2026 Northern Ireland 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 | |
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 fifth ranking event of the 2026–27 snooker season, following the 2026 English 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.
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 fifth ranking event of the 2026–27 snooker season, following the 2026 English 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]
References
- ^ Petrie, Richard (17 October 2024). "Northern Ireland Open: All you need to know about the 2024 tournament in Belfast". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 4 November 2025. Retrieved 13 October 2025.
- ^ a b "Northern Ireland Open: Mark King ends 25-year wait for ranking title". BBC Sport. 20 November 2016. Archived from the original on 21 November 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
- ^ "Alex Higgins: NI trophy named after two-time world champion". BBC Sport. 27 September 2016. Archived from the original on 22 April 2026. Retrieved 11 September 2025.
- ^ "Tournaments 2025–26". World Snooker Tour. Archived from the original on 5 December 2025. Retrieved 13 July 2025.
- ^ "Northern Ireland Open Qualifiers 2026". snooker.org. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ^ "BetVictor Northern Ireland Open 2026". World Snooker Tour. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
- ^ "Calendar 2026/2027". snooker.org. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
- ^ Caulfield, David (19 May 2026). "2026/27 snooker season calendar released by WST". SnookerHQ. Archived from the original on 28 May 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ^ "Lisowski wins maiden title in epic Belfast final". World Snooker Tour. 26 October 2025. Archived from the original on 11 December 2025. Retrieved 26 October 2025.