World Snooker Championship to remain at Crucible until at least 2045

The World Snooker Championship will remain at its spiritual home of the Crucible for at least another 19 years under the terms of a new deal that will give the iconic venue a £45million upgrade.

World Snooker confirmed the contract, which was due to expire next year, will be extended until 2045 with an option to remain in Sheffield until 2050.

The agreement ends the uncertainty hanging over the event’s future. There had been interest from China and Saudi Arabia in staging the championship but it will now remain at the intimate South Yorkshire home that has hosted it since 1977.

However it will go on the road temporarily in 2029 while the venue’s capacity is expanded from 980 to 1,500.

The upgrade was crucial to the deal. The cost of turning the venue into a theatre-in-the-round will be met through a £35million investment from national and local government plus a further £10million from the private sector and philanthropic partners.

The news was welcomed by Keir Starmer. “We have a deep cultural and sporting heritage here in the UK — sport, art and culture are the very best of us. It’s what makes us proud not only of the country, but the places that we’re from,” the prime minister said.

“I had the pleasure of recently visiting Sheffield, the home of the oldest football club in the world, to encourage partners to support a major redevelopment of the iconic Crucible Theatre to keep sport and culture thriving in this city.

“I’m delighted this £45million of funding will support the venue to continue to develop world-class theatre and stay host to the famous World Snooker Championships for many years to come.”

Barry Hearn, the president of Matchroom Sport who own a controlling stake in World Snooker, admitted it was a difficult negotiation. “There was a lot of disagreement along the way,” he said. “Did I want more money? Yes. Money is important in life but there are other things to be brought into consideration.

“Over a period of time you get history being created and that is the greatest asset sport can have. Snooker is Sheffield and Sheffield is snooker. I can’t tell you how pleased I am. We would have felt like we had lost an arm had we not stayed. Without the Crucible snooker just doesn’t look the same.”

The Crucible has drawn isolated criticism from players down the years. Iran’s Hossein Vafaei complained about its smell and described the practice room as being like a “garage” in 2024. But the overwhelming majority will be delighted the tournament is staying.

Stephen Hendry, who won seven world titles at the venue, expressed his relief at the decision. “There is simply nowhere else like the Crucible or anywhere else that could replicate that atmosphere or the sense of history,” he said. “It was always my favourite place to play and I still love going to Sheffield. I am thrilled that we are staying there long term.”

World champion Zhao Xintong, who will defend his title when this year’s tournament begins on April 18 in Sheffield, backed the move. “I am so happy because I love the Crucible — it is a very special place and all Chinese players want to play there,” he said. “Sheffield has become my home in the UK and it is famous around the world as the home of snooker.”

World No8 Shaun Murphy added: “This is our Wimbledon, our Wembley — this is where it happens. It’s special, it’s sacred, for us it’s holy ground.”

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