Hawkins: Crucible History Is Irreplaceable, But Snooker Needs the Upgrade
Mixed Feelings as Crucible Deal Secures Sheffield Until 2045
Barry Hawkins has acknowledged the weight of tradition surrounding the World Championship whilst conceding that modernisation may be necessary for the sport's long-term commercial health. His comments follow the confirmation this week that the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield will remain the home of snooker's flagship event until at least 2045 — a landmark agreement that extends the venue's tenure well beyond its current contract, which runs until 2027.
The new deal comes with a significant financial commitment. A total of £45 million has been earmarked for the redevelopment of the Grade II listed building, with £35 million of that sum drawn from government funding. The investment is intended to modernise a venue that has hosted the World Championship every year since 1977, when Ray Reardon defeated John Spencer in the inaugural Crucible final. Despite the scale of the funding, some within the sport have raised concerns that the redevelopment will increase capacity by only around 500 seats — a figure critics argue falls short of what a major international sporting event demands.
A Brief Window for an Alternative Host
One aspect of the agreement that has attracted particular attention is the provision for the World Championship to be staged at an alternative venue in 2029 — and potentially 2030 — whilst the Crucible undergoes its structural work. Should that come to pass, it would represent the first occasion since 1976 that the event has been held outside Sheffield, ending what will by then be a run of more than fifty consecutive years at the same address. That temporary relocation has been widely discussed as a de facto trial for hosting the tournament abroad, with China and Saudi Arabia the two destinations most regularly cited in speculation.
Hawkins, speaking to 247Bet, was candid about his conflicted position on the matter. "I've said before that I've got mixed feelings about the Crucible," the world number 16 admitted. "You can't deny its history and how special it is, but to attract the bigger sponsors and to grow as a sport, we probably need the upgrade." He added that, on balance, he would favour the 2029 host being located in the UK rather than overseas, though he stopped short of dismissing the merits of an international move entirely. "There are pros and cons, but I'd prefer it to stay in the UK to be honest. It just feels like the World Championship should always be in the UK — ideally, in Sheffield."
China the Preferred Option If Event Moves Abroad
When pressed on which overseas destination he considered more suitable, Hawkins pointed firmly towards China rather than Saudi Arabia. "Out of those two countries, I think China would be the favourite, more for the climate and stuff like that," he said. "It just lends itself to better conditions. Also, you would get better support out in China." By contrast, he characterised Saudi Arabia as an emerging market that has yet to demonstrate the depth of snooker support that would justify hosting the sport's most prestigious tournament. "At the moment, Saudi Arabia is an emerging market. We don't really get the number of" fans there that China, with its well-documented and long-established passion for the game, can reliably deliver.
The broader context lends weight to Hawkins' assessment. China has been central to snooker's global expansion for the better part of two decades, producing multiple ranking event winners and a fanbase that routinely fills arenas across the country. The sport currently stages several ranking events on Chinese soil each season, and figures from World Snooker Tour demonstrate that television audiences in China consistently rank among the largest globally for major tournaments. Saudi Arabia, by comparison, entered snooker's calendar more recently, hosting its first ranking event in 2023 as part of a wider push into elite sport.
Hawkins' Own Crucible Record
It is worth noting that Hawkins speaks with considerable personal experience of the Crucible. The Dartford potter has reached the World Championship final on one occasion, finishing runner-up to Mark Selby in 2013, and has made sixteen appearances at the venue across his professional career (CueTracker). That record gives his perspective a grounding that purely theoretical debate cannot match — he understands both the unique atmosphere the Crucible generates and the practical limitations of a venue that was never purpose-built for the scale snooker now commands.
The coming months are likely to see further debate on where the 2029 edition is held, with World Snooker Tour and stakeholders weighing commercial ambition against the tournament's identity. For now, the sport's relationship with Sheffield is secured for the long term — but the temporary absence that the redevelopment necessitates will offer a rare and revealing glimpse of what the World Championship looks like somewhere else entirely.
