Guests have a ball at May Ball!

The KKC kills it yet again! Great job!

Kate Kennedy Club may ball

Known for kicking off the beginning of the academic year and rounding it off right before summer arrives, the Kate Kennedy Club never fails to host the most memorable black tie affairs in St Andrews. In the past few days, they have been busy both with final May Ball plans and with the Gaudie, a Pier Walk held in honour of John Honey.

The night after the Gaudie traditionally marks the return of the extravagant May Ball, which brings over 2000 guests out to Kinkell Byre for an incredible evening of food, dancing, and rides from dusk till the wee hours of morning. While the exhaustion of May Dip earlier that morning plagued most students, guests took to the dance floors and bars with an unmatched energy and excitement to celebrate their final weeks in St Andrews for the year.

VIP and Standard guests were seen pouring out of taxis and buses to fill Kinkell to capacity from 8pm onwards. Greeted by an indoor champagne reception and live music, the bars and dance floors soon flooded with people seeking out photographers and drinks alike as the party began.

The VIP tent opened quickly following the dinner being cleared, providing guests with ample opportunity to enjoy ice cream courtesy of Janettas, champagne popsicles, sweets and treats, and a chocolate fountain. With musical guests, short bar queues, and plenty of space to roam around, VIPs definitely reaped the benefits of their tickets tenfold.

As guests took breaks from dancing in favour of riding La Bamba, risking it on the spinning teacups, or driving the classic bumper cars, there was certainly something for everyone to be found at Kinkell. After seeing a black eye from a collision between friends on the teacups, I’m quite happy I passed on the spinning merriment, but nothing stopped the fun in the setting sun as the warm and rain-free weather drew guests out to queues until 1am for one last ride.

While many events don’t live up to expectations in terms of musical entertainment, the wide variety of old and new faces kept guests dancing and singing all night long throughout the venue. From sax bands to DJs, the music was flowing from the VIP tent and the main floor continuously. The headliner, DJ Ben Pearce pleased crowds with an amazing set, and everyone had high spirits as they reluctantly peeled themselves off the dancefloor at the end of the night.

From 5 until 2 the drinks were flowing, the bass was pumping, and the guests were streaming in and out of Kinkell with smiles on their faces. When the time came to queue for buses home, the experience was somewhat less painful than most events, which tend to end in stampedes of people fighting for a spot on a coach.

From beginning to end, the KKC managed to put forth yet another phenomenal ball, taking the classic black tie to a new level with endless fun throughout the evening. This night truly ended the year with a bang before the stress of exams could settle in, and I cannot wait to see what surprises await us next May. If anyone found the glass shoe I dropped (unlike Cinderella’s, it was for drinking) I would love to have that back!