An N-heterocyclic carbene palladium catalyst system is used to promote direct arylation of a broad range of aryl chlorides to form six- and five-membered ring biaryls. An influence of the halide on the palladium precatalyst on catalyst activation has been revealed, as has a beneficial effect of NHC salts that allows the turnover numbers to be increased by simple addition of imidazolium salts to the reaction mixture.