The 2023/24 Home Nations and European snooker series both draw to a close in North Wales next week, as the world's best players arrive at Venue Cymru in Llandudno for the 33rd edition of the Welsh Open. The last four tournaments have all ended with first-time winners, and although 2023 champion Robert Milkins won't give up his title without a fight, the stage is set for closely-contested frames across the board.
First held in 1992 and having previously held across either Newport or Cardiff for the majority of its 33 years, the 2024 Welsh Open sees the seaside town of Llandudno play host for the second year running. Mark Williams is so far the only Welshman to have lifted his home title, but there are no less than 13 players from the home of the red dragon looking to amend that record.
A prize pot of almost £430,000 is set to be divided amongst the players, several of whom will partake in held-over qualifying matches to reach a last 64 split over two sides of the draw. With every passing frame and elimination, that draw will get smaller and smaller, with two winning players from either side contesting the final.
The Ray Reardon trophy is up for grabs for the 82 players heading to Llandudno, and plenty will fancy their chances of becoming the Welsh Open's fifth first-time winner in a row. The old guard of local hero Mark Williams and 2024 Masters champion Ronnie O'Sullivan, however, will be in no mood to let the frames pass without a fight.
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2024 Welsh Open TV channel, live stream
BBC Wales are broadcasting all the action live on UK terrestrial TV during the Welsh Open, while the event is also available to watch on streaming services such as discovery+. Matchroom Live are also streaming each frame via their own subscription platform for global viewers.
| TV channel | Live stream | |
| UK | BBC Wales, Eurosport | BBC iPlayer, discovery+ |
| Canada | — | matchroom.live |
| US | — | matchroom.live |
| Australia | — | matchroom.live |
When is the 2024 Welsh Open?
The action begins in Llandudno at 9:30 a.m. on Monday, February 12, 2024, and the tournament runs for the next six days culminating in the final at 7:00 p.m. on the evening of Sunday, February 11. Following the culmination of the remaining qualifying rounds, the 64 players will be whittled across both sides of the draw.
| Date | Round | First Frame UK (GMT) | US (ET) | Canada (ET) | Australia (AEDT) |
| Mon, Feb 12 | Last 64 | 9:30 a.m. | 4:30 a.m. | 4:30 a.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| Tues, Feb 13 | Last 64 | 9:30 a.m. | 4:30 a.m. | 4:30 a.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| Weds, Feb 14 | Last 64 / Last 32 | 9:30 a.m. | 4:30 a.m. | 4:30 a.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| Thurs, Feb 15 | Last 32 / Last 16 | 9:30 a.m. | 4:30 a.m. | 4:30 a.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| Fri, Feb 16 | Quarterfinals | 9:30 a.m. | 4:30 a.m. | 4:30 a.m. | 8:30 p.m. |
| Sat, Feb 17 | Semifinals | 1:00 p.m. | 8:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. | 12:00 a.m. (Mon, Feb 19) |
| Sun, Feb 18 | Final | 1:00 p.m. | 8:00 a.m. | 8:00 a.m. | 12:00 a.m. (Mon, Feb 19) |
2024 Welsh Open prize money
There's a huge prize fund of £427,000 set to be split between the 64 final qualifiers at the 2024 Welsh Open, with the winner taking home a huge £80,000 of that prize pot. The runner-up gets just under half that amount with £35,000, with the two semifinalists splitting another £35,000 for £17,500 each. The player who attains the highest break at the tournament, regardless of which round they reach, will also earn £5,000 on top of their final total.
Five-time champion John Higgins faces a final qualifier against Mohamed Ibrahim on February 12 to reach the last 64 proper, with defending champion Robert Milkins also taking on Welshman Jamie Jones for a spot in the prize-winning draw.
Having picked up his eighth Masters title in January, Ronnie O'Sullivan also takes part in a held-over qualifier on February 12, looking to beat Scot Liam Graham for a place against Dominic Dale in the last 64.
