Only couples can apply for the Coronation Concert

UPDATE – single people can now apply for tickets, follow the instructions in the application website FAQ page.

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The ballot has opened to be among the thousands watching the Coronation Concert in Windsor Castle, but only for people who are applying for two tickets.

The ballot FAQs say that there are 5,000 pairs of free Coronation concert tickets available through an online ballot, and that each successful applicant in the ballot will be able to nominate a guest, giving a total of 10,000 tickets.

However, you cannot apply unless you have a guest already – so it’s not quite correct to say you “will be able to nominate a guest”, as that’s actually a mandatory requirement to enter the ballot.

I usually apply for twin tickets when needed, and then hunt around for a friend to accompany me, but you can’t apply for two tickets and look for a friend to go with later as all the guest’s details are needed at the time you apply – including the ID numbers and you need to bring that photo ID with you.

Sorry single folk*, we’re not welcome.

For everyone else…

You can apply for a ticket by visiting the Coronation Concert website anytime until the end of Tuesday, 28th February. The 10,000 pairs of tickets will be allocated based on the geographical spread of the UK population and not on a first-come first-served basis.  Winners will all be selected after the 28th February, so there is as much chance of being selected if an application is made on the 28th February as on the 10th February.

Singletons can watch the show on telly.

Incidentally, Windsor is an awkward location to choose, as while it’s a lovely town to visit, there’s quite a limit on train services, with a short shuttle between Windsor & Eton Central and Slough, and a rather better but still limited service from Windsor & Eton Riverside stations.

Having 10,000 people leaving at the same time is going to strain the trains.

And with the show in the evening, it’s not as if you could hang around visiting the town for a couple of hours until the crowds have thinned out a bit.

If you have a choice, I’d suggest trying to use Windsor & Eton Riverside is likely to have a better service because the platforms are much longer than at the Central station, so the train company may choose to lay on longer trains for the day to cope.

*Yes, a single person could create a fake guest**, but considering Coronation concerts tend to be fairly rare events, hogging two tickets when you want just one means someone else misses out, which would be a bit mean.

**Also, guests may be subject to pre-event security checks, and a fake name trying to attend a royal event is so many levels of nope.