Event details
Event: Shanghai Masters 2026
Sport: Snooker
Event type: Major invitational event
Dates: 27 July–2 August 2026
Venue: Luwan Gymnasium
Location: Shanghai, China
Field: 24 players
Format: Single elimination
Prize fund: £825,000
Winner’s prize: £210,000
Defending champion: Kyren Wilson
Final: Sunday, 2 August 2026
The Shanghai Masters 2026 brings many of the world’s leading snooker players to the Luwan Gymnasium for seven days of high-level competition.
Running from 27 July to 2 August, the tournament is one of the biggest invitational events on the World Snooker Tour calendar. The 2026 edition is especially significant because it celebrates 20 years since the event was first staged in Shanghai in 2007.
What is the Shanghai Masters?
The Shanghai Masters is a professional invitational snooker tournament featuring an elite 24-player field.
Unlike a ranking event, players do not earn world-ranking points from their results. However, the quality of the field, substantial prize money and longer match format make it one of the most prestigious tournaments outside snooker’s traditional Triple Crown events.
The competition combines leading players from the world rankings with prominent Chinese professionals and invited wildcard entrants. It is also China’s only invitational tournament of the 2026/27 World Snooker Tour season.
Where is the Shanghai Masters 2026 being held?
The tournament is being played at the Luwan Gymnasium, also referred to as the Luwan Indoor Stadium, in Shanghai, China.
The indoor venue provides a controlled environment for professional snooker and allows spectators to watch some of the sport’s biggest names at close range.
Shanghai has hosted the tournament since its introduction in 2007. Over that period, the event has developed alongside the rapid growth of professional snooker in China.
A redesigned trophy has also been introduced for the 20th-anniversary edition. Its design takes inspiration from a snooker triangle, the curves of Shanghai’s Huangpu River and the city’s white magnolia flower.
Shanghai Masters 2026 players
The 2026 field includes several world champions, former Shanghai winners and leading Chinese players.
Notable participants include:
- Judd Trump
- Ronnie O’Sullivan
- Kyren Wilson
- John Higgins
- Mark Selby
- Mark Williams
- Shaun Murphy
- Neil Robertson
- Ding Junhui
- Zhao Xintong
- Wu Yize
- Jack Lisowski
- Barry Hawkins
- Si Jiahui
Kyren Wilson entered the tournament as the defending champion after defeating Ali Carter 11-9 in the 2025 final. Wilson previously won the Shanghai Masters in 2015 and claimed his second title ten years later.
Chinese interest is particularly strong in 2026. The home group includes Ding Junhui, Zhao Xintong and Wu Yize, alongside several other established professionals and wildcard selections.
Shanghai Masters 2026 format
The event uses a knockout format, with the match length increasing during the final stages.
Round one to quarterfinals
Matches are played over the best of 11 frames. The first player to win six frames advances.
Semifinals
Each semifinal is played over the best of 19 frames, with the first player to reach ten frames progressing to the final.
Final
The Shanghai Masters final is played over the best of 21 frames. The first player to win 11 frames becomes champion.
The longer semifinal and final formats reduce the likelihood of a single poor session deciding the tournament. They reward scoring consistency, tactical discipline and the ability to maintain concentration across multiple sessions.
Shanghai Masters 2026 schedule
Monday, 27 July
- First-round matches
Tuesday, 28 July
- Remaining first-round matches
- Opening second-round matches
Wednesday, 29 July
- Second-round matches
Thursday, 30 July
- Quarterfinals
Friday, 31 July
- First semifinal
Saturday, 1 August
- Second semifinal
Sunday, 2 August
- Final
The semifinal and final sessions are scheduled for 07:00 and 12:30 BST. That corresponds to 08:00 and 13:30 CEST for viewers in Italy and much of Central Europe.
In Shanghai, the sessions begin at 14:00 and 19:30 local time.
Shanghai Masters 2026 prize money
The tournament offers a total prize fund of £825,000.
| Result | Prize money |
|---|---|
| Winner | £210,000 |
| Runner-up | £105,000 |
| Semifinalists | £70,000 |
| Quarterfinalists | £35,000 |
| Last 16 | £17,500 |
| Last 24 | £10,000 |
| Highest break | £10,000 |
The champion receives more than one quarter of the total prize fund, while an additional £10,000 is awarded for the tournament’s highest break.
Players to watch
Kyren Wilson
Wilson arrives as the defending champion and one of the strongest players over longer formats. His patient tactical game, safety play and ability to remain composed during close matches make him particularly dangerous in the semifinals and final.
Judd Trump
Trump offers elite break-building, aggressive long potting and the ability to win frames quickly. He won the Shanghai Masters in 2024 and entered the 2026 tournament as world number one.
Ronnie O’Sullivan
O’Sullivan is the most successful player in Shanghai Masters history. His speed around the table, positional control and ability to produce major breaks make him one of the event’s biggest attractions whenever he competes.
Wu Yize
Wu is one of the leading representatives of China’s new generation. Playing in front of a home audience creates additional pressure, but it also gives him an opportunity to strengthen his position among snooker’s elite.
Zhao Xintong
Zhao’s fluent cue action and attacking style make him capable of dominating sessions when his long potting is working. He is another major home contender at the Luwan Gymnasium.
Ding Junhui
Ding remains one of the most recognisable Chinese players in snooker history. His experience, break-building and popularity ensure that his Shanghai matches attract significant attention.
What makes the Shanghai Masters important?
The Shanghai Masters occupies an unusual but valuable position in the snooker calendar.
It does not award ranking points, but its invitation-only field means there are few straightforward matches. Leading players often face established professionals or dangerous Chinese wildcards from the beginning of the tournament.
The best-of-19 semifinals and best-of-21 final also give the event a more traditional championship feel than tournaments decided entirely through short-format matches.
For Chinese snooker, the tournament provides an important opportunity to showcase established stars and emerging players in front of a large domestic audience.
How to watch the Shanghai Masters 2026
TNT Sports is broadcasting the tournament live in the United Kingdom and selected markets. Live and on-demand coverage is also available through HBO Max where the service holds the relevant rights.
Broadcast arrangements vary by country, so viewers should check their local sports broadcaster or streaming platform before each session.
Shanghai Masters betting markets
Common pre-match and in-play markets include:
- Match winner
- Frame handicap
- Total frames
- Correct score
- Race to a selected number of frames
- Highest break
- Century break markets
- Tournament winner
The match-winner market is generally the simplest option, but shorter favourites may offer limited value. Frame handicaps and total-frame markets can sometimes be more appropriate when an underdog is competitive but unlikely to win the entire match.
Longer semifinal and final formats should be assessed differently from best-of-11 matches. Stronger players have more time to recover from a slow start, making major upsets less likely than in shorter contests.
Tickets for the Shanghai Masters
Tickets were released through the Juss Sports app and its WeChat and Alipay mini-programs.
Prices vary according to the round, session and seating category. Standard tickets for the opening rounds started from 100 yuan, while premium seats for the final reached 2,980 yuan.
Tickets use real-name registration, and every spectator must hold an individual electronic ticket. The organiser also states that tickets cannot be transferred or resold.
Final overview
The Shanghai Masters 2026 is one of the standout events at the beginning of the 2026/27 snooker season.
A 24-player invitational field, £825,000 prize fund and long-format concluding rounds give the tournament genuine prestige. The presence of international champions and a strong group of Chinese players should produce high-quality matches throughout the week.
The tournament concludes on Sunday, 2 August, when the remaining two players compete over the best of 21 frames for the trophy and the £210,000 first prize.
