The HYLO^® Saar Darts Gala 2024: a treat for darts fans

The HYLO^® Saar Darts Gala 2024 on Saturday (1 June 2024) was an unforgettable evening of fantastic entertainment and world-class darts. Packed with nearly 3000 spectators, the Saarlandhalle in Saarbrücken once again became a madhouse of darts fans. At the PDC Europe event as part of its European Darts Galas, Saarland darts fans were able to watch not only local hero Gabriel Clemens but also darts legend Raymond van Barneveld of the Netherlands and other top darts players live and up close.

At the ‘meet and greet’ beforehand, hospitality guests had an opportunity to meet TV stars in person, ask them questions and make photo memories with their favourite players. 

The atmosphere in the hall was electric when the players stepped onto the stage to loud cheers and stage lighting. The audience sang along to every star’s walk-on anthem with passion and enthusiasm. The fans, dressed in colourful costumes and bright face paint, created a vivid backdrop.

For Saarland player Gabriel Clemens, the gala was once again a fantastic event, as he enthusiastically explained:

Playing on your own doorstep, seeing lots of friends, and even old darts colleagues from earlier days – it is truly special to me.

All of the players put in fantastic performances during the group stage. In group A, Dimitri Van den Bergh secured first place, followed by Raymond Barneveld and Stephen Bunting. Group B was dominated by our local hero Gabriel Clemens, followed by Jonny Clayton and Mensur Suljovic.

The semi-finals saw Van den Bergh battle Clayton and Clemens face off against Barneveld. A dream final was secured between Belgian Van den Bergh and Saarland local Clemens, a thrilling showdown that Van den Bergh ultimately just clinched 4:3.

The show match was a particular highlight of the evening. Mensur Suljovic and Stephen Bunting, the two pros ejected after the group stage, each joined forces with a fan from the audience (Lea-Sophie and Dennis). Suljovic and Dennis won the game (one leg, 701 double out), with Dennis bringing the match to a close with a double eight hit.

As well as darts play, the event also had plenty of other entertainment and fun. The photo box campaign, our prize competition, and our fringe programme were very popular with spectators. Stalls with weird and wonderful merchandise items for the darts stars rounded off the fan experience. Visitors had the opportunity to stock up on souvenirs and take a piece of an unforgettable evening home with them.

We are already looking forward to the next HYLO^® Saar Darts Gala and hope to welcome plenty of enthusiastic darts fans to Saarland.