2026 Northern Ireland Open
Snooker tournament
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The 2026 Northern Ireland Open (officially the 2026 BetVictor Northern Ireland Open) is an upcoming professional snooker tournament that will take place from 18 to 25 October 2026 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Qualifying will take place from 13 to 16 September at the Leicester Arena in Leicester, England. The 11th consecutive edition of the tournament since it was first staged in 2016, it will be the seventh ranking event of the 2026–27 snooker season, following the 2026 Shenzhen Open and preceding the 2026 UK Championship. It will be the second of four tournaments in the season's Home Nations Series, following the 2026 English Open and preceding the 2026 Scottish Open and the 2027 Welsh Open.
| Part of the Home Nations Series | |
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 18–25 October 2026 |
| Venue | Waterfront Hall |
| City | Belfast |
| Country | Northern Ireland |
| Organisation | World Snooker Tour |
| Format | Ranking event |
| Defending champion |  Jack Lisowski (ENG) |
← 2025 | |
Jack Lisowski is the defending champion, having defeated Judd Trump 9–8 in the 2025 final.
Overview
The Northern Ireland Open was first staged in 2016 at the Titanic Exhibition Centre in Belfast, Northern Ireland.[1] The inaugural winner was Mark King, who defeated Barry Hawkins 9–8 in the final to win his maiden ranking title.[2] The tournament winner receives the Alex Higgins Trophy, named in honour of the two-time World Champion, who died in 2010.[3] At the inaugural edition of the tournament, the trophy was presented by Higgins's daughter Lauren.[2]
The 2026 edition of the tournament—the 11th consecutive staging of the event—will take place from 18 to 25 October at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.[4] Qualifying will take place from 13 to 16 September at the Leicester Arena in Leicester, England.[5] Sponsored by BetVictor,[6] it will be the seventh ranking event of the 2026–27 snooker season, following the 2026 Shenzhen Open and preceding the 2026 UK Championship.[7] It will also be the second of four tournaments in the season's Home Nations Series, following the 2026 English Open and preceding the 2026 Scottish Open and the 2027 Welsh Open.[8] Jack Lisowski is the defending champion, having defeated Judd Trump 9–8 in the 2025 final.[9]