Snooker fans in Sheffield will have the chance to see their heroes walking to the Crucible, through Tudor Square, on a special green carpet on the eve of the Halo World Championship on Friday.

To kickstart the tournament, World Snooker Tour, Sheffield City Council and Sheffield Theatres are joining forces to celebrate the World Championship throughout the tournament, with interactive fun for fans of all ages in Tudor Square across the fortnight.

On Friday April 18, which is Good Friday, the world’s top 16 players will gather in the centre of Sheffield and walk from the Winter Garden to the Crucible on a carpet, which matches the colour of green baize.

Snooker fans and local people are welcome to line the square and they will get the chance for autographs and selfies with many of the players.

The fun will start in Tudor Square at 11.30am with live music. From 12.30pm, Master of Ceremonies Rob Walker will build up the atmosphere, talking to special guests, and there will be free merchandise giveaways.

From 1pm to 2pm, the top 16 players, including defending World Champion Kyren Wilson plus the likes of Judd Trump, John Higgins, Shaun Murphy and Mark Selby will grace the green carpet.

After 2pm, a few of the top stars will also play frames against fans on snooker tables in the Fanzone area, outside the Crucible.

The Halo World Championship itself, which has been staged at the Crucible every year since 1977, starts the following day and runs from April 19 to May 5. The top 16 will be joined by 16 qualifiers to battle for the famous trophy and a top prize of £500,000, watched by a global broadcast audience of 500 million.

Tom Rowell, WST's Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, said: “This is an amazing opportunity for fans to get involved in the Halo World Championship, even if they are not among the lucky few who have tickets for the Crucible. To see the world’s elite players walking through the square will be a great celebration of our sport and a proud moment for the people of Sheffield.

“We are working on a range of activities across the tournament which will build the whole experience of our biggest event for the players, fans and everyone in the city. We look forward to working with our partners on making this the best ever World Championship!”

Councillor Martin Smith, Chair of the Economic Development and Skills Committee at Sheffield City Council, said: “We are delighted to be working with our partners World Snooker Tour and Sheffield Theatres to bring this fantastic, all new event to the city centre to kick off this year’s World Championship.

“The thousands of snooker fans from around the world visiting the city, alongside our wonderful Sheffield community, are invited to come down and get involved, whether that’s meeting the players, or bagging some special giveaways.

“Sheffield loves snooker, and the World Championship is monumental for the city. This new event means everyone can be involved in the celebrations and the excitement, whether you have a ticket for the main event or not.”

Snooker’s Biggest Stars Set For ‘Green Carpet’ Ceremony In Sheffield