Hey, I'm going to be lazy and not do a lot of homework and just ask here--Are the Proms something to look into trying to go to? (We have 2 weeks in London, staying in Belgravia area) What is "dress code"? Without going through all the booking steps just to get general ideas, can you guess if there are tickets still available? I'll do more research later if we decide to pursue this, but wanted Fodorite input!

Yes - do try

No - no dress code

http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2008/

You have 10 days to decide. Ticket sales open on April 21st:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2008/

The programs look wonderful; my kids would enjoy the Doctor Who Prom. I'd say go for it!

Lee Ann

On dress:

You would look very odd indeed if you dressed up in any way at all. A man with a tie on, for example, would be really rather bizarre.

Except at the Last Night, where the code is "eccentric, unless you're in the corporate hospitality boxes", the whole point of the Proms is informality.

And don't panic - tickets may start selling soon, but I doubt if much sells out immediately. First and Last Nights are a special case, of course.

I attended a proms concert last year. It was James Levine w/BSO. I was able to get tickets (on line) pretty late in the game. No specific dress code.

For Last Night you have to attend - well pay for - at least 6 other Proms unless you strike ultra-ultra lucky and find that it doesn't sell out by the end of May

http://www.bbc.co.uk/proms/2008/howt...astnight.shtml

Ruddy discrimination if you ask me, means that virtually everyone living outside London can't go to the Last Night

Thanks as always! We won't be there for Last Night so it won't be an issue; trying to decide between the nights we could hear the William Tell Overture or Beethovens' 5th--Such choices!! Will decide by the 21 (or even before--it looks like I can put order in earlier, it just won't get processed until then?).

I'm leaning toward sorta cheap tickets, too, because to me a view won't be that important--rather just listen and people watch--not like at the Globe where I got best view available. Any thoughts on that, on sound in the Hall? Will it matter where we sit?

(and my "planning not to care if he's an ugly American in jeans and broken in white walking shoes" is glad not to have to carry "dress" clothes--and if Harrods won't let him in, it won't bother him to wait on me! But I escorted 4 jean-clad girls in there 3 years ago--woops, different thread!)

We bought standing-room tickets which go on sale a couple of hours before the concert. You don't really stand but sit on the floor in the top gallery. It's like a big picnic. It was fun!

The standing room tickets are just £5, but the issue is one has to line up for the tickets at least a couple of hours before the concert. For me, that was not a good way to spend my limited vacation time.

The Royal Albert Hall is circular, acoustics is pretty good though I doubt you want to sit facing the back of the orchestra.

I bought a £20 ticket and got a decent seat, except that it had limited leg room. There were plenty of choices for £20, and this seat has the best view of the bunch, but I assume people didn't pick it b/c of the leg room issue. If you click on the following link, you can see a pic of the stage from my seat.
http://p099.ezboard.com/feuropetogof...icID=383.topic

Anyway, I was happy to pay £20 for a reserved seat, than save £15 to stand in line for a ticket and then to stand throughout the concert.