena in Hobart on October 25.
Saturday November 1 sees Round Five being held at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre before the stars cross the Tasman Sea to visit the TSB Arena in Wellington on November 8.
The Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre will stage Round Seven on Saturday, November 15, before the event concludes at the Nissan Arena in Brisbane on November 22.
“We’ve seen huge interest in the PDC ANZ Premier League since announcing the event last year, and the addition of Simon Whitlock is a huge boost – giving fans across Australia and New Zealand a chance to see the region’s greatest-ever player in action,” said PDC Chief Executive Matt Porter.
The first seven nights will mirror the format of the PDC’s hugely popular European-based Premier League, which sees quarter-finals, semi-finals and a final take place in one action-packed session – as the eight stars face each other once in quarter-final ties.
The top four players will then progress to Finals Night in Brisbane, featuring a round-robin group stage before the top two players contest a final to take the title and secure a place in the World Darts Championship.
TEG Group CEO Geoff Jones said: “We’re excited to be partnering with the PDC for this landmark series of Events in Australia and New Zealand.
“As well as crowning the first PDC ANZ Premier League champion and finding a qualifier for the World Darts Championship, this will also give us the chance to deliver the full darts experience for fans across both countries.”
Tickets are available from Ticketek.
2025 PDC ANZ Premier League
Night One
Saturday October 4
John Cain Arena, Melbourne
Night Two
Saturday October 11
Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Night Three
Saturday October 18
AIS Arena, Canberra
Night Four
Saturday October 25
MyState Bank Arena, Hobart
Night Five
Saturday November 1
Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Night Six
Saturday November 8
TSB Arena, Wellington
Night Seven
Saturday November 15
Gold Coast Convention & Exhibition Centre
Night Eight
Saturday November 22
Nissan Arena, Brisbane
