Alfie Burden Set to Defend World Seniors Championship at Crucible
Alfie Burden will defend his crown at the world seniors championship when the 2026 JenningsBet event opens at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on 6-10 May. The reigning champion returns to a field billed as the biggest ever for a World Seniors Snooker event, with coverage spread across the UK and several overseas markets.
Crucible Return For Burden
Burden goes in as the holder, and the first ball is due to be struck at 7pm on Wednesday 6 May. That start gives the championship a clear opening night at one of snooker’s most recognisable venues, with the title race centered on whether the defending champion can survive a larger and deeper field than previous editions.
The tournament’s headline names give it weight beyond Burden’s defense. Ronnie O’Sullivan, Jimmy White, Stuart Bingham and Ali Carter are all in the line-up, turning the 2026 event into the strongest field yet assembled for the seniors format. For a competition built around former stars, that list changes the profile of the week immediately.
5 And Pluto TV Coverage
Viewers in the UK will get the championship on 5 for the third time, while Pluto TV will carry the event in the UK and internationally across the USA, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Australia. Rigour Media will broadcast every match in China, widening access well beyond the Sheffield arena.
That spread matters for more than exposure. It means the championship is not being treated as a one-market event, but as a package built for broadcast across multiple regions at the same time Burden begins his defense. The action starts on 6 May and runs through 10 May, with the Crucible hosting every round of the 2026 JenningsBet World Seniors Snooker Championship.
