Snooker World Championship to stay at Sheffield's Crucible Theatre until 2045 with venue set to benefit from a major refurbishment

Snooker World Championship is set to stay at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield until 2045

Snooker's World Championship is set to stay at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield until 2045 with the venue also set to benefit from a major refurbishment.

The existing contract with the Crucible was due to expire this year but the World Snooker Tour has committed to keep it the tournament's long-term home until 2045, with an option to extend to 2050.

The refurbishment will see the addition of 500 seats in 2028 to it's current 980 capacity. This has been supported by £45m in investment, with £35m from national and local government and a further £10m through private investment.

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Speaking to Sky Sports last May, President of Matchroom Sport Barry Hearn said the Crucible is 'not fit for purpose' in line with how snooker has progressed, but ideally wanted the World Championship to remain at the venue if it is revamped

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The event is expected to be hosted temporarily at an alternative venue before returning to a transformed Crucible. after 2028

The investment will see a 50 per cent increase in the venue's capacity.

Snooker's flagship event first came to the Crucible in 1977 and will celebrate its 50th anniversary at the iconic venue next year.

This year's Halo World Championship runs from 18 April to 4 May, as the world's top 16 players and 16 qualifiers gather to compete for a trophy first contested in 1927, alongside a top prize of £500,000.

The event has a global cumulative audience of 771 million.

Crucible keeps tournament despite Saudi interest

Ronnie O'Sullivan has been critical of the facilities at the Crucible in the past

The Crucible has become an annual pilgrimage site for snooker fans from around the world and speculation over the World Championship departing the venue is not new, with China being repeatedly mooted as a potential venue following the growth in the number of Chinese players on the tour in the past two decades.

Sheffield has managed to see off competition, but the emergence of Saudi Arabia as player on the global sporting stage in terms of hosting major events such as the Riyadh Season Snooker Championship and the financial backing has undoubtedly upped the stakes for those keen to keep the tournament at its iconic long-term home.

Snooker great Ronnie O'Sullivan, who has been critical of the facilities at the Crucible, has previously said it is a realistic prospect it could move and that a switch to Saudi Arabia would elevate the World Championship to another level.

"The Crucible is a great venue, don't get me wrong," O'Sullivan said. "It's got great history and I've got some great memories there, but as a snooker player, you thrive in being in an environment where everything is catered for.

"It's hard to get in and out, it's hard to get a proper allocation for practice times, it's a busy place and the World Championship is a massive event.

"I think Saudi Arabia could get hold of this tournament, grab it by the scruff of the neck and turn it into a Wimbledon or a French Open or US Open, and really make it a super event."

O'Sullivan made the highest break in professional snooker by hitting a 153 at the World Open in China last week, while 'The Rocket' suffered a 10-7 defeat to Thailand's Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in a scintillating final, in which Un-Nooh hit a 147 break in the penultimate frame.

O'Sullivan last won the World Championship in 2022 and is still looking to surpass Stephen Hendry to a record-breaking eighth Crucible title.

'Deep cultural and sporting heritage'

The venue will also undergo a major refurbishment, including the addition of 500 seats, in 2028

Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said: "We have a deep cultural and sporting heritage here in the UK - sport, art and culture are the very best of us. It's what makes us proud not only of the country, but the places that we're from.

"I had the pleasure of recently visiting Sheffield, the home of the oldest football club in the world, to encourage partners to support a major redevelopment of the iconic Crucible Theatre to keep sport and culture thriving in this city.

"I'm delighted with today's confirmation that the theatre and the city will stay host to the famous World Snooker Championships for many years to come."

WST chairman Steve Dawson said: "This is the news that players and fans around the world have been waiting and hoping for. It comes following years of close negotiation with Sheffield City Council and the UK Government and we are delighted to have reached this far-reaching agreement.

"I would like to thank our partners as we have shared a vision which continues the wonderful relationship between snooker and Sheffield. I can imagine walking back into that arena as the planned transformation is delivered and seeing something even more fabulous."

Seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, said: "There is simply nowhere else like the Crucible or anywhere else that could replicate that atmosphere or the sense of history. It was always my favourite place to play and I still love going to Sheffield. I am thrilled that we are staying there long term."