The first signs of the Snooker World Championships have arrived in Sheffield
Get ready - the big preparations for the World Snooker Championships are underway in Sheffield.
The first signs of the work to get things ready have started to appear in the city, ahead of the start of the tournament this month.
Today, a section of Tudor Square has been cordoned off close to the Crucible Theatre while work goes ahead on preparations for the tournament, which starts on April 18.
Inside the fence today a lorry and two large vans could be seen parked, carrying the name Trans-Sport.tv, global event contractors, as well as a forklift truck and several cars.
And elsewhere in the city centre, pennants can be seen attached to lampposts, carrying the words 2026 Halo World Championship, and bearing a picture of the famous trophy awarded to the winner.
In the next week and a half organisers will have to put the snooker tables in place, while the broadcasters put their cameras and cables in place.
Then preparations will have to be put in place to set up the famous fan zone in Tudor Square, complete with its snooker tables and big screes, as well as seats.
You can also expect to see the BBC set up its studio in the Winter Garden, where bosses say it will be hosted again by Hazel Irvine.
This year will see Zhao Xintong return to the Crucible to defend the crown he won last year, while Ronnie O’Sullivan will be hoping record-breaking eighth world title.
The tournament, which runs until May 4, has been held in Sheffield since 1977.
Earlier this year, it was announceded that the capacity of the Crucible would be expanded so that the tournament can continue to be staged there in the future.