2026 UK Championship

The UK Championship was first held in 1977 as the United Kingdom Professional Snooker Championship, staged at Blackpool Tower Circus in Blackpool, England.^[1] The inaugural event was won by Patsy Fagan, who defeated Doug Mountjoy 12–9 in the final.^[1][2] Joe Davis, who had won the World Snooker Championship 15 times between 1927 and 1946, presented Fagan with the trophy.^[3] For the tournament's first seven years, only United Kingdom residents or passport holders were eligible to compete.^[1][4] At the 1984 event, the UK Championship became a ranking tournament open to players of any nationality.^[5][6] As of the 2025 edition, Ronnie O'Sullivan is the most successful player in the tournament's history, having won the title eight times.^[7]

The 2026 edition of the tournament—its 50th consecutive staging since the inaugural edition in 1977—will take place from 27 November to 6 December at the York Barbican in York, England.^[8] It will be the ninth ranking event of the 2026–27 snooker season, following the 2026 International Championship and preceding the 2026 Snooker Shoot Out. It will be the first of the season's three Triple Crown events, preceding the 2027 Masters and the 2027 World Snooker Championship.^[9] Mark Selby is the defending champion, having defeated Judd Trump 10–8 in the 2025 final.^[10]

The winner of the event will receive £312,500 from a total prize fund of £1,500,000.^[11]