The professional darts championships draw tens of thousands of raucous fans. The beer flows freely in the stands, but the competition is serious.
Claire Moses attended a day of darts at Alexandra Palace in London. She did not wear a costume.
In the almost complete absence of sunshine during the short, gray days of December and January in England, there are, it can be said, some sources of light. A cozy fire in a pub. Christmas trees in warmly lit living rooms. Strings of lights along shop-lined streets all over the country.
And on a hill in north London, there are men throwing darts.
The annual World Darts Championship, which started on Dec. 15 and concludes on Friday, has become a staple of Christmas and New Year’s in the British capital. Played on a brightly lit stage in front of thousands of spectators — many in costumes — it is also perhaps the rowdiest, hardest-to-get-into party in London during the festive period.
Millions of people across Europe and beyond watch live on TV, and nearly 100,000 fans have attended the 2024-25 edition at Alexandra Palace, a sprawling, Victorian-era venue known as “Ally Pally.”
Inside, most of the crowd is male, and many of them wear costumes, part of a tradition at the event to show support for the players through a bit of humor. There is no discernible theme. Look around and you’ll see Willy Wonka and his Oompa Loompas; nuns; popes; a Jamaican bobsled team; bananas; traffic cones; super heroes; soccer players; and much more.
Most fans bought their tickets as far back as July. They traveled from other countries. They left their children with their spouse or a babysitter. They’re ready for a beer or two (or four, or eight).
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