The 2026/27 snooker season continues subsequent week with the 2026 Northern Eire Open going down in Belfast.
The Northern Eire Open is the seventh rating occasion of the marketing campaign and varieties a part of the Residence Nations Collection, which has been working since 2016.
The event returns to the Waterfront Corridor in Belfast from October 18th to twenty fifth, with gamers competing for the Alex Higgins Trophy.
Jack Lisowski is the reigning champion after profitable an emotional maiden rating title with a 9-8 victory over Judd Trump in final yr’s ultimate.
A number of former winners are among the many main contenders within the subject, whereas the occasion additionally represents the final alternative to safe an invite to the upcoming Champion of Champions event.
When is the 2026 Northern Eire Open?
The 2026 Northern Eire Open runs from Sunday, October 18th to Sunday, October twenty fifth in Belfast, Northern Eire.
Matches as much as the final 16 will likely be contested over one of the best of seven frames, with the quarter-finals and the semi-finals growing to 11 frames, and the ultimate performed over one of the best of 17.
2026 Northern Eire Open prize cash
Winner: £100,000
Runner-up: £45,000
Semi-finals: £21,000
Quarter-finals: £13,200
Final 16: £9,000
Final 32: £5,400
Final 64: £3,600
Final 96: £1,000
Highest break: £5,000
Complete: £550,400
Former champions
The Northern Eire Open was first staged a decade in the past as a part of the Residence Nations Collection, with Mark King profitable the inaugural title.
The event has since been dominated by Judd Trump and Mark Allen, who received each version between them from 2018 to 2023. Trump has lifted the trophy 4 instances, whereas Allen has received it twice.
Mark Williams (2017) and Kyren Wilson (2024) are the opposite former winners of the Alex Higgins Trophy.
Lisowski claimed his maiden rating title in dramatic vogue final yr, edging out Trump 9-8 in an emotional ultimate to safe an overdue first success on the principle tour.
Who’s within the draw?
Like the opposite Residence Nations Collection occasions, the highest 32 gamers on the earth rankings are seeded via to the venue levels, the place they’re joined by 32 qualifiers who emerged from a qualifying section in September.
The one confirmed huge title absent from this yr’s draw is Ding Junhui, whose choice to skip the event is considerably stunning given his probably drop outdoors the world’s high 16 within the coming weeks.
Defending champion Lisowski begins his title defence towards Huang Jiahao, whereas current Shenzhen Open champion Wu Yize faces Scott Donaldson.
World primary Zhao Xintong takes on Gao Yang, whereas document four-time champion Trump begins towards Martin O’Donnell.
It additionally seems probably that Allen will make his first look of the 2026/27 season at his residence rating occasion, following an unusually prolonged absence from the sport. The Pistol is because of face fellow Northern Irishman Jordan Brown.
Ali Carter, who received the primary Residence Nations Collection event of the present marketing campaign together with his victory on the English Open, performs Xu Si.
The complete draw for the primary spherical is under.
2026 Northern Eire Open draw
Spherical of 64 (bo7)
Jack Lisowski vs Huang Jiahao (Solar 18 Oct, 13:00)
Stephen Maguire vs Anthony McGill (Solar 18 Oct, 13:00)
Si Jiahui vs Wang Xinbo (Solar 18 Oct, 10:00)
Gary Wilson vs Mateusz Baranowski (Solar 18 Oct, 15:00, est.)
Thepchaiya Un-Nooh vs Aaron Hill (Solar 18 Oct, 13:00)
Kyren Wilson vs Ben Mertens (Mon 19 Oct, 15:00, est.)
Pang Junxu vs Alfie Burden (Mon 19 Oct, 10:00)
Shaun Murphy vs Liam Davies (Sat 17 Oct, 21:00, est.)
Mark Selby vs Louis Heathcote (Solar 18 Oct, 15:00, est.)
Hossein Vafaei vs Matthew Selt (Solar 18 Oct, 15:00, est.)
Xiao Guodong vs Sam Craigie (Solar 18 Oct, 10:00)
Ali Carter vs Xu Si (Solar 18 Oct, 19:00)
Elliot Slessor vs He Guoqiang (Solar 18 Oct, 21:00, est.)
Chris Wakelin vs Jamie Jones (Mon 19 Oct, 10:00)
Joe O’Connor vs Matthew Stevens (Solar 18 Oct, 19:00)
Neil Robertson vs Ricky Walden (Solar 18 Oct, 19:00)
Zhao Xintong vs Gao Yang (Mon 19 Oct, 15:00, est.)
David Gilbert vs Oliver Sykes (Solar 18 Oct, 15:00, est.)
Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Cheung Ka Wai (Solar 18 Oct, 15:00, est.)
Stuart Bingham vs Yao Pengcheng (Mon 19 Oct, 19:00)
Zhang Anda vs Liam Pullen (Mon 19 Oct, 21:00, est.)
Mark Williams vs Robbie Williams (Mon 19 Oct, 10:00)
Lei Peifan vs Luca Brecel (Mon 19 Oct, 13:00)
Judd Trump vs Martin O’Donnell (Mon 19 Oct, 19:00)
John Higgins vs Liam Highfield (Mon 19 Oct, 21:00, est.)
Jak Jones vs Tom Ford (Mon 19 Oct, 19:00)
Barry Hawkins vs Daniel Wells (Mon 19 Oct, 13:00)
Chang Bingyu vs Ryan Day (Mon 19 Oct, 10:00)
Zhou Yuelong vs Michael Holt (Mon 19 Oct, 13:00)
Mark Allen vs Jordan Brown (Mon 19 Oct, 13:00)
Noppon Saengkham vs Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon (Mon 19 Oct, 15:00, est.)
Wu Yize vs Scott Donaldson (Solar 18 Oct, 13:00)
Who’re the betting favourites?
Trump, who has contested six of the final eight Northern Eire Open finals, is the second favorite within the outright market at odds of round 9/2.
Zhao Xintong heads the betting at roughly 4/1, with Mark Selby (11/2) and Wu Yize (7/1) additionally fancied to problem for the title.
Defending champion Lisowski is priced at round 20/1 to retain the trophy and declare a second rating title.
The best way to watch the 2026 Northern Eire Open
There are a number of choices obtainable to observe the Northern Eire Open stay, relying in your location.
UK and Eire
TNT Sports activities and HBO Max
WST Play (desk one)
Mainland Europe and chosen international locations
Eurosport and HBO Max
China
Huya
Migu
CBSA-WPBSA Academy WeChat Channel (pay-per-view)
CBSA-WPBSA Academy Douyin
Hong Kong China
Now Sports activities
Malaysia
Astro Supersport
Thailand
True Sport
Taiwan
Sportcast
New Zealand
Sky Sport
All different territories
WST Play
Featured photograph credit score: WST
