Tour Championship: stars of snooker coming to Manchester Central for Players Series event - when & ticket info

The stars of snooker will be coming to Manchester next year as two tournaments on the sport’s professional tour are heading for the city - including a prestigious tournament pitting the most in-form players in the world against each other.

Manchester Central will be the host of the Tour Championship, which brings together the best players on current form - next April. The top dozen players in the year’s rankings will battle it out for the silverware in Manchester, and snooker fans are being urged not to delay if they want to secure a ticket to take in the action.

There is a double bill of top-flight snooker coming to Manchester next spring as the Tour Championship will be preceded by a competition in which the world’s best male and female players jointly battle it out for glory.

What is the snooker coming to Manchester?

The Tour Championship will be played at Manchester Central next year from 1 April to 7 April. It is the third and final event in what is known as the Players Series and brings together the most in-form performers on the World Snooker Tour (WST).

The top dozen players on the WST’s one-year ranking list will be invited to Manchester to battle it out for the trophy. The tournament is expanding, having previously had a field of the best eight players. The top four on the ranking list will be seeded straight through to the quarter finals, with the other eight players taking to the table in the first round to secure their places in the last eight.

A record prize pot of half a million pounds will be on offer for the tournament, which this year was won by England’s Shaun Murphy.

Before the Tour Championship gets under way snooker fans can enjoy a weekend of their favourite sport at Manchester Central as the venue is also hosting the 2024 World Mixed Doubles event on 30 and 31 March.

The pioneering event which has male and female stars of the game competing together was held for the first time in 2022, with Australia’s Neil Robertson and Thai player Mink Nutcharut emerging as the victorious pair.

Tickets for the Tour Championship go on sale on Wednesday 26 April and snooker enthusiasts are being encouraged to book early to ensure they don’t miss out on the action. More information will be on the tickets page of the WST website.

What has been said about professional snooker coming to Manchester?

Manchester Central is a leading exhibition and events venue in the city located in a Grade II listed building which is more than 140 years old and was previously a major railway station for the city.

Both the venue and the professional snooker tour are excited about the prospects of the world’s best players showing off their potting, break-building and safety play in the historic surroundings. It will be the first time in several years that the WST has staged an event in the North West.

WST chairman Steve Dawson said: “The Tour Championship is one of our biggest events and we felt it was right to move it to a venue befitting its stature. The Masters, for example, has thrived and grown massively in London.

“We are always improving our understanding of fans and using all data points available to inform our event venue selection strategy, while also working closely with our broadcasters.

“It will be a great thrill for the players to compete in a tournament in central Manchester and an extra incentive to qualify for this elite 12-player event.

“We expect the people of Manchester and the North West to support it in droves. And we are delighted to stage the Mixed Doubles again following its success this season.”

Shaun Hinds, CEO at Manchester Central, added: “We’re honoured that the World Snooker Tour organisers have chosen our iconic venue to host this superb event in the North West. This prestigious fixture in the sporting calendar promises to attract people from near and far, as well as showcase our wonderful city to a worldwide TV audience.

“This tournament, and the series of events being organised as part of it, has the ability to create an incredible vibe and sense of excitement throughout Manchester next April. We can’t wait to give snooker fans a warm North West welcome.”