BEER lovers are being reminded to book tickets now for Southampton's Oktoberfest this week.

Taking place in Southampton’s Guildhall Square, Above Bar Street, the annual events has already welcomed more than 10,000 people since it launched in 2017.

This year’s event is planned to be “bigger and better” than ever with special events planned for businesses and Prosecco lovers.

Oktoberfest will be different this year with the launch of Big Werk Night Out, a special night for businesses across the South to come together for a work social, and the first-ever “Ladies Day”.

It is an evening of comedy, music, beer-pong, yodelling and prizes will be won.

The event is also set to boast a live Oompah Band and DJs, a lederhosen bar and food stalls serving Bratwurst, Hanz the Butcher Hog Roasts and more.

There will also extras throughout the festival, with standard tickets including a full German beer marquee, table staff and authentic German beer served in steins.

VIP packages, which include private table service, food and fast-track entry, are also available.

As previously reported in the Daily Echo, Oktoberfest organiser and Orange Rooms Owner, Gary Bennetton, said they were "delighted to bring Oktoberfest back to the city".

He added this year businesses from across the south will be able to "banish those office blues" by coming together for the celebration.

Oktoberfest began as a wedding celebration more than 200 years ago when Bavaria’s Crown Prince Ludwig married Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen on October.

The wedding was celebrated with multiple days of drinking, feasting and horse races which eventually became an annual event.

Oktoberfest will start on Thursday, October 24, from 6.30pm to 11.00pm.

It will start and finish at the same time on Friday, October 25.

The afternoon of Saturday, October 26 is “Ladies Day”, which will feature bottomless Prosecco between 12pm and 3pm.

The final event in beer festival will start at 6.30pm and finish at 11pm on Saturday.

Tickets can be bought from the Visit Southampton website.