Latest news with #MayBall
Daily Mail
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Bleary eyed students head home after Oxford University's prestigious £165-a-ticket Balliol College May Ball
Bleary-eyed Oxford University students were pictured making their way home from a May Ball in the early hours of this morning. Revellers donned ball gowns and bow ties as they ambled through the town's historic streets following the Star Crossed Lovers themed event at Balliol College. The night ran from 8pm until 4am when those who stayed to the end had a 'survivor's photo' before making their way home. One trio of stragglers were seen munching on sandwiches as they tried to refuel themselves for the journey back. Meanwhile, another group, including a man holding a croquet mallet, wheeled a wagon carrying crates of unused beer down the road. Others clutched their shoes as they tried to give their tired feet a rest while one woman hitched a ride on a friend's shoulders. Some chose to cycle home, with one cheerful pair beaming and waving at the camera as they pedaled away. Early on Saturday evening excited students wearing masquerade masks lined up along Broad Street in the city centre as they waited for the doors to open. The night's headliner was early 2000's band, Toploader known for hits like 'Dancing in the Moonlight'. Revellers donned ball gowns and bow ties as they ambled through the town's historic streets following the Star Crossed Lovers themed event at Balliol College. One trio of stragglers were pictured munching on sandwiches as they tried to refuel themselves for the journey back The lavish event boasted a silent disco, dancers and even a rave room pumping out techno into the surrounding streets. Drone footage captured what was happening behind the prestigious university's walls and showed the different stages and areas of the ball. In one aerial image the campus resembles a festival - with colorful strobes lighting up the courtyards. The sold out Balliol Ball had tickets that included food, drink and various games and music acts were available for Alumni students for £165. The college, which is the oldest in the city and founded in 1263, was where Boris Johnson and Rory Stewart studied. Various other Oxford Colleges also had their balls on the same evening, including Lady Margaret Hall where attendees were also seen making their way home at 5am. In recent months, some colleges from Cambridge have shunned the traditional May Ball for lesser garden parties or discos as prices spiraled and left many students unable to afford tickets. In February Robinson College announced it was going to scrap the extravagant bash - in favour of hosting a 'more accessible and inclusive' event instead. With entry to the previously annual Ball setting students back as much as £270, the institute opted for an 'alternative' event which it hopes will have more appeal. Early on Saturday evening excited students wearing masquerade masks lined up along Broad Street in the city centre as they waited for the doors to open The sold out Balliol Ball had tickets that included food, drink and various games and music acts available for Alumni students for £165 The night's headliner was early 2000's band, Toploader known for hits like 'Dancing in the Moonlight' Robinson College, which is Cambridge's newest college having been founded in 1977, will now hold a 'mega bop' in June in place of the May Ball. This new event will retain the original Ball's 'film noir' theme, but will see tickets made available to all Cambridge University undergraduates at much cheaper prices. It is believed that the May Ball has struggled in recent years to attract Cambridge students, with the lofty £270 ticket prices turning off many young people as they endure increased living costs. Ticket sales were in fact so poor in 2019 that the event was cancelled altogether. A statement on the Robinson May Ball committee's social media said that the decision had been made to cancel this year's event to 'ensure as many students as possible' can enjoy the college's new 'mega bop'.
Telegraph
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Cambridge college cancels May Ball for ‘inclusive' alternative
A Cambridge University college has cancelled its May Ball in favour of a 'more accessible and inclusive event'. Robinson College, which was founded in 1977 and is Cambridge's newest college, said it had called off its traditional May Ball and scheduled an 'alternative event' to appeal to more students. The college will instead hold a 'mega bop' in June, with tickets available to all Cambridge undergraduates and at much cheaper prices. The event will retain the 'film noir' theme that had been picked for the ball. A statement posted on the Robinson May Ball committee's social media said it had 'made the decision to hold a more inclusive and accessible event to ensure as many Robinson students as possible can enjoy a fantastic May week celebration'. It is thought that the move was prompted by low ticket sales amid increased living costs for students, which have squeezed Robinson's events budget. It marks the second time that the Cambridge college has had to cancel its May Ball for financial reasons, after the 2019 event was called off because of poor ticket sales. A spokesman for the college committee told the Varsity student newspaper: 'Rising costs have been affecting all balls in recent years, as have lower ticket sales. We therefore took the decision to change our event to a more accessible one at this point to ensure we could organise the best possible alternative.' Cambridge's May Balls, which can cost as much as £270 a ticket, are usually elaborate and lavish affairs held at the end of the academic year. The formal events are hosted by Cambridge's constituent colleges and often require black or even white tie. Dating back to the 1830s, the balls are thought to have grown from celebrations linked to May Bumps – a set of rowing races held annually on the River Cam. In recent years, several Cambridge colleges have begun to host smaller events in June either in addition to their formal May Balls or as cheaper alternatives. Some Robinson students criticised the decision to cancel the formal ball, with one writing on the Facebook page for the event: 'Sacrificing a proper May Ball doesn't make sense. There should just be proper mechanisms in place for accessible tickets, with support from the college. 'Robinson's always been one of the university's cheapest balls and ditching it will actually mean many students won't be able to access a May Ball at all.' Max Harvey, a former May Ball treasurer, said there was 'no assistance from the college' for the events, meaning that 'achieving adequate ticket prices is always difficult'. He said: 'The decision to not hold a full May Ball this year will not have been taken lightly by the committee and most likely the decision will have been heavily encouraged by the college based upon ticket sales in previous years.'
