The 2026 Northern Ireland Open takes place in Belfast from October 18-25, with Jack Lisowski returning to defend his title against a strong field featuring Judd Trump, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby and local favourite Mark Allen.
The Northern Ireland Open celebrates another year at the Waterfront Hall, where the world’s best players will battle for the Alex Higgins Trophy and a £100,000 winner’s cheque.
Lisowski produced a memorable performance to win his maiden ranking title in Belfast last year, beating Trump 9-8 in a dramatic final. He will be hoping to repeat the trick in 2026, but there is no shortage of quality opposition standing in his way.
Here is everything you need to know about the Northern Ireland Open 2026, including the dates, schedule, draw, prize money, how to watch, and more.
When is the Northern Ireland Open 2026?
The Northern Ireland Open runs from Sunday, October 18 to Sunday, October 25, 2026, at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
The tournament is part of the Home Nations Series and attracts a strong field of professional snooker players competing for ranking points and a share of the £550,400 prize fund, with £100,000 going to the eventual winner.
Where is the Northern Ireland Open being held?
The 2026 Northern Ireland Open will be held at Belfast’s Waterfront Hall.
The venue has hosted the tournament since 2017 and is renowned for its lively atmosphere, with snooker fans gathering to watch the world’s top players compete for the Alex Higgins Trophy.
The Waterfront Hall is located in the heart of Belfast, close to the River Lagan and within walking distance of the city centre. The atmospheric venue is reportedly being considered to host the 2029 World Snooker Championships.
The Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, the tournament’s traditional home, is set for redevelopment after next year’s championship concludes in May, meaning the 2028 event will have to be staged at a temporary venue.
Will Ronnie O’Sullivan play at the Northern Ireland Open?
Ronnie O’Sullivan is currently scheduled to compete at the Northern Ireland Open, which would be his first appearance at the tournament since 2023.
However, The Rocket’s participation cannot be taken for granted, with the seven-time world champion having withdrawn from events at short notice on several occasions, particularly in the UK.
Should he take his place in the draw, O’Sullivan will face Ka Wai Cheung in the opening round.
Is Mark Allen returning to play?
Former world number one Mark Allen has been absent from the World Snooker Tour since May, when he suffered a heartbreaking 17-16 defeat to Wu Yize in a classic World Championship semi-final. However, his self-imposed absence from the sport could come to an end in the coming days at his home tournament.
Allen has been drawn to face fellow Northern Irish man Jordan Brown.
Northern Ireland Open 2026 schedule
The tournament begins on Sunday, October 18, with the opening-round matches continuing into Monday and Tuesday.
The early rounds provide an opportunity for the leading names to establish themselves, while the pressure will increase as the field is reduced towards the business end of the competition.
The tournament concludes with the final on Sunday, October 25.
Northern Ireland Open 2026 draw
The draw features a host of familiar names, with Lisowski beginning his title defence against Huang Jiahao.
There is also plenty of interest for Irish snooker fans, with Aaron Hill taking on Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Mark Allen drawn against fellow Northern Irishman Jordan Brown.
Round 1
Sunday, October 18
- Si Jiahui v Wang Xinbo
- Xiao Guodong v Sam Craigie
- Jack Lisowski v Huang Jiahao
- Thepchaiya Un-Nooh v Aaron Hill
- Stephen Maguire v Anthony McGill
- Mark Selby v Louis Heathcote
- Hossein Vafaei v Matthew Selt
- Gary Wilson v Mateusz Baranowski
- Joe O’Connor v Matthew Stevens
- Ali Carter v Xu Si
- Neil Robertson v Ricky Walden
- Shaun Murphy v Liam Davies
- Elliot Slessor v He Guoqiang
Monday, October 19
- Chris Wakelin v Jamie Jones
- Pang Junxu v Alfie Burden
- Lei Peifan v Luca Brecel
- Barry Hawkins v Daniel Wells
- Wu Yize v Scott Donaldson
- David Gilbert v Oliver Sykes
- Kyren Wilson v Ben Mertens
- Ronnie O’Sullivan v Ka Wai Cheung
- Stuart Bingham v Yao Pengcheng
- Jak Jones v Tom Ford
- Judd Trump v Martin O’Donnell
- Zhang Anda v Liam Pullen
- John Higgins v Liam Highfield
Tuesday, October 20
- Chang Bingyu v Ryan Day
- Mark Williams v Robbie Williams
- Mark Allen v Jordan Brown
- Zhou Yuelong v Michael Holt
- Zhao Xintong v Gao Yang
- Noppon Saengkham v Thanawat Tirapongpaiboon
Previous winners
- 2025: Jack Lisowski
- 2024: Kyren Wilson
- 2023: Judd Trump
- 2022: Mark Allen
- 2021: Mark Allen
- 2020: Judd Trump
- 2019: Judd Trump
- 2018: Judd Trump
- 2017: Mark Williams
- 2016: Mark King
Who is the favourite to win the Northern Ireland Open?
2025 World Champion Zhao Xintong heads the outright betting market.
2026 Northern Ireland Open outright odds: Zhao Xintong 9/2, Judd Trump 11/2, Mark Selby 13/2, Wu Yize 8/1, Shaun Murphy 10/1, Kyren Wilson 11/1, Ronnie O’Sullivan 12/1, Chang Bingyu 12/1, Neil Robertson 12/1, Mark Allen 14/1. Full prices.
Northern Ireland Open 2026 prize money
| Stage | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Winner | £100,000 |
| Runner-up | £45,000 |
| Semi-finalists | £21,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | £13,200 |
| Last 16 | £9,000 |
| Last 32 | £5,400 |
| Last 64 | £3,600 |
| Last 96 | £1,000 |
| Highest break | £5,000 |
| Total prize money | £550,400 |
Where to watch the Northern Ireland Open 2026
Snooker fans in Ireland and the UK can watch the Northern Ireland Open on TNT Sports, with coverage also available through HBO Max. WST PLAY subscribers can access table-one coverage, according to the tournament’s published broadcast information.
The tournament takes place at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, with tickets available through the official event channels.
BAR 1 Betting customers can also keep up to date with the latest goings-on in Belfast via our live in-play betting markets.
