DP World Tour Championship 2026: Dates, Tickets, Players

DP World Tour Championship 2026

In this guide, you will find how the tournament works, the dates and which day to go, and every ticket, including the free Thursday pass. Then come the players, what to do at the course, how to get there and what to know before you go.

What Is the DP World Tour Championship?

The DP World Tour Championship is the last tournament of the DP World Tour season, and only the top 50 players of the year can play in it. The DP World Tour, the men's professional tour once called the European Tour, has held this final event in Dubai every year since 2009, and 2026 will be its 18th edition.

Through the season, players earn points at every tournament, and those points make up the Race to Dubai table. The player at the top after the last putt in Dubai is the season's champion, often called the European Number One. So on Sunday afternoon, the final round will decide two things: who wins the tournament, and who wins the whole season.

The season ends with two play-off tournaments in the UAE:

The golf itself is simple to follow:

• Rounds: every player plays 18 holes a day for four days, 72 holes in all.
• Winner: the lowest total score wins.
• No cut: all 50 players play all four rounds.
• Groups: players go out in groups of two or three, and you can walk the course and follow any group you like.

The play-off events carry far more Race to Dubai points than a normal week, so a player in the top ten can still win the season with a big week in Dubai. The prize money is in its own section below.

DP World Tour Championship Prize Money

The organisers have not announced the 2026 prize fund yet. In 2025, it was US$10 million, about AED 36.7 million, and the winner took US$3 million. That makes it one of the richest tournaments of the DP World Tour season. Every player in the field earns a cheque, because there is no cut after two rounds.

The money falls away fast after first place. In 2025, Matt Fitzpatrick won US$3 million by beating Rory McIlroy in a play-off. McIlroy took US$1.26 million for second, and he also won the season's Race to Dubai title.

DP World Tour Championship 2026 Dates

The DP World Tour Championship 2026 will run from Thursday 12 to Sunday 15 November 2026, with one round each day. The presentation of the trophy and the Race to Dubai title will take place on the 18th green on Sunday afternoon.

Each day feels a little different, and the price is different too:

The organisers will publish the 2026 timetable in the week of the tournament. Last year the timetable was as follows, so you can get an idea of what to expect. The shape of the days rarely changes.

The organisers publish the players' exact start times, called tee times, the day before each round. Look up your favourite player's time on the DP World Tour app or website the evening before, then plan to arrive at least 30 minutes earlier.

DP World Tour Championship 2026 Tickets

Thursday entry is free with registration, Friday to Sunday entry costs from AED 160, and children aged 17 and under go free on all four days. All tickets, including the free ones, come from the official ticket shop on europeantour.com.

A General Admission ticket lets you walk the full 18-hole Earth Course and use the Championship Village. You can buy up to four General Admission tickets for each day, and groups of eight or more can ask for a group discount.

How to get your free Thursday ticket

The free Thursday pass is still a ticket, so you have to register before you go. Children need their own free ticket too, even on Friday to Sunday.

1. Open the tickets page. Go to the DP World Tour Championship tickets page on europeantour.com and press the General Admission button. It opens the official ticket shop.
2. Choose Thursday 12 November. Pick the free General Admission ticket for that day.
3. Add everyone in your group. Add one ticket for each adult and each child, up to four for the day. Children aged 17 and under are free.
4. Finish the checkout. Enter your details and complete the order. The total should be AED 0.
5. Keep the tickets on your phone. Bring them with you to show at the gate.

Ticket+ and the 1st Tee Experience

Ticket+ gives you entry to The Greatest Bar on Earth, a raised bar and viewing platform over the par-3 17th green. In 2026 the platform is for Ticket+ holders only, and it has:

• live music
• a paid bar
• faster access to food and drink

Only the front part is shaded.

Ticket+ costs a different amount each day:

• Thursday: AED 180.
• Friday: AED 240.
• Saturday or Sunday: AED 440.

The official page also asks for a General Admission ticket for the same day, so check at checkout whether that price includes your entry. You can buy up to four Ticket+ for each day.

