This feels like a big night for Josh Rock and Jonny Clayton.

Rock on Premier League debut is not hiding his excitement to be on that Premier League stage and with a first Premier League rendition of Johnny B. Goode for three years, Clayton and the crowd are in great spirits too.

Last summer, these two were part of a thrilling World Cup final. Are more fireworks about to come?

Clayton to throw first, game on!

Image source, Kieran Cleeves/PDC

Premier League Darts debutant Josh Rock takes on Jonny Clayton in the opening match of the 2026 season.

The two are among the three new faces in this year's line-up and met in the 2025 World Cup of Darts final where Rock and Northern Ireland partner Daryl Gurney beat Wales' Clayton and Gerwyn Price in a thrilling final.

In career head-to-heads, Rock has a 6-5 record against Clayton from 11 meetings.

Clayton won the last singles meeting between the duo in July 2025, ending a four-match winning run for Rocky against the Ferret.

Ian Mitchelmore
BBC Sport Wales at Utilita Arena, Newcastle

Just before the players made their way to the walk-on area, Jonny Clayton and Josh Rock embraced one another and shook hands back stage.

A nice touch before the duo get down to battle on stage.

Image source, Getty Images

One of the newer - or, should we say, returning - faces to this year's Premier League line-up is Jonny Clayton.

The Welshman won the title on debut in 2021 and has reached finals night in each of this three full appearances in the showpiece event.

But having been overlooked for the past two editions, Clayton feels he has a point to prove as he returns in 2026.

"I've moaned enough about not being in it, so I'm back with a smile on my face and I've got some proving to do that I should be in it," he said.

"If you talk the talk, you've got to walk the walk. I've said that I should have been in it, now I need to prove why I should be in it.

"I'm looking forward to this. I'm really ready for this."

Read more from Clayton on his Premier League return.

Image source, Getty Images

Northern Ireland's Josh Rock is one of two debutants, alongside Gian van Veen, in this year's tournament.

He admits he didn't think he'd done enough to be picked this year, but as one of the highest scorers on the tour and a world ranking of eighth, he's got the call.

He's yet to land a first major title but reached the last four of the UK Open and Matchplay in 2025 and was a quarter-finalist at Grand Slam of Darts and Players Championship too.

"I'm up for the task - I'm really up for the Premier League and the whole 12 months to see what I'm going to do this year," said Rock.

"I didn't think it was going to happen so when the phone call came it was a dream come true and a shock."

Sky Sports pundit Wayne Mardle has said he believes Rock's game is "ready-made" for the Premier League, and Rock has admitted he "agreed with him straight away".

Glen Durrant
Former Premier League champion on Sky Sports

You want to get off a good start - you want to look at the league table and it is a long week between nights.

Getting off is pretty essential but today is about acclimatising it and enjoying it for debutants Gian van Veen and Josh Rock.

Ian Mitchelmore
BBC Sport Wales at Utilita Arena, Newcastle

Josh Rock - who actually had his stag do here in Newcastle - joins Jonny Clayton in the limelight first up tonight.

And as a Premier League debutant, his walk-on song Welcome to the Party by DJ Krissy is somewhat apt.

Can Clayton spoil Rock's party tonight?

One thing is for sure, the 11,000 sell-out crowd are already enjoying the build-up.

Mark Webster
Former BDO world champion on Sky Sports

It feels like this format lends itself to Luke Littler.

He can afford to lose and for the other players it is like 'oh, we haven't even knocked him out of the event'.

Wayne Mardle
Former World Matchplay finalist on Sky Sports

I'm fascinated to see how the whole season will unfold.

We all think Luke Littler will coast with victory in the league phase but as Luke Humphries showed in last year's final nothing is a given.

I'm intrigued to see how Michael van Gerwen does because he's been inconsistent. Same with Stephen Bunting.

It feels like a Premier League that can't fail - we say it every year but I can't see it. I think this year and the format will lend itself to darting drama.

Starting tonight, Premier League Darts will be in action for the next 17 weeks.

The roadshow will travel across eight countries this year, including Belgium's first ever night in Antwerp.

The final takes place on Thursday, 28 May at the O2 Arena in London.

• Night one - Thursday, 5 February, Newcastle
• Night two - Thursday, 12 February, Antwerp
• Night three - Thursday, 19 February, Glasgow
• Night four - Thursday, 26 February, Belfast
• Night five - Thursday, 5 March, Cardiff
• Night six - Thursday, 12 March, Nottingham
• Night seven - Thursday, 19 March, Dublin
• Night eight - Thursday, 26 March, Berlin
• Night nine - Thursday, 2 April, Manchester
• Night 10 - Thursday, 9 April, Brighton
• Night 11 - Thursday, 16 April, Rotterdam
• Night 12 - Thursday, 23 April, Liverpool
• Night 13 - Thursday, 30 April, Aberdeen
• Night 14 - Thursday, 7 May, Leeds
• Night 15 - Thursday, 14 May, Birmingham
• Night 16 - Thursday, 21 May, Sheffield
• Play-offs - Thursday, 28 May, London

Ian Mitchelmore
BBC Sport Wales at Utilita Arena, Newcastle

A nice touch as Going Home: Theme of the Local Hero by Mark Knopfler gets an airing just prior to tonight's action getting under way.

That's lifted the Geordie crowd!

Quarter-finals

• Josh Rock v Jonny Clayton (19:15)
• Luke Littler v Gian van Veen (19:45)
• Luke Humphries v Gerwyn Price (20:15)

• Stephen Bunting v Michael van Gerwen (20:45)

Semi-Finals

• Rock/Clayton v Littler/Van Veen (21:15)
• Humphries/Price v Bunting/Van Gerwen (21:45)

Final

• Rock/Clayton/Littler/Van Veen v Humphries/Price/Bunting/Van Gerwen (22:15)

During the regular Premier League Darts season, nightly tournaments are held with a different set of fixtures each week.

Points are awarded for performances each week. The nightly winner gets five, the runner-up gets three and the two semi-final losers are awarded two points each. The other players get none.

At the end of the 16 regular season weeks, the four players with the highest points tally for the season will advance to finals night.

All matches during the regular season are the best of 11 legs, also known as a race to six.

Here is a look at this year's Premier League line-up.

All eight players will feature in the first 16 weeks. The final week is finals night, with only the top four performers from the regular season making it to the O2 Arena.

For Josh Rock and Gian van Veen, this is their debut Premier League campaign. Jonny Clayton also returns for his fourth season after being left out of the last two line-ups.

2026 Premier League Darts line-up (Order of Merit ranking):

• Luke Littler (1)
• Luke Humphries (2)
• Gian van Veen (3)
• Michael van Gerwen (4)
• Jonny Clayton (5)
• Stephen Bunting (7)
• Josh Rock (=8)
• Gerwyn Price (12)

Image source, PDC/Kieran Cleeves

After a little over eight months away, the Premier League Darts season is back under way this evening.

The opening night of the 17-week 2026 season takes us to the Newcastle Arena and all eight of this year's competitors will be looking to start the campaign strongly.

From the 2025 term, won by Luke Humphries, there are three new faces to this year's line-up. Two of those face each other in tonight's first quarter-final.

There is around 15 minutes to go until the action gets started, so let's take you through everything you need to know ahead of tonight's seven matches.