The World Darts Championship is back! Thousands of boozy punters dress up for the first day at Alexandra Palace with Super Mario, Donald Trump and Oompa Loompa outfits all spotted

Thousands of boozy darts fans descended on Alexandra Palace for day one of the World Darts Championship and sported their finest fancy dress.

Luke Humphries, who defeated teenage superstar Luke Littler to lift the trophy last year, will set out to defend his title – and £500,000 prize kitty – this evening and spectators packed into the venue to secure their seats for the action.

The iconic venue holds a capacity of just over 3,000 and countless pints are expected to be downed during the tournament, which ends on January 3.

But the festivities clearly began before a single dart was thrown with a host of eye-catching costumes spotted in the build-up to the first match of the night.

Four people clad in colourful Super Mario outfits smiled for the camera after arriving while one group turned up as US president-elect Donald Trump.

All four Trumps even appeared to perform his now-iconic dance.

Another group of friends opted for a different approach, donning vivid orange tops and skirts with large Aperol Spritz labels plastered across their chests.

There were also numerous Oompa Loompas, complete with orange face paint. 

Fancy dress has become a tradition for the darting extravaganza and punters went all out again to mark the start of the gripping competition on Sunday night.

A hoard of beer-drinking Vikings also posed for photos before heading inside the main hall while the nativity was acted out by a group of eight men.

Two traffic cones were also spotted making their way through the crowd.

The arena was once again inundated with excited revellers, who carried large jugs of lager with them as they sang and danced their way to their seats.  

96 players have entered the competition but only one will lift the sacred Sid Waddell trophy, with Littler and Humphries the big favourites to triumph. 

Thibaut Tricole’s clash against Joe Comito kickstarted the oche action and the winner of that tie will face the dominant Humphries in the second round tonight.

Jermaine Wattimena will face Stefan Bellmont in the second match of the opening night before Kim Huybrechts takes on Keane Barry. 

The session will then be rounded off by Humphries’ first appearance on the stage.

Littler, who stunned the sporting world during his jaw-dropping run to last year’s final, begins his campaign on Saturday against either Ryan Meikle or Fallon Sherrock.

Gary Anderson and Michael van Gerwen are also priced at short odds to win the tournament, with the Flying Scotsman enjoying a fine run of form in recent months.