Dusk Till Dawn in Nottingham is once again preparing to take center stage on the UK live poker calendar, as the UK Poker Championships (UKPC) by GGPoker return on January 17. Renowned for its world-class organization and electric atmosphere, the iconic venue will host another packed festival, kicking off the 2026 UKPC in style.
For this latest edition, Dusk Till Dawn continues its partnership with online powerhouse GGPoker, giving players multiple routes into the action. Aspiring contenders can qualify for the £560 UKPC Main Event through online Day 1 flights or satellites that start from as little as £0.01, all leading into a tournament boasting a £500,000 guaranteed prize pool.
Festival Gets Underway on January 17
The first cards of the 2026 UKPC will be in the air on January 17 with the £280 Warm Up, a popular opener featuring a £100,000 guarantee. Players will have several chances to advance, with three standard flights and an additional turbo option on the schedule. When the Warm Up last ran in August 2025, it drew 410 entries, with Spain’s Jorge Palomino lifting the trophy after a heads-up deal and pocketing £16,230.
Alongside the Warm Up, the opening weekend also includes a variety of side events and Main Event satellites, ensuring there’s something for every bankroll and playing style from day one.
£500,000 Guaranteed Main Event Takes Center Stage
As expected, the £560 UKPC Main Event is the crown jewel of the festival. With at least £500,000 guaranteed and a potential six-figure payout for the champion, it’s set to attract a huge field once again.
The first opportunity to build a stack comes on January 20, when GGPoker hosts an online Day 1 at 7:05 p.m. GMT. After 15 levels of 20 minutes each, survivors will bag their chips and advance to the live Day 2 at Dusk Till Dawn on January 25. Online satellites feed into this flight from micro-stakes, starting at just £0.01 and scaling up through £5.50 and £55 qualifiers, with up to 20 Main Event seats guaranteed at the higher level.
Live Day 1 action begins on January 22 at noon GMT with Day 1a, followed by Day 1b on January 23. That same day also features a turbo flight in the evening. Day 1c runs at noon on January 24, with a final turbo flight later that evening offering one last chance to reach Day 2.
Day 2 starts at 1:00 p.m. GMT on January 25, with the tournament playing down to a champion on January 26.
When the UKPC Main Event was last held in September, it attracted 937 entries. All nine final table players locked up at least £6,000, while the top seven collected five-figure payouts. Alex Montgomery emerged victorious, earning £92,500 after defeating Tom Waters heads-up.
Packed Schedule and Proven Success
The full 2026 UKPC schedule closely mirrors the successful 2025 edition, which delivered strong fields and multiple five-figure winners. Beyond the Main Event, high rollers and mid-stakes tournaments provide plenty of opportunities for players to build their bankrolls throughout the festival.
Last year, Daniel Bedson and Keith Johnson both claimed £1,100 High Roller titles, while Palomino’s Warm Up victory highlighted the depth of competition across the series.
With a trusted venue, a robust schedule, and seamless online-to-live integration via GGPoker, the UK Poker Championships are once again poised to be one of the must-play festivals on the UK poker calendar. As January 17 approaches, anticipation continues to build for another memorable run at Dusk Till Dawn.
