A ballot offering people the chance to claim free tickets to this year's Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle has opened.

While the line-up currently remains under wraps, 5,000 pairs of tickets are now up for grabs for the event on Sunday, May 7.

The concert is taking place in the grounds of Windsor Castle to celebrate the coronation of King Charles that will take place the day before at Westminster Abbey.

The ticket draw - which is free to enter - opened on Friday, February 10 and will close at 23.59 on Tuesday, February 28.

Concert organisers say 5,000 members of the public will eventually be selected to receive a free pair of tickets to join thousands of others at the much-anticipated bash in royal grounds.

Applications will not be decided on a first come first served basis so budding concert goers have until the end of the month to apply before the 10,000 tickets will be allocated based on the 'geographical spread of the UK population'.

While exactly who is set to perform is so far a closely guarded secret, those behind the big event say the concert will bring together musical icons and contemporary stars to celebrate the historic occasion.

There will also be appearances from stars of both stage and screen, a world class orchestra and dance and performers from the world of dance and the arts.

A similar concert held outside the gates of Buckingham Palace in 2022 to celebrate the late Queen's Platinum Jubilee saw performances from the likes of Sir Rod Stewart, Eurovision act Sam Ryder, Nile Rodgers, Sir Elton John and Diana Ross.

Alongside the public ballot, tickets are also being made available to charities, organisations supporting young people, the military and those working to support their own communities or wider Commonwealth.

And for those not fortunate enough to be able to see it in person - the entire show will also be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC Radio 2 and BBC iPlayer to an anticipated audience of millions.

Charlotte Moore, BBC Chief Content Officer, says: "The coronation concert on the BBC will bring the nation together to mark this momentous occasion and we are thrilled to be able to offer the public the opportunity to be part of the event at Windsor Castle through a national ballot, as well as providing audiences with exclusive coverage across TV and radio."

Those wishing to be in with a chance of winning a pair of tickets can learn more about the process and put their name and details forward here.

All applicants entering the ballot must be over the age of 18 but lucky recipients of a pair of tickets will be able to nominate and bring a guest who must be aged 11 or over. Only one application into the ballot per person will be permitted say organisers and checks will be made to identify and exclude any duplicate entries.

The ballot is being run by ticket agents Ticketmaster.