The 1997 Red Band World Darts Championship was held between 29 December, 1996 and 5 January, 1997 at the Circus Tavern in Purfleet, Essex. It was the fourth World Championship organised by the World Darts Council, which had acrimoniously split from the British Darts Organisation in 1992/93. As a result of an on-going legal battle, this would be the last time that the WDC name would be used - an out-of-court settlement (Tomlin Order) in the summer of 1997 meant that the organistion had to change its name to the Professional Darts Corporation (PDC).