The 2024 World Snooker Championship has arrived with 17 days of top-class sporting action lined up at the iconic Crucible Theatre in Sheffield before the latest champion is crowned on Monday 6 May.

Ronnie O’Sullivan enters the tournament on the brink of history, trying to claim a record eighth world title at the Crucible and break the current tie of seven with Stephen Hendry for most World Championships in the modern era. The 48-year-old has had a sensational season, already winning the UK Championship and Masters, meaning victory in Sheffield would not only give him eight titles from each of snooker’s biggest three events but also see him become just the fourth man – after Hendry, Steve Davis and Mark Williams – to win the three triple crown events in a single season. He is currently the favourite on snooker betting sites to do just that.

But there are plenty of talented challengers looking to knock ’the Rocket’ off his perch. Luca Brecel brilliantly blitzed his way to the title 12 months ago but the Belgian has already been struck down by the ‘Crucible curse’ that has never seen a first-time winner repeat the trick the following year at the legendary theatre.

Aside from O’Sullivan, Judd Trump has been the player of the season with five ranking titles to his name this year and will be desperate to add a second World Championship to his CV, while Mark Allen has entered the very top tier of players over the past 18 months.

Here’s everything you need to know about the World Championship including schedule and results, while you can find predictions and tips for the tournament here and best bets for the first round here:

When is the World Snooker Chammpionship?

The World Snooker Championship begins at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield on Saturday 20 April and finishes on Monday 6 May. The top 16 players in the world qualified automatically for the event and have been joined by the 16 men who came through qualifying.

How can I watch it?

The entire championship will be live on the BBC, with BBC Two, BBC Four, the BBC red button, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website showing every match across the 17 days. The tournament is also broadcast on Eurosport in the UK. Subscribers can also stream the match online via the Discovery+ app.

If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are, and also with the terms of their service provider.

How much is the prize fund?

The World Championship is the richest prize in snooker with players sharing a total prize fund of £2,395,000. The winner will receive £500,000, with the runner-up pocketing £200,000 and the losing semi-finalists netting £100,000 each. An additional £15,000 is available to the player who compiles the highest break (including the qualifying stage), while two maximums made across any of the three triple crown events this season will be rewarded with a £147,000 bonus – with Ding Junhui and Mark Allen just one maxi away from that prize having made 147s at the Masters back in January.

What is the tournament format?

Full World Snooker Championship first round schedule

Saturday 20 April

10am

Luca Brecel 6-3 Dave Gilbert

Zhang Anda 2-5 Jak Jones

2.30pm

Ali Carter 5-4 Stephen Maguire

Judd Trump 6-3 Hossein Vafaei

7pm

Luca Brecel 9-10 Dave Gilbert - final session

Tom Ford 6-3 Ricky Walden

Sunday 21 April

10am

Mark Selby 2-7 Joe O’Connor

Zhang Anda 4-10 Jak Jones - final session

2.30pm

Shaun Murphy 6-3 Lyu Haotian

Judd Trump 10-5 Hossein Vafaei - final session

7pm

Ali Carter 7-10 Stephen Maguire - final session

Tom Ford 10-6 Ricky Walden - final session

Monday 22 April

10am

Shaun Murphy 10-5 Lyu Haotian - final session

Gary Wilson 3-6 Stuart Bingham

2.30pm

Mark Selby 6-10 Joe O’Connor - final session

Mark Williams 5-4 Si Jiahui

7pm

Robert Milkins 4-5 Pang Junxu

Gary Wilson 5-10 Stuart Bingham - final session

Tuesday 23 April

10am

Kyren Wilson vs Dominic Dale

Ding Junhui vs Jack Lisowski

2.30pm

Mark Allen vs Robbie Williams

Mark Williams vs Si Jiahui - final session

7pm

Robert Milkins vs Pang Junxu - final session

Barry Hawkins vs Ryan Day

Wednesday 24 April

10am

Kyren Wilson vs Dominic Dale - final session

Ding Junhui vs Jack Lisowski - final session

2.30pm

Mark Allen vs Robbie Williams - final session

Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Jackson Page

7pm

John Higgins vs Jamie Jones

Barry Hawkins vs Ryan Day - final session

Thursday 25 April

1pm

Ronnie O’Sullivan vs Jackson Page - final session

7pm

John Higgins vs Jamie Jones - final session

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