Lift off for Tim Peake's Chichester Freedom event

The free tickets to Major Peake's event on February 25 were gone in 11 minutes

The major event will be held at Chichester Festival Theatre on Sunday, February 25, it was agreed this week.

Full details will be released shortly, but more than 1,000 free tickets will be issued.

It will include Chichester City Council formally handing Major Tim the keys to the city, followed by a presentation by the Chichester ESA astronaut on the Principia space mission.

Giving details to a city council meeting on Tuesday, clerk Rodney Duggua said a very helpful and productive meeting took place at CFT on Friday last, between representatives of the festival theatre, the council, the European Space Agency and the Lord Lieutenant’s office.

The ceremony is expected to take place at 2.30pm at the theatre.

Tickets will be free (limited to four tickets per booker) but booking is essential, and it will open on Monday, February 5 at 10am at cft.org.uk, the CFT confirmed.

Huge excitement will surround the occasion, and it will be the second major event staged at the CFT following the Queen’s royal visit last November.

It will be Major Tim’s first public appearance in his home city since landing, after he visited the Novium and his former school, Westbourne Primary, last year.