Northern Ireland Open Snooker 2026 Today: Wednesday order of play, prize money, format - when is John Higgins playing?

The second of the four Home Nations snooker competitions of the season is now underway in Belfast.

John Higgins is in action in Belfast today. | Getty Images

The Northern Ireland Open comes after the English Open (won by Ali Carter) and before the Scottish Open in December and the Welsh Open in March.

It was first held in 2016, when Mark King won the inaugural title, with this year’s tournament the 11th edition.

Judd Trump is the most successful player in the history of the tournament having lifted the trophy on four occasions.

Read more: Snooker Rich List 2026: Here are the 11 biggest earners of the season - how much prize money have Wu Yize and John Higgins banked?

Last year saw Jack Lisowski prevent Trump winning a fifth crown by beating him 9-8 in a nailbiting final.

And he’s back to defend his title, along with the majority of the world’s top players.

Today will see the players whittled down to the final 16, with the likes of John Higgins and Mark Williams in action.

It comes after an opening couple of days packed with shocks, as Mark Selby, Neil Robertson, Shaun Murphy and Ronnie O’Sullivan all made early exits.

Then yesterday saw local hero Mark Allen crash out to Jordan Brown before suggesting his snooker career could be over.

Here’s everything you need to know about today’s play.

When is the Northern Ireland Open snooker?

The tournament takes place from October 18 to 25 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.

How much money does the winner of the Northern Ireland Open Snooker get?

The total prize pot for the Northern Ireland Open is £550,400, allocated as follows.

• Winner: £100,000
• Runner-up: £45,000
• Semi-final: £21,000
• Quarter-final: £13,200
• Last 16: £9,000
• Last 32: £5,400
• Last 64: £3,600
• Last 96: £1,000
• Highest break: £5,000

There is also an extra £150,000 up for grabs for the player who wins most prize money across the four Home Nations tournaments, finishing with the Welsh Open in March 2026.

What is the order of play today at the Northern Ireland Open snooker 2026?

Here’s all the action taking place today, Wednesday, October 21. All are last 32 games.

From 10am

• Pang Junxu [26] v Liam Davies [89]
• Cheung Ka Wai [106] v Stuart Bingham [19]

From 1pm

• John Higgins [7] v Jak Jones [30]
• Daniel Wells [50] v Ryan Day [41]

From 2pm

• Sam Craigie [70] v Xu Si [36]
• Zhang Anda [18] v Mark J Williams [10]

From 7pm

• Gao Yang [73] v David Gilbert [32]
• Michael Holt [47] v Jordan Brown [63]
• Noppon Saengkham [28] v Scott Donaldson [64]

From 8pm

• Elliot Slessor [22] v Jamie Jones [60]
• Luca Brecel [39] v Martin O'Donnell [55]

When is John Higgins playing next at the Northern Ireland Open 2026?

Scotland’s John Higgins will be playing his last-32 match against Jak Jones today at 1pm.

What happened to Ronnie O’Sullivan at the Northern Ireland Open 2026?

The Rocket suffered a shock first round 4-3 defeat to world number 110 Ka Wai Cheung in the first round on Monday.

What is the format of the Northern Ireland Open snooker?

The first round sees the players seeded 65‍–‍96 take on those seeded 97‍–‍128. The winners then face the players seeded 33‍–‍64. In the third round the second round winners take on the top 32 seeds and it’s a straightforward knockout tournament from then on.

It’s the best of seven frames until the quarter finals which are the best of nine. The semi final is the best of 11 and the final the best of 17 frames played over two sessions.

The first two rounds were played earlier in the year, with rounds three and onwards taking place at the Waterfront and broadcast on television.

What Scottish players are taking part in the Northern Ireland Open?

There’s plenty of Scottish interest in the tournament, with Scott Donaldson, Anthony McGill, Stephen Maguire and John Higgins all playing in the last 64. Anthony McGill is already through to the last 16, with John Higgins hoping to join him today. Maguire and Donaldson are both out.

What is the schedule for the Northern Ireland Open?

Here’s when all the action will be taking place:

• Last 64: Sunday, October 18 - Tuesday, October 20
• Last 32: Tuesday, October 20 - Wednesday, October 21
• Last 16: Thursday, October 22
• Quarter-finals: Friday, October 23
• Semi-finals: Saturday, October 24
• Final: Sunday, October 25

How can I watch the Northern Ireland Open?

There will be live coverage of the Northern Ireland Open on TNT Sports which UK viewers can stream through Discovery+.

What trophy does the winner of the Northern Ireland Open receive?

The players are competing for the Alex Higgins Trophy, named after the Belfast snooker great who claimed two world championships.

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