Will they? Won't they? The future of the World Snooker Championship has rarely ever not been in doubt – yet here we are in Sheffield. The year is 2025.

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The Crucible theatre is not the biggest, grandest or most lavish setting for the pinnacle of snooker, but it is one of the most sacred, revered sporting arenas in the world.

With a maximum capacity of just 980 fans, speculation has swirled around the future of the venue in light of bigger venues around the world.

Up to 2,200 fans can watch The Masters live at Alexandra Palace, while a world-record 9,000 fans poured into the Hong Kong Coliseum for the Hong Kong Masters final in 2022, offering a glimpse of what might be.

Increased interest from Saudi Arabian officials in snooker has also heightened pressure on the sport to reconsider moving from its spiritual home in Sheffield.

RadioTimes.com brings you all the latest updates as speculation over the future of the World Snooker Championship returns to the headlines.

Will the World Snooker Championship leave The Crucible?

The World Snooker Championship will be played at The Crucible in 2025, 2026 and 2027 until the end of its current contract – but all bets are off for 2028 and beyond.

Matchroom Sport chief Barry Hearn has openly discussed the prospect of leaving The Crucible on a regular basis, applying pressure to Sheffield City Council to provide an expanded or new venue, or face losing the showpiece event.

During an interview with BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast during the 2025 tournament, Hearn was asked whether the tournament could stay in Sheffield without an expanded or new venue.

He replied: "No. It's black and white: we love The Crucible, we love Sheffield, but The Crucible and Sheffield have got to love us.

"We want to stay but the financials have to be taken into consideration. The facilities where The Crucible is are no longer fit for purpose, that's the key issue.

"The Crucible's been a big part of my life and a big part of snooker's life, but it has to move with the times and someone, whether it's government or Sheffield, [has] to come up with a way of showing us that they're going to treat us with respect and give us the type of facilities we require.

"It's as simple as that. It's not complicated."

Various plans have been put forward in the past to upgrade the venue. In 2022, a new 3,000-seater arena was proposed to be built near the existing site, with a bridge connecting the two.

So far, those plans have not come to fruition. As long as spades are not in the ground, the threat of the World Snooker Championship leaving Sheffield remains a real prospect.

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Authors

Michael PottsSport Editor

Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.

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