God. Nothing beats the buzz of a European darts weekend. The thump of arrows hitting treble 20, the beer-soaked crowds, and teh commentators losing their minds when someone hits a 170 checkout.

The European Darts Grand Prix has officially launched TODAY in Sindelfingen, Germany, and I'm already three coffees deep trying to keep up with all the action.

Fresh off his triumph in Austria last week (where I stupidly bet my colleague £50 that he wouldn't make it past the quarters), Martin Schindler is back on the oche facing Callan Rydz in what should be an absolute banger of a match. Schindler's riding high on home soil - you can practically feel the German crowd vibrating through the screen.

Where's Littler?

The teenage sensation Luke Littler is nowhere to be seen in Germany. Kid's decided to skip this one entirely. Can't really blame him after the insane schedule he's been keeping since January. Remember when we all thought he was just having a lucky World Championship run? Yeah... I feel pretty dumb about that take now.

My editor texted me this morning: "Any inside scoop on why Littler's missing?" My response: "Probably at home playing FIFA and counting his mountain of cash." Wouldn't we all if we could?

The Big Guns Are Lurking...

Luke Humphries and MVG are holding back until tomorrow, typical seeded player privilege. Those two always make me nervous when I'm trying to predict winners. Back in 2018, I confidently announced to an entire press room that MVG was "past his prime" right before he averaged 110 for the entire tournament. Still haven't lived that one down.

Van Gerwen looked sharp in practice yesterday. Scary sharp.

What You Need to Know (If You're Just Tuning In)

First arrows flew at 12pm BST, and if you're wanting to catch the action, you'll need PDCTV. Worth the subscription fee if you're a proper darts nerd like me. I've been watching since 11:30am because I'm that person who even watches the players warming up. (My girlfriend finds this habit deeply concerning).

Listen. If you want the complete rundown of who's playing who and when, there's a full schedule and results page that's being updated faster than I can type.

Cameron Menzies: The Wildcard Nobody's Talking About

Everyone's focused on Schindler after his Austrian heroics, but I've got my eye on Cameron Menzies today. Watched him practicing yesterday and his grouping was tighter than airport security. He's been living in the shadow of his partner Fallon Sherrock for ages, but 2025 feels like it could be his breakout year.

Or I could be completely wrong. Wouldn't be the first time.

I'll be here all weekend, surviving on pretzels and energy drinks, bringing you every 180, every bullseye, and every awkward post-match interview where players forget how to form basic sentences after winning. The glamorous life of a darts journalist...

Stay tuned for updates. This is just getting started.