The 1st Tee Experience costs from AED 65 and is an add-on to a General Admission ticket for the same day. It gives you a place in a stand over the 1st tee to watch the players hit their opening shots, with free soft drinks.

Hospitality packages

Hospitality is for people who want a seat, a meal and drinks included for the whole day. All packages include free parking with a shuttle.

• Earth Lounge, 16th green: from AED 999, with breakfast, lunch, afternoon snacks and drinks. Everyone aged 2 and over needs a full-price ticket. Friday is sold out.
• Championship Chalet, 18th green: from AED 2,000, with meals, drinks and a platform over the 1st tee for chalet guests. Guests must be over 12. Sunday is sold out, and Saturday is almost sold out.
• Members Lounge on 18: from AED 1,900, for Jumeirah Golf Estates members only.
• DP World Tour Breakfast Club: from AED 200, a networking breakfast with a guest speaker on 11 November. Book it by emailing premium@etghq.com.

DP World Tour Championship 2026 Players

The field of 50 players will be final once the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship ends on Sunday 8 November. The top 50 in the Race to Dubai at that point will qualify for Dubai. Until then, these big names have said they will play:

• Eugenio Chacarra: the Race to Dubai leader, with three wins in 2026.
• Patrick Reed: second in the Race to Dubai, and the leader for most of the year.
• Rory McIlroy: seven-time Race to Dubai champion, chasing an eighth title.
• Tommy Fleetwood: world number seven, chasing a fourth title in the UAE.
• Aaron Rai: winner of the 2026 US PGA Championship.
• Ryan Fox: winner of the 2026 Open Championship.
• Adrian Meronk: winner of the 2026 Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
• Joe Dean: winner of the 2026 British Masters, his first DP World Tour title.

The full field and the tee times will appear on the official tournament page in the week of the event.

Who leads the Race to Dubai

Eugenio Chacarra of Spain leads the Race to Dubai, with Patrick Reed second and Rory McIlroy third. Chacarra won the DP World India Championship in Delhi on 18 October while playing with a broken toe. If he holds on, he will be only the third Spaniard to finish the season on top, after Seve Ballesteros and Jon Rahm.

This is the top 10 going into the play-offs:

McIlroy has won the Race to Dubai for the last four years. An eighth title would equal the record of Colin Montgomerie.

Last year's winner

Matt Fitzpatrick won the 2025 DP World Tour Championship after a play-off with Rory McIlroy. Both finished on 18 under par. McIlroy made an eagle on the 18th hole to force the play-off, then hit his tee shot into the water on the first extra hole. Fitzpatrick made par to win his third title in Dubai, and McIlroy still won the Race to Dubai.

This is how that final round looked from the course:

19:20

What's On at the DP World Tour Championship

Most of the things to do between the golf are in the Championship Village, and every ticket includes it. The Village sits near the clubhouse. It has food and drink, big screens showing the golf, and a stage with live music once play ends.

Saturday 14 November is Ladies Day and Sunday 15 November is Family Day. The organisers have not yet published the full programme for either day. In 2025, Ladies Day came with a free drink voucher that you collected in the morning while stocks lasted, and the kids' activities ran from 11am to 5pm.

How to Get to Jumeirah Golf Estates

The easiest way to get there is the Metro to Jumeirah Golf Estates station, then the free event shuttle. Jumeirah Golf Estates is a gated community next to Dubai Sports City. The Earth Course and the Championship Village are inside it, and event signs guide you once you pass the gate.

The 2026 travel details are not out yet. This is how it worked in 2025:

If you drive, book parking as soon as it goes on sale. Space was limited in 2025, partly because building work in the community took some of the public parking.

Things to Know Before You Go

These rules come from the 2025 spectator guide. The 2026 guide usually comes out in the week before the tournament.

• Children must stay with an adult. There is no creche.
• Bring a power bank. There are no phone charging points, and Wi-Fi is limited.
• Wear comfortable shoes and casual golf clothes. You will walk a lot, and the ground is uneven in places. A hat and sun cream help in the middle of the day.
• Stay quiet when a player is about to hit. Marshals hold up signs that say "Quiet please". Phones must be on silent.
• Wheelchair viewing areas are available on a first come, first served basis.