Alexandra Palace, London CNN —
There are five men in sparkly suits running after a crowd of ghost hunters – a sure sign that the World Darts Championship is in full swing.
This unique annual sporting spectacle, held at the historic Alexandra Palace in north London, is a magnet for thousands of people who want to enjoy the often exhilarating and always bizarre experience of watching the world's best darts player battle it out for the Sid Waddell Trophy.
The competition, which takes place over the Christmas period and into the New Year, offers a unique atmosphere. It's an event where alcohol content is measured in jugs rather than pints, and where pantomime-style audience participation is welcome as fans let themselves go for a few hours.
This year the event has gained additional attention thanks to the historic achievements of the sport's new superstar, Luke Littler.
The 16-year-old, who was largely unknown before making his debut at this year's championships, has captured the imagination of the public by becoming the youngest player ever to reach the final of the tournament.
The teenager fresh out of school has subsequently become the figurehead of this year's competition, which has once again caused a lot of drama.
To fully understand this annual celebration of darts excellence, it is wise to familiarize yourself with the art of costuming.
Audience members dress in the most outrageous costumes imaginable; A tradition that leads to some confusing double takes as ticket holders gather at the entrance.
On any given day, you can see two Power Rangers chatting with a group of Minions, a man dressed head-to-toe as a dartboard photographing a herd of human-sized furry animals, and Superman struggling to pull create an e-ticket on your cell phone.
The choice of clothing reflects the carnival atmosphere that attracts thousands of people to one of London's most popular venues each year.
Alexandra Palace opened 150 years ago and offers stunning panoramic views of London. Today, numerous cultural events take place here, including music concerts, fireworks displays and theater performances.
Greats such as the Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd and Jay-Z played in the imposing Victorian building on a hill in north London. However, over the last 16 years it has become synonymous with darts. If football has Wembley Stadium and tennis has Wimbledon, darts has Ally Pally.
The neon green logo of the tournament's main sponsor uncompromisingly covers the huge murals that have adorned the palace's grand hallways for years, while in the vast Great Hall, where banquets were once held, there are not-so-cheap but always cheerful fast-food restaurants Serve greasy treats.
“It's a great atmosphere and a chance to get drunk. It's like a football game, without any hostility,” fan Richard Sampson, dressed as Ghostbuster, told CNN Sport, reflecting on why he chose to attend with his partner and her friends.
“They don’t support anyone; You only cheer when something good happens. Sport is secondary.”
The darts disciples who make the pilgrimage to their sporting nirvana every year need little encouragement to have fun. The euphoria begins on the steps in front of the entrance and continues to the stage in the west hall of the palace.
Fans sing an eclectic array of chants as they watch the pulsating action on the edge of their seats, tension written all over their faces and ready to celebrate absolutely anything and everything.
Some still question whether darts, a sport that became popular in English pubs in the 19th and 20th centuries, can be considered a real sport because players are not always in peak athletic condition and have a history of drinking at professional games and smoked.
But this tired cliché stands in stark contrast to the unrivaled spectacle that a World Darts Championship day can provide, as players remain ruthlessly precise under the most incredible pressure, resulting in some gigantic battles that have boosted the sport's popularity in recent years have increased.
The winner of this year's World Championship will now not only receive the Sid Waddell Trophy – named after the late broadcaster who became known as “the voice of darts” – but will also take a share of the £2.5 million ($3.16). ) take home millions) in prize money.
This not insignificant amount of money is partly due to interest from television – Sky Sports signed a seven-year deal in 2017 to broadcast darts matches on its own channel.
“Sky Sports' support since the founding of the PDC almost 25 years ago has been a crucial factor in the success of the sport,” said the then chairman of the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC), Barry Hearn, now president of the organization, known as the broadcast deal was given .
With interest in Littler attracting a new audience to the sport, Sky said it had recorded record viewing figures this year.
Littler's win against Brendan Dolan, for example, was the most-watched quarter-final in the tournament's history on Sky Sports, peaking at 1.4 million.
The show really begins when the players enter the arena to music of their choice, with crowd-pleasing tunes driving the already drunken fans even further into a frenzy.
For that brief moment, it's as if the players are rock stars, much like David Bowie and Prince, with the audience in the palm of their hands.
When the games begin, the crowd's cheers are punctuated by the metronomic pop of darts hitting their target.
The biggest cheers are heard when players reach the maximum score of 180 – a signal for the crowd to throw their beers in the air.
The noise never seems to let up and only gets louder as the afternoon crowd gives way to the much more upbeat evening session.
“Stand up if you love darts” is the motto that accompanies every session.
“I don't know anything about darts, but everyone is so friendly,” Tracy Dixon-Smith, who wore a bright green wig as she competed in her first darts tournament, told CNN Sport.
“It took forever to come back from the toilet because I was dancing with everyone I met. It was great fun, it’s just a party.”
Smaller Wonderland
While the fans dance, the players concentrate on the sport. Some try to block out the noise, while others help orchestrate the chants and harness the crowd's energy to enhance their own performance.
“When I came here today I got goosebumps because I knew I was going to be playing on this stage again,” the sport's new hero Littler told CNN Sport before his third-round match.
The breakout star stunned the world by fighting his way to the competition's Final Four, defeating opponents with decades of experience.
Since bursting onto the world stage after an impressive junior career, Littler's popularity has skyrocketed – he now has tens of thousands more social media followers than before.
His love of celebrating victories by eating kebabs has been well documented by the global media, who have jumped on the Littler bandwagon.
His stormy entry into life as a professional darts player has already sparked controversy – the young man felt the need to apologize after posing with a picture from a British Red Top newspaper.
But the Xbox-loving teenager hasn't let the dizzying last few weeks affect his darts game and his performances on stage show remarkable maturity.
“I love it,” he added when asked how he handles the pressure of the audience.
“People are singing chants, drinking beer, it's crazy. It's hard to concentrate, they're calling your name, but you have to keep it out of your head and concentrate somehow.”
After defeating former world champion Rob Cross 6-2 in Tuesday's semi-final, Littler is now just one win away from the title. He will play either Luke Humphries or Scott Williams in Wednesday's final.
Few events can rival the combination of the most theatrical sports drama imaginable and the explosion of collective silliness at Alexandra Palace.
Fans, many of whom are drunk, leave the day breathless, eager to return to this corner of London to witness a sporting event unlike any other.
At the end of the night, when everyone has danced to the nearest pub, the magnificent old Alexandra Palace stands silent after another relentless day of action, the only reminder of the hordes of revelers the discarded costume pieces lying scattered across its historic steps.