Drama unfolded at the 2025 World Snooker Championship when Ronnie O’Sullivan trailed Zhao Xintong 12-4 in their semi-final at the Crucible Theatre. The tournament ran from 19 April to 5 May with a £2,395,000 prize fund and saw several upsets, including Ben Woollaston eliminating fourth seed Mark Selby.
Dates: 19 April to 5 May 2025 · Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England · Winner’s Prize: £500,000
Quick snapshot
- 49th consecutive year at Crucible Theatre (Wikipedia)
- Winner’s prize: £500,000 of £2,395,000 total fund (Sky Sports)
- Crucible Theatre has 902 seats (World Snooker Tour)
- Complete final result and champion identity
- Whether Zhao Xintong’s prize eligibility was affected by suspension history
- Full seed list and qualifier matchups from first and second rounds
- Qualifying: 7-16 April 2025 (RonnieO147)
- Main draw made 17 April (RonnieO147)
- Final scheduled 4-5 May, best of 35 frames (Sky Sports)
- 2026 tournament dates not yet announced
- TNT Sports set to take over UK broadcast rights from 2026
- Future ticket availability through official WST channels
The key facts table below consolidates essential event details sourced from official World Snooker Tour records and verified sporting outlets.
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Event Dates | 19 April to 5 May 2025 |
| Location | Crucible Theatre, Sheffield |
| Results Hub | Cuetracker.net |
| Tickets Site | Cruciblesnooker.com |
| Official Tournaments | World Snooker Tour |
| Qualifying Rounds | 7-16 May 2025 at English Institute of Sport |
| Main Draw Date | 17 May 2025 at 8:45am |
| Semi-Final Format | Best of 33 frames over four sessions |
| Final Format | Best of 35 frames |
| Total Prize Fund | £2,395,000 |
What time does the world snooker championship start?
Session times followed a consistent pattern throughout the tournament. Morning sessions typically began at 10am, afternoon sessions at 2:30pm, and evening sessions at 7pm, according to the schedule published by RonnieO147. The defending champion Kyren Wilson opened his first-round match on 19 April 2025 at 10am, with the evening session that day at 7pm.
Session times
The three-session daily structure remained constant through most rounds: a morning session (10am start), an afternoon session (2:30pm start), and an evening session (7pm start). This schedule applied to the first round, second round, and quarter-finals, according to Sporting News.
Daily schedule overview
The round-by-round timeline ran as follows: first round from 19-23 April, second round from 24-28 April, quarter-finals on 29-30 April, semi-finals from 1-3 May, and the final scheduled for 4-5 May, as reported by Radio Times. Ronnie O’Sullivan began his first-round campaign on 22 May 2025 at 2:30pm, finishing on 23 April.
The pattern shows that once the draw is made on 17 April, the first round begins exactly two days later on 19 April—a schedule that has held steady for 49 consecutive years.
World snooker championship 2025 tickets
Tickets for the 2025 event were available through the official World Snooker Tour channels. The Crucible Theatre holds 902 seats, and a seating plan was viewable on the World Snooker Tour tickets page, making it one of the more intimate settings for a world championship in any sport.
Official booking
The primary ticket source was Cruciblesnooker.com, where fans could purchase directly for specific sessions. The venue confirmed the event was fully accessible, according
Related stories
Sophie Marlowe is Culture & Lifestyle Editor at BritainNow.uk, covering arts, culture, lifestyle and society.