For the 49th year in a row, Sheffield is hosting the World Snooker Championships, with the prestigious event being staged at the Crucible Theatre in the heart of the city.

The tournament – which began on 19 April and runs until 5 May – has seen 32 of the very best return to the ‘home of snooker’ to compete for a first-place prize of £500,000.

Councillor Tom Hunt, Leader of Sheffield City Council, said: “Since 1997 we have given the World Championships a stage and invited the world to watch.

“Each year over 500 million fans across the globe tune in to witness the world’s best snooker players compete in the unique and intense atmosphere of the Crucible Theatre.

“We are so proud to be the home of snooker and this year’s World Championship will be bigger and better than ever.”

And the excitement extends beyond Norfolk Street’s Crucible Theatre, with the Winter Gardens hosting a Cue Zone area that has encouraged thousands of visitors to take part in coaching sessions or watch the BBC present live from an on-site studio.

The benefits of this increase in tourism are felt not least by local businesses, who have taken full advantage of a busy city centre across the three weeks.

Tim Nye is the owner of independent cafe Marmadukes and told Sheffield City Council that his three Sheffield-based stores benefit financially across the 17-day tournament.

“Each year we really look forward to it,” he said. “It absolutely brings lots of customers into Sheffield city centre.

“For me, it’s about events. Events are what draws people into our city centre. 

“We can’t have the World Snooker Championships every month but something like that every month would be very nice.”

The semi-finals will be played over the next three days and will see Judd Trump, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams and Zhao Xintong fight for a place in Sunday’s final.