All 20,000 tickets to HMS Prince of Wales sell out in two days

Tickets for a grand tour of the Royal Navy’s biggest ship sold out just two days after sales began. The HMS Prince of Wales will spend seven days on the Mersey from December 2, giving a few lucky ticket-holders the chance to explore life on board.

The ship's return to Merseyside was announced on Tuesday, November 19. She last sailed down the River Mersey in March 2020, when hundreds of thousands of people gathered on Liverpool's waterfront to catch a glimpse of the massive aircraft carrier.

Culture Liverpool, the the hub of all of Liverpool's cultural events, announced that 20,000 people would be permitted to explore the ship as she docked in the city on December 7 and 8. Today, November 21, the arts organisation announced that all 20,000 tickets had sold out, and "there will be no further releases."

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However, they added: "You can still see the ship from Princes Parade during her visit from 2 – 9 December."

The highlight of the HMS Prince of Wales visit will be the Freedom Parade on Friday, December 6. The ship will celebrate her ties with the city by renaming one of the main passageways aboard after the Beatles’ classic Penny Lane, complete with street sign donated on behalf of the city by Lord Mayor, Cllr Richard Kemp. Civic dignitaries and leading figures from industry, education and Liverpool’s cultural scene will be given a demonstration of the ship's operations, followed by a ceremonial sunset ceremony supported by the Corps of Drums of His Majesty’s Royal Marines.

Commanding Officer Captain Will Blackett said: “It is a great privilege to bring the ship to Liverpool – a city with very special historical links to the Royal Navy – and it is a particular honour for us to receive the Freedom of the City this week. This is the culmination of a very busy autumn training programme. The ship’s company deserve recognition for their remarkable efforts, and this visit allows us to show you what we do.”