Snooker’s biggest event to return to Manchester after exceeding all expectations

Manchester was at the epicentre of world snooker as it hosted the prestigious Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship and the World Mixed Doubles tournament this Easter.

Taking place at Manchester Central, the tour championship marked a significant milestone being the first world-ranking event in the North West of England in four years.

Snooker’s all-time greats including Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Allen, Zhang Anda, Gary Wilson and Mark Williams went head-to-head in what was a thrilling championship.

Shaun Hinds, CEO at Manchester Central, echoed the excitement, saying, “We’re honoured that the World Snooker Tour organisers have chosen our iconic venue to host this superb event in the North West.”

Hinds emphasised the potential for the tournament to create a vibrant atmosphere throughout Manchester in April, showcasing the city to a global audience.

World Mixed Doubles tournament

Before the Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship kicked off the World Mixed Doubles tournament took centre stage throughout the weekend.

The event featured four teams of two, each with one of the world’s top men and the world’s top women players.

They competed in a round-robin format, before the top two teams from the group stage go through to the final.

WST is offering an incredible deal for all the family too – as children aged between 6-and 15 go free to all mixed double events.

After its successful debut in 2022, where Neil Robertson and Mink Nutcharut emerged victorious, this event continues to break barriers by featuring both male and female players on equal footing.

Johnstone’s Paint Tour Championship

The top four played advantage of seeding directly into the quarter-finals of the Tour Championship, while the remaining eight battled it out in the opening round.

Mark Williams beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final on Sunday, coming through a strong field which also included the likes of Judd Trump, Mark Allen, John Higgins, Mark Selby, Ding Junhui and many more. The atmopshere throughout the week was superb at the outstanding Manchester Central venue.

Notably, the total prize money has seen a significant boost, soaring from £380,000 to an impressive record £500,000 as the championship saw extensive live television coverage from ITV and various other broadcasters.

WST’s Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Tom Rowell said: “We were expecting a great week at Manchester Central and it has exceeded all expectations. The feedback from players and fans about the quality of the venue and the location has been outstanding. The arena has been packed for most of the week.

“This is part of our strategy to bring the World Snooker Tour to high quality venues across the UK, particularly for our biggest events like the Tour Championship. The atmosphere inside the arena has been superb, and spectators have also enjoyed the new activations in Fanzone. Book fast for 2025 because we expect most sessions to sell out quickly.”

Free fan zone open to all

Throughout both events, there will be a free family-friendly FanZone area in the main foyer of the venue, open to all fans even those without tickets.

2025 Tour Championship tickets on sale

The 2025 event will run from 31 March to 6 April.

For all ticket information, visit the World Snooker Tour website here.