The following announcement was shared by WST yesterday:

Shenzhen Open Added To Calendar As Xi’an Event Relocates

The Shenzhen Open world ranking event will be staged for the first time this season, replacing the Xi’an Grand Prix.

The dates will remain the same with the final stages to be played from September 28th to October 4th, 2026.

Shenzhen is located in the Guangdong Province in southern China, known for its cutting edge technology and economic growth. With a population of 17 million, it is the third largest city in China after Beijing and Shanghai. It is also the home of 2025 World Champion Zhao Xintong. 

The qualifying rounds in the UK will run from July 19th to 22nd. The format has a tiered structure with three qualifying rounds, and the top 16 seeds have their round three (last 64) matches held over to the venue in Shenzhen. 

Total prize money will be £850,000, with the winner to receive £177,000. Mark Williams will be defending champion having won the title in Xi’an last year

Simon Brownell, Chief Executive Officer of WST, said: “We are thrilled to be bringing a huge event to the incredible city of Shenzhen for the first time. The fans there will get the opportunity to watch their heroes play live and it will be a fantastic experience for the top players to visit another new city in China, as our sport continues to grow across the region.”

The Xi’an Grand Prix was staged in Xi’an in the Shaanxi Province in 2024 and 2025.

Nothing to add really… let’s hope that it’s a success, and that the event will be well attended. With such a huge population and being home to the first Chinese World Snooker Champion it should be. If it isn’t then something is badly wrong somewhere…