Annual darts festival celebrates 40th anniversary

Hundreds of onlookers packed into the Villa Marina on the Isle of Man's capital over the weekend to watch the island's annual dart festival see out its 40th year.

The event in Douglas, which first ran in 1986, saw dart players from across the British Isles and Europe compete in youth, doubles, female and men's categories.

Jack Drayton of Thornton-Cleveleys, Lancashire, won the open title, booking him a spot at the 2026 WDF World Championships at Lakeside, while Reece Colley and Rhian O'Sullivan won in the men's and women's masters respectively.

Former professional Ronnie Baxter, who holds the title for most wins, said the event was "cut-throat" yet enjoyed "a lot of good times on the island".

Most of the players competing at the event, which has crowned winners including Stephen Bunting, Luke Littler and Beau Graves and holds important world ranking points, sail by ferry to the island.

Lancashire-born Baxter, who won titles on the Isle of Man between 1996 and 2000, remembers packed ferry trips there and back, full of darts players and friends.

"The party used to start pretty early before we got to the island on the ferry.

"There was just throngs and throngs of darts players on the way there".

Once they arrived, Baxter recalls enjoying "the odd disco" before soaking up the island's night life.

"I've so many good memories", he said.

But the sportsmanship he saw at the festival is what Baxter remembers fondly.

"Darts players have the best camaraderie, it's so much fun wherever you go - the travelling and the people," he explained.

1997 saw Baxter win his second title on the island - where he played fellow Englishman Martin Adams in the final.

Baxter said: "He was getting put off by a person in the background".

That person turned out to be a cleaning lady, and after the match was over, Baxter made a light-hearted quip.

"I said to him, 'there was only two people that cleaned up today, me and the cleaning lady!'".

Despite career success both on the Isle of Man and abroad, Baxter was "forced" to put the darts down after suffering with dartitis - a physical and psychological condition that affects a players release of the dart.

He said: "I couldn't understand why I couldn't let go of the dart, it was so weird.

"Before, I could just close my eyes and throw them, so as soon as I started looking [at the board], that was it".

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