Lord of the Rings party popular

A large party for Lord of the Rings fans from around the world in Wellington on the eve of the world premiere of the last instalment is proving far more popular than organisers expected.

All 350 tickets for the "Return of the Ringers" party at the Skyline Restaurant on November 30 have been sold and organisers hope to add a marquee to expand capacity by 250.

About half the partygoers so far will be foreigners, including fans from as far as Japan.