The 2026 British Open (officially the 2026 Unibet British Open)[1] is an upcoming professional snooker tournament that will take place from 31 August to 6 September 2026 at the Centaur in Cheltenham, England. Qualifying will take place on 23 and 24 July at the Leicester Arena in Leicester, England. The sixth consecutive edition of the tournament since it was revived in 2021, it will be the third ranking event of the 2026–27 snooker season, following the 2026 China Open and preceding the 2026 English Open.
| Tournament information | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 31 August – 6 September 2026 |
| Venue | The Centaur |
| City | Cheltenham |
| Country | England |
| Organisation | World Snooker Tour |
| Format | Ranking event |
| Defending champion |  Shaun Murphy (ENG) |
← 2025 | |
Shaun Murphy is the defending champion, having defeated Anthony McGill 10–7 in the 2025 final.
Overview
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The tournament began in 1980 as the non-ranking British Gold Cup, won by Alex Higgins.[2] Held as the non-ranking Yamaha Organs Trophy in 1981 and the non-ranking Yamaha International Masters from 1982 to 1984, it was renamed the British Open in 1985, when it also gained ranking status.[3] Staged 21 times as a ranking event from 1985 until its discontinuation after the 2004 edition, the tournament was revived as a ranking event in 2021. In 2022, the tournament trophy was named the Clive Everton Trophy to honour the longtime commentator and snooker journalist.[4]
The 2026 edition of the tournament will be held from 31 August to 6 September at the Centaur in Cheltenham, England. Qualifying will take place on 23 and 24 July at the Leicester Arena in Leicester, England.[5] The tournament will be the third ranking event of the 2026–27 snooker season, following the 2026 China Open and preceding the 2026 English Open.[6] Shaun Murphy is the defending champion, having defeated Anthony McGill 10–7 in the 2025 final.[1]
References
edit- 1 2 "Unibet British Open 2025". snooker.org. Retrieved 27 April 2026.
- ↑ "Alex 'Hurricane' Higgins". The Times. 25 July 2010. Archived from the original on 18 April 2026. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
- ↑ Turner, Chris. "British Open Including British Gold Cup, Yamaha Organs Trophy and Yamaha International Masters". cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk. Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
- ↑ "British Open trophy named after Clive Everton". World Snooker Tour. 21 September 2022. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 1 October 2023.
- ↑ "British Open Qualifiers 2026". snooker.org. Retrieved 14 May 2026.
- ↑ "Calendar 2026/2027". snooker.org. Retrieved 27 April 2026.