Sam Ryder's surprise Portsmouth appearance - 12 pictures of the singer with fans in Commercial Road

The singer performed his new Christmas single, You’re Christmas to me, in Commercial Road, Portsmouth on Wednesday, December 20. The race to be Christmas number one is heating up with the Eurovision runner up currently in second place behind Wham’s Last Christmas. Ryder’s performance was one of 26 he is doing around the country over six days.

NOW READ: Sam Ryder's surprise live Portsmouth performance in bid for Christmas number one

Ryder, who also performed a number of other songs to the excited crowd, told those in attendance: “We are in the tightest race for Christmas number one since the Darkness versus Mad World (in 2003). It was an injustice that Darkness got number two, let’s not repeat it, we have the power.”

Here are 12 pictures from the surprise performance: