Prom season is starting again and it’s already time to dust off the envelope and postage stamp in order to apply for tickets to attend the Last Night of the Proms.
The tickets are allocated in two separate ballots.
The largest ballot is reserved for people who attend the Proms — which is perfectly understandable — and if you buy tickets to at least five performances, then you can opt into the ballot, which is for about 3,700 seats.
Just remember to tick the necessary box when buying tickets. The preview of the concerts will go live tomorrow (Thur 20th April), and then on sale at 9am on Thur 11th May 2017.
The other option though is for the Open Ballot, which reserves 100 Centre Stalls seats (£90 each) and 100 Front Circle seats (£62.00 each) for everyone to apply for.
There is an application form to fill in and that is now available on their website – and just as in the main ballot, you are limited to 2 tickets per household.
Apply for everything frankly – as unlike the Olympics, you are not committed to buying everything you apply for if your name comes up in the ballot.
Finally, any left over tickets, usually including some in the cheaper seats will go on public sale on Friday 7th July 2017 (I’ll flag that up closer to the date). If all else fails, then some standing tickets are usually still available on the Last Night itself.
I haven’t been to the Last Night yet, and have a personal rule that as it is such a wonderous event, I’ll wait until a year where I can be sure of really good seats. Then lap it all up!
Hi Ian,
As a frequent performer at the First Night, and less frequently at the Last, I’d recommend the former as the atmosphere is electric rather than silly (and usually knackered at end of season). And this year the FNOP features a BBC Symphony Chorus barnstormer where we’ll be collaborating with our young BBC Proms Youth Chorus colleagues – really worth a hearing.
But there are 70-odd gigs in between and although tickets for some of these are like gold-dust, it’s unusual not to be able to get a £6 promming ticket at the door.
Getting tickets to the Last Night of the Proms is infinitely more frustrating for people who live overseas. It is a lottery you just cannot win for those of us in Canada. I’d love to go and have a good emotional cry ! By the time you know you have them, it is too late to buy airline tickets.
It is rigged just like old timers like me trying to buy rock concert tickets in Canada. They mostly all go to scalpers. At my age I can’t wait all night in a cue. (Where’s the toilet !)
Nic – from the wilds of Canada
We have been trying to get tickets for over 10 years. You can get them on the internet at exhorbiant prices., but being on working class wages we cannot afford them. My significant other is 70 this year and we would have liked to go but at 700.00 per tick is ridiculous. Every day we telephone the Albert Hall and still no tickets.