. Snooker World Championship to stay at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre until 2045 with venue set to benefit from a major refurbishment Snooker’s World Championship will remain at Crucible until at least 2045, with an option to extend to 2050; the tournament will be hosted at an alternative venue after 2028 with the venue set to benefit from a major refurbishment including the potential to add up to 500 seats
ridicilously childish, ps the qualifying 1st round draw has taken place earlier today Notable matches in the opening round include:
Tour rookie Michal Szubarczyk v three-time World Women's Champion Onyee Ng Six-time Crucible finalist Jimmy White v China's Gao Yang Reigning World Women's Champion Bai Yulu v Daniel Womersley 1997 Crucible king Ken Doherty v Patrick Whelan Rising star Liam Pullen v Shoot Out champion Alfie Burden Hong Kong's finest Marco Fu v Mink Nutcharut
Star names entering the fray as the qualifiers progress will include Jack Lisowski, Stuart Bingham, Ali Carter, Luca Brecel, Stephen Maguire, Gary Wilson, Jak Jones and many more.
ridicilously childish, ps the qualifying 1st round draw has taken place earlier today Notable matches in the opening round include:Tour rookie Michal Szubarczyk v three-time World Women's Champion Onyee NgSix-time Crucible finalist Jimmy Wh
Earlier this week, World Snooker Tour announced the iconic white ball would be replaced by a neon green version for the 2026 Halo World Snooker Championship to pay homage to Midnite, the official UK betting and casino partner for the tournament.
But today snooker fans can breathe a sigh of relief – the iconic white ball is here to stay.
While Midnite couldn't resist an April Fool's, tradition remains at the heart of snooker’s biggest tournament. Rather than changing the rules of the game on the table, Midnite is transforming the fan experience beyond it, bringing its flagship neon green colour to Sheffield with the return of the Midnite Lounge and other fan-centric initiatives across all 17 days of the tournament.
Taking up temporary residence at Box Bar in Sheffield’s city centre, the Midnite Lounge will offer a packed schedule of activity, including exhibition matches, amateur competitions for local snooker clubs, free-to-play table time, a specially made Midnite Lager, and current and former snooker pros in attendance.
The tournament will also see the return of the Midnite Maximum, which gave one fan the chance to win £25,000 if a maximum break was made during any session. A feat that played out in real time last year, with Brian Nicholls walking away with £25,000 when Mark Allen hit a 147. This time the Midnite Maximum will be back, bigger and better, with up to £100,000 on the line as the championship progresses.
The Midnite Lounge and Midnite Maximum are part of Midnite’s continued commitment to engaging snooker fans and giving back to the greater Sheffield community, since they partnered with World Snooker Tour.
Earlier this week, World Snooker Tour announced the iconic white ball would be replaced by a neon green version for the 2026 Halo World Snooker Championship to pay homage to Midnite, the official UK betting and casino partner for the tournament. But