Lichfield Proms Saturday: No Ticket Left, Entry Still Free

Lichfield Proms returns to Beacon Park this Saturday, 5 September. Entry is free, the fireworks go up at 9.45pm, and you do not need a ticket to get in.

That last point needs saying plainly, because the official pages do not agree on it. Every free admission ticket has come off sale, the deckchairs have sold out, and the booking site’s own terms say a valid ticket must be shown at the gate. The organiser says the opposite.

Can you still just turn up? Yes

Lichfield District Council’s tourism site, which runs the event’s ticketing, now states: “Pre-booking has now closed, but Proms in Beacon Park remains free to attend, simply turn up on the evening and enjoy the event with us” (Visit Lichfield, Lichfield Proms). Its own frequently asked questions put it more bluntly still. Under “Do I need a ticket?” the answer is “No.”

The booking platform reads differently. On Ontick’s Proms 2026 page, the free General Admission Ticket is marked “Currently Not On Sale”, and the terms and conditions attached to it say “A valid ticket must be presented for entry” and that the organiser “reserves the right to refuse entry to any person who cannot provide valid proof of booking”.

West Midlands Railway, one of the event’s sponsors, published its own guide on 27 August describing admission as “Free entry with pre-booked tickets” and telling readers to order free tickets through Visit Lichfield (West Midlands Railway, How to get to Lichfield Proms by train). Those tickets are no longer available to order.

The organiser’s instruction is the one to follow. It is the most recent, and it is the council’s own.

What is on sale, and what has gone

Four things were sold through the booking site. This is where each stood on Thursday morning:

• General admission, free: currently not on sale
• Table of four, £90: currently not on sale
• Table of six, £115: currently not on sale
• Deckchair, £10 each: sold out

The council said on Wednesday that “a final number of reserved tables are still available to book ahead of the event this week” (Lichfield District Council, 2 September). The booking page does not show either table type as available. If you want one, ring the events team rather than relying on the website.

Gazebo pitches were also sold this year, split for the first time into three numbered rows so buyers could choose Row 1, 2 or 3.

The food and drink offer has been rebuilt for 2026. The council says 19 traders are appearing at Lichfield Proms for the first time.

What time everything happens

One caution on the start time. The council’s news release says the City of Lichfield Concert Band takes the stage “from 6.30pm”. The event’s own running order, West Midlands Railway’s guide and the council’s standing page for the Proms all say 6pm. Three sources to one, so plan for 6pm.

The opening time has the same problem. The headline on the event page and the council’s release both say the food and drink village opens at 3pm. Further down that same page, the answer to “What food and drink is available?” says it opens from 2pm, and the railway guide repeats the 2pm figure. If you are coming for the food, 3pm is the time the organiser has put in the running order.

Parking: the free window starts at 3.30pm

Dedicated event parking at Beacon Park was £5 a vehicle, bookable only alongside premium seating, and that has closed with the rest of the pre-booking. Everyone else is using the ordinary council car parks.

The useful detail is that the three car parks serving Beacon Park stop charging in the middle of the afternoon:

• Shaw Lane (WS13 7AG, 39 spaces) and Greenhough Road (WS13 7AW, 77 spaces) charge from 7.30am to 3.30pm
• Bunkers Hill on Lower Sandford Street (WS13 6RA, 58 spaces) charges from 10am to 4pm

Those hours come from the council’s own records for Shaw Lane, Greenhough Road and Bunkers Hill. Arrive inside the charging window and the all-day rate at all three is £10, which is the most expensive full day in Lichfield. Arrive after it and there is nothing to pay. Check the tariff board before you walk away.

The city centre long stay car parks, including the 365-space Friary multi storey, charge until 6.30pm and cost £4.30 for 24 hours. That is the cheaper option if you are coming early. Our guide to parking in Lichfield has the full tariffs, the blue badge bays and the PayByPhone codes for every car park.

Getting there by train

Lichfield City station is a 12 to 15 minute walk from the park gates, through the city centre by St John Street, Bird Street and Swan Road. West Midlands Railway gives the direct journey as 38 minutes from Birmingham New Street, 24 minutes from Chester Road, 19 minutes from Sutton Coldfield and 9 minutes from Blake Street.

The last train out of Lichfield City is 11.33pm, which leaves an hour and a half after the event closes. Groups of three or more can take a third off off-peak fares with GroupSave. Our Lichfield train times page covers the wider timetable.

What to bring, and the weather question

The organiser’s advice is a picnic, blankets or camping chairs, and to dress for the weather. Dogs are not banned but the event page recommends leaving them at home because of the crowds, the amplified music and the fireworks.

On what happens if the weather turns, there is no published answer. The event page’s own rain question is unfinished. After “Proms goes ahead in most weather conditions, so check the forecast and come prepared” it ends with an instruction to whoever was writing the page: “Include your severe-weather position if you have one.” No severe weather policy has been published since. If Saturday looks bad, watch the council’s social media rather than the website.

What it means for you

• You do not need a ticket. Turn up.
• Aim to be in a car park before 3.30pm and you pay, after it and you do not.
• The music starts at 6pm, not 6.30pm. The fireworks are at 9.45pm and the event closes at 10pm.
• The deckchairs have sold out and both table sizes are off sale. Bring your own chair or a blanket.
• If you are travelling by train, 11.33pm is the last one out.

Beacon Park has had a busy summer: padel courts opened in July and an accessible bouncer in August. More on what is on locally is in our things to do in Lichfield guide, and road closures and travel updates are on our Lichfield roadworks and travel page.

Sources

• Lichfield District Council, Lichfield Proms returns this Saturday with new stage, screen and expanded food and drink village, 2 September 2026 for the 3pm village opening, the 6.30pm band time, the 19 new traders, the sponsors and the claim that tables were still bookable.
• Visit Lichfield, Lichfield Proms in Beacon Park for the running order, the 9.45pm fireworks, the 10pm close, the £5 event parking, the £10 deckchairs, the dog advice and the statement that pre-booking has closed and no ticket is needed.
• Ontick, Lichfield Proms in Beacon Park 2026 for the ticket types, the £90 and £115 table prices, the “Currently Not On Sale” and “Sold Out” markers, the gazebo rows and the entry terms.
• Lichfield District Council, Lichfield Proms in Beacon Park returns this September, 18 June 2026 for the fireworks display and the attendance figure of more than 8,000.
• Lichfield District Council, Lichfield Proms in Beacon Park for the event’s history since 1998 and the 6pm and 7.30pm stage times.
• West Midlands Railway, How to get to Lichfield Proms by train, 27 August 2026 for the journey times, the walk from the station, the 11.33pm last train and GroupSave.
• Lichfield District Council car park records for Shaw Lane, Greenhough Road and Bunkers Hill for the charging hours, space counts and the £10 all-day rate.