A Nostalgic Journey Through Darts’ Living Time Capsule at Lakeside
So let me walk you through this remarkable story from the world of darts — a story that feels almost frozen in time, yet still pulsing with real passion and personality. We’re talking about the WDF World Championships at the legendary Lakeside, a venue that hasn’t just hosted darts history but seems to embody it. When people say stepping into Lakeside feels like entering a portal to the past, they aren’t exaggerating. Everything from the burgundy carpets to the beige walls whispers of decades gone by. Even the faded photographs on the walls — featuring names like Showaddywaddy, Michael Barrymore, and a grinning Rolf Harris — sit there untouched, as if the clock stopped ticking sometime in the late 80s.
Lakeside hosted the BDO World Championship for the first time in January 1986, and despite the BDO folding in 2020, the World Darts Federation stepped in to carry the torch. The WDF event isn’t the global spectacle that the PDC’s Alexandra Palace show has become, but it represents something much more intimate — the heartbeat of amateur darts. The women’s event is still considered the pinnacle of the female game, and for many players, competing here is a genuine career highlight.
Also Read:And make no mistake: the charm of Lakeside lies in how little it has changed. One fan summed it up perfectly: “It still feels like the glory days… because they haven’t changed the carpets.” In a sport that has modernized and commercialized rapidly, Lakeside’s refusal to evolve too much is almost its secret magic. Any attempt to modernize it would risk breaking that spell.
The atmosphere inside is wonderfully strange — a rhythmic thud of darts hitting the board echoing around a slightly crumbling cabaret hall. It’s quieter, more reverent, and oddly moving. Even the drinking culture feels different. Yes, people drink — this is darts after all — but it’s respectful, almost ritualistic. Many fans have been coming since the 1990s, sitting in the same seats, following the same routines, even showing up in themed outfits year after year.
The players themselves are a remarkable mix: teenagers with big futures, seasoned veterans still chasing that one perfect run, and personalities ranging from “The Dutch Sequoia” Jimmy van Schie at 6ft 9in to 15-year-old Mitchell Lawrie, who many believe will soon be challenging Luke Littler’s rise. Stories unfold everywhere — someone battling dartitis, another balancing an engineering degree with competition, or a reigning champion casually sipping cider hours before taking the stage.
Despite all the quirks — or maybe because of them — Lakeside still stands as the spiritual home of darts. And the good news? It’s coming back again. The WDF has confirmed that the 2026 World Championships will return to Lakeside from November 27 to December 6, marking yet another chapter in this wonderfully peculiar, deeply nostalgic venue’s history.
In a world where sports keep modernizing, Lakeside remains a reminder of what darts once was — and perhaps, what it still is beneath all the lights and noise.
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