Best pictures as Portsmouth Beer Festival returns to the city Â

Hundreds of revellers packed the venue for the three sessions and listened to live music while sampling different craft beers, ales, ciders, gins and prosecco.

Adding to the Christmas spirit, friends Lee Goulthorp from Southsea, Paul Plumbley from Havant, Russ Rawlings from Waterlooville and Mike Rawlings from Farlington donned festive suits.

Paul, 39, said: '˜We do it every year, we always do something different, we wanted to keep it fresh so we decided to come to the beer festival and show off our suits.'

Pal Lee, 36, added: '˜We wanted to support the local guys, it's great for the local community. It's brilliant.' 

Others travelled from further afield to taste beers such as Bristol beer factory El choco, Chorlton Toffee Apple sour and Irving Christmas pudding ale.

Steve Purvis came from Sunderland to watch his home team play Pompey on Saturday and met with friends at the festival.

The 43-year-old said: '˜There is a good range of beers and there is even one here that is local to me but I would say I think everything is a bit too spread out around the venue and it would be better if everything was in one room.'

Steve added: '˜I did really like the live music though and I think that gave a really great atmosphere so I would definitely come again.'

Axe throwing and hoopla kept groups entertained while they sipped their drinks and chowed down on the street food on offer outside.

Ruth Scammell came to the festival with friends from work.

She said: '˜There is such a good variety of beers and I think my favourite one was Staggeringly Good Staggersaurus which had a nice citrus and grapefruit flavour and it is also a really local brewery which is nice.'

Ruth added: '˜It has a good atmosphere and it is a nice chilled night out before Christmas with work friends and I would definitely recommend it and come again next year.'