Barry Hearn Provides Update on World Snooker Championship Venue Plans with Berlin a Viable Option

Snooker’s head honcho Barry Hearn has given his latest verdict on where the World Snooker Championship will be held while the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield undergoes its planned re-development to expand the venue.

As announced in March, Snooker’s World Championship will remain at the Crucible in Sheffield following a landmark long-term agreement between World Snooker Tour and Sheffield City Council.

The new deal will see snooker stay in Sheffield until at least 2045, with an option to extend to 2050.

Crucible Redevelopment Plans

Separately, plans are being developed to transform the Crucible Theatre, with the sport’s most famous venue set to benefit from a major refurbishment, including the potential to add up to 500 additional seats in an ‘in the round’ configuration, alongside other significant improvements such as enhanced spectator facilities, in a £45m re-development.

The Championship will continue to be staged at the Crucible in its current design through to 2028. During the planned redevelopment period, the event is expected to be hosted temporarily at an alternative venue before returning to a transformed Crucible.

Hearn Reassures UK Fans: Likely to Stay in the UK

Hearn spoke to the media at the Crucible during the ongoing 2026 edition of the tournament, offering reassurance to UK snooker fans that the tournament will likely not leave the UK, along with his reasoning.

The biggest issue with moving the World Championship to the Middle East or Asia would be the time difference, due to the current contract and relationship with the BBC. They don’t want to upset the core audience in the UK and the BBC’s viewing figures.

“I've got a blank sheet of paper, but there's lots and lots of things which restrict my influence,” Hearn told SportsBoom.co.uk. 

“Clearly, I've got a great partnership with the BBC, World Snooker has a fabulous relationship with them. And we don't really want to take it anywhere, which has got a different timeframe because that will affect their audiences.”

“I think if I was a gambling man, which of course I'm not, I would go odds on staying in the UK, but being a money man that I also am, if the right offer comes in, I'd have to consider it.” 

“But it won't be a rush decision, and I don't suppose we'll know for sure. I doubt for the rest of this year, we'll know for sure where we're going.”

Interest from UK Venues – Especially Premier League Darts Locations

Hearn offered further insight into specific venues they have already been looking at, and those that have expressed interest in temporarily hosting snooker’s greatest show.

Pretty much all 16 of the Premier League of Darts venues, which is also run by the Hearn family as part of their wider Matchroom Sport promotion company, have expressed interest in the competition.

This means the World Championship could move anywhere from Newcastle all the way down to Brighton.

“So far we're looking at Alexandra Palace [London], Excel [London], Olympia [London], Manchester, Newcastle.”

“Actually, just go around all the Premier League Darts venues and you've got interest in it for Snooker.”

“We've been around a long time. We're not going to be pushed into anything. We're going to do the right thing at the right time.”

European Option: Berlin’s Tempodrom Gains Attention

Hearn also offered a unique opportunity which many global fans may not have considered. 

When asked if he has considered any venues outside of the UK in Europe, and if they are any viable options, he highlighted Berlin in Germany, where they currently host the German Masters. The closeness in time zones makes it a genuine contender.

He shares this opinion with current world number one Judd Trump, who also named the Tempodrom in Berlin as his preference for a temporary host, in a separate interview with SportsBoom. 

“I think if I had to choose, I would say Germany, and I would look and say, "Well, maybe we should look at the Tempodrom for the World Snooker Championship because it's the same TV times as UK, virtually, an hour. It has the ability to house 3,000 customers.”

“These are things that you evaluate in any business, if you're trying to expand, you're trying to diversify, then you evaluate and that's a process that will be continuing for the rest of this year. Then I'm sure we’ll sit down and weigh one venue up against the other.”

“My personal feeling is I'd like it to stay in the UK, but it's probably because I'm a lazy b****d and I don't want to travel,” Hearn concluded.