When Is the Northern Ireland Open 2026 and Who Is Playing?
The Northern Ireland Open 2026 brings snooker back to Belfast from 18 to 25 October, with Judd Trump confronting the man who beat him in last year’s final. Jack Lisowski defends the Alex Higgins Trophy, Ronnie O’Sullivan is entered, and Waterfront Hall is ready for eight days of drama. Here are the draw, schedule, prize money, TV coverage and odds.
Northern Ireland Open Snooker Schedule and UK TV
The last 64 runs Sunday to Tuesday at Waterfront Hall, following September’s Leicester qualifiers.
| Date | Stage | Sessions to watch |
|---|---|---|
| 18-20 October | Last 64 | Morning, afternoon, evening |
| 21 October | Last 32 | Multiple sessions |
| 22 October | Last 16 | Multiple sessions |
| 23 October | Quarter-finals | Two sessions |
| 24 October | Semi-finals | Two matches |
| 25 October | Final | Afternoon and evening |
Northern Ireland Open Draw: All 32 Opening Matches
The complete last-64 bracket appears below. Winners of each row’s matches meet in the last 32.
| Path | First match | Second match |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisowski v Huang Jiahao | Maguire v McGill |
| 2 | Si Jiahui v Wang Xinbo | Gary Wilson v Baranowski |
| 3 | Un-Nooh v Aaron Hill | Kyren Wilson v Mertens |
| 4 | Pang Junxu v Burden | Murphy v Liam Davies |
| 5 | Selby v Heathcote | Vafaei v Selt |
| 6 | Xiao Guodong v Craigie | Carter v Xu Si |
| 7 | Slessor v He Guoqiang | Wakelin v Jamie Jones |
| 8 | O’Connor v Stevens | Robertson v Walden |
| 9 | Zhao Xintong v Gao Yang | Gilbert v Sykes |
| 10 | O’Sullivan v Ka Wai Cheung | Bingham v Yao Pengcheng |
| 11 | Zhang Anda v Pullen | Mark Williams v Robbie Williams |
| 12 | Lei Peifan v Brecel | Trump v O’Donnell |
| 13 | Higgins v Highfield | Jak Jones v Tom Ford |
| 14 | Hawkins v Wells | Chang Bingyu v Ryan Day |
| 15 | Zhou Yuelong v Holt | Mark Allen v Jordan Brown |
| 16 | Saengkham v Tirapongpaiboon | Wu Yize v Donaldson |
O’Sullivan is scheduled to play, although his participation should be checked closer to Monday’s session. Brown beat Zhao here last year.
Northern Ireland Open Odds: Who Are the Favourites?
Trump has four Belfast titles; Lisowski proved reputations count for little. Zhao Xintong leads this outright snapshot.
Bet now!Prices are indicative from a separate UK market, not verified BetVictor quotes. Check the live selection before betting.
Northern Ireland Open Prize Money and Format
The total prize fund reaches £550,400.
| Finish | Prize |
|---|---|
| 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 |
The Northern Ireland Open belongs to the four-event Home Nations Series alongside the English, Scottish and Welsh Opens. The top 32 seeds joined qualifiers in the last 64. Matches are best of seven frames through the last 16, then best of nine in the quarters, 11 in the semis and 17 in the final.
