Forget the UFC, forget WWE, because when Raymond van Barneveld walked out in Rotterdam back in 2016, it wasn’t just a darts entrance: it was arguably the greatest walk-on in *any* sport, period. His classic ‘Eye of the Tiger’ walk-on for the Premier League had the crowd not just singing along, but absolutely erupting. If you think sports spectacle is just about the game itself, you haven’t seen the PDC darts walk-ons, and Barney’s 2016 moment in his home country is the absolute pinnacle.
When The Crowd Makes The Moment
You know a walk-on is epic when the fans take over, and darts crowds are built different. Think about Joe Cullen at the 2022 PDC World Championship at Ally Pally. He was coming off an emotional few months after losing his mom, and that crowd gave him *everything*, belting out ‘Don’t Look Back in Anger’ as he made his way to the oche. That’s support you can feel. Dublin, man, Dublin knows how to bring it too. We saw Luke Humphries debut ‘I Predict a Riot’ there in the 2025 Premier League, and the reception was just insane, proving it was a hit around the world. Then there’s Nathan Aspinall’s ‘Mr. Brightside’ during the 2024 Premier League in Dublin, where the Irish fans kept singing well after the arena sound system cut out. How wild is that? And who could forget William O’Connor in Dublin, a challenger in the 2019 Premier League, getting a reception so good it sounded like the roof was gonna explode? Even Martin Schindler, back home in Göttingen for the European Darts Trophy earlier this year, changed his walk-on to Linkin Park’s ‘In the End’, and his home crowd’s reception was absolutely off the charts. These fans don’t just watch; they *participate*.
Legends, Bagpipes, And Pure Showmanship
Beyond the crowd, some walk-ons are just pure, unadulterated legend status. We’re talking about the GOAT, Phil Taylor. His final PDC match at the 2018 PDC World Championship Final, after decades of dominating the sport, had John McDonald setting a scene that couldn’t have been better. That walk-on, the last time ‘The Power’ hit the stage, man, that’s just pure history. And then there’s Michael van Gerwen, MVG, back in his prime at the 2016 Premier League in Rotterdam, walking out to thousands of Dutch fans. Talk about an atmosphere! For something totally unique, John Henderson brought the house down in Aberdeen during the 2019 Premier League. His walk-on started with live bagpipes, then shifted gears dramatically to ‘Rockin’ All Over the World’ blasting through the arena speakers, getting every Scottish fan out of their seats. And we gotta give props to Stephen Bunting, whose ‘Titanium’ routine at this past year’s PDC World Championship stood out and has definitely brought a ton of attention to the sport.
These aren’t just intros, folks. These are moments that prove darts isn’t just a game, it’s a spectacle, and the walk-ons are half the show. The energy, the connection, the sheer fan power behind these entrances, they make the game what it is. You gotta feel that energy to get it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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