More May Ball Madness: John’s auction two double-tickets for over ONE THOUSAND POUNDS

If thoughts of summer are many a Cantab’s remedy for Week Five Blues, this year’s May Ball mania may have gone a little too far.

With three – four? – “Cambridge May Ball Marketplace 2016” Facebook pages having popped up so far and some students offering to name or even swap their “firstborn child” for Trinity or John’s tickets, one might be forgiven for thinking the annual May Ball ticket fest has become something of a joke.

There was no joking around at the Charity Auction of the St John’s May Ball Launch Party on Wednesday night however, when one double-ticket sold for an incredible £750, more than twice the original price of £335.

In a River Bar packed with blazers, the auction stakes were raised after the first pair of charity tickets were sold for £540 – itself an unexpectedly high figure. Two particularly determined parties then battled it out into the £700 region for the second pair, eventually ending on £750.

The River Bar on Wednesday night

Joshua Mustill, Ticketing Officer for the Ball, had earlier told one of the “May Ball Marketplaces” that the auctioned tickets “don’t often go for too much above cost price”, on the basis of past auctions.

Spoke too soon

Tom Zhang, President of this year’s Ball, told The Tab: “We’re extremely grateful for the generosity of the bidders – all the money is going to great causes in the Alzheimer’s Society, Anthony Nolan, International Justice Mission and the Malala Fund, so we’re delighted with the outcome.”

“It puts the pressure on us as a committee to make the night worth it, but we’re quietly confident..! A big thanks to everyone who came down to the party and helped to make it such a success.”

John’s last year

The news follows the building online frenzy this week for May Week tickets, with the fraught atmosphere in the many “marketplaces” even culminating in Clare May Ball postponing ticket sales for a week.

After ticket malfunctions allowed too many tickets to be sold to members of other colleges, Clare students revolted and forced their May Ball Committee into a “full ticket recall”.

The President has subsequently offered a statement and blow-by-blow account of how it all went wrong, explaining that “because of the issues with our computer system, we had no control over guest numbers.”

And as for the Facebook frenzy: “Throughout the day our Facebook pages and emails were inundated with messages and comments. Whilst we did what we could to respond to these as effectively as possible, it was impossible to respond to all of them.

“We did try and maintain clear and concise communication over Facebook and college-wide emails, but with such a fast moving situation we missed things and could not remedy everyone’s issues. Yet again we apologise.”

(Dis)Orient Express

Ticket applications will now open to Clare members only on Thursday next week at 10am, with applications for Cambridge University students in general opening on Monday 22 February at 10am.

John’s tickets are also now on sale.