The fa-blue-lous day at Southsea Bandstand raised an amazing £2,241.52 for the Tom Prince Cancer Trust in what marked the beginning of Blue Week, a seven-day countdown to the FA Cup Final.

More than 500 people came along to enjoy the afternoon of free entertainment with five local bands and singers playing between 1pm and 4pm.

Dressed in blue and singing along to Pompey songs no-one was left in any doubt about the reason the Pompey-mad crowd had come to join the family fun.

VIDEO: Watch a video of Blue2Day being launched.

And at 3pm – exactly a week before the FA Cup final kick off at Wembley – Portsmouth South MP Mike Hancock, proudly wearing his Pompey top, handed the Blue Torch to the Portsmouth Joggers who ran off around the bandstand and along the seafront to cheers and applause.

This week they will run 83 miles around the city – the distance between Fratton Park and Wembley – proudly holding the torch aloft to and from Blue events.

The afternoon got off to a great start with the ever-popular Shep Woolley getting everyone going with his Pompey songs, and it drew to a spectacular close with Quay FM's Top of the Pompey Pops winners, Forever Blue, singing their Wembley anthem We're On Our Way.

Excited children were gradually joined by adults in dancing in front of the bandstand as others sat enjoying their picnics and barbecues or kicking footballs about.

And blue flags were proudly waved as excitement in the run- up the to final of one of the world's biggest football tournaments approaches fever pitch.

Tom's mum Adele Prince said: 'We just can't thank everyone enough. It's been a fantastic day and a great way to start Blue Week.

'We've been getting so much support.

'The first Blue Day took us all by surprise, it got so much more support than expected, and Friday is already looking like it will be another great day.'

Also raising money for the charity on Saturday were the members of the City of Portsmouth Amateur Boxing Club at their annual tournament. Boxers came from across the south coast to put on a show for the crowds – and raise cash – at Paulsgrove Community Centre.