Goldney Ball On Brink Of Cancellation

UPDATE: Organisers have confirmed this year’s Goldney Ball has been cancelled. All ticket holders will be given a UBU Summer Ball ticket instead. More info to come.

Goldney Ball, once one of the biggest nights on the Bristol calendar, is facing cancellation due to record-low ticket sales, with hundreds of ticket-holders likely to miss out.

Sold out for the past seven years, Goldney Ball has been the choice event of many students looking for an extravagant final blow-out. But with this year’s ball on the verge of collapse, it looks like many won’t have the send-off they’d hoped for.

Happier times at Goldney Ball
Photo: Louise King

In the wake of a serious re-vamp of the official UBU Summer Ball – which has shifted something in the region of 3,500 tickets – Goldney’s paltry sales of 300 are currently not enough to keep them from being blown out of the water.

Deputy Warden of Goldney Hall Matt Grady emailed organisers on Thursday night warning at least 200 tickets needed to be sold for the event to go ahead, noting the “Summer Ball has proven to be a juggernaut in terms of hype and novelty.”

Photo: Goldney Hall

However, not everyone is so sure sales can be blamed solely on Goldney’s new rival. One would-be Goldney attendee told The Tab, “Goldney’s lineup this year is probably the least enticing it’s ever been.”

“The ball speaks for itself and would inevitably be fantastic, but students who’ve never been before don’t know that! I don’t know what they were thinking.”

This year’s headline acts, Bristol regulars Laid Blak and Yes Sir Boss, also appeared last year, and seem to have failed to stir up much excitement. It’s possible some are still reeling from the disappointment of last June’s headliners, Sub Focus, who failed to show at the last minute.

Revellers at Goldney Tower
Photo: Louise King

Regardless, the revival of the UBU Summer Ball has been huge. Upping the stakes from last year’s laughable meal in a function room followed by free entry to Bunker, UBU has managed to secure a host of impressive acts, including headliners Everything Everything.

The promising Cirque Du Soleil event boasts fire-breathers and fairgrounds, and has already completely sold out.

Even so, Goldney ticket-holder Eliza Thomas commented, “The UBU Ball never really appealed to me, I’ll be gutted if Goldney’s cancelled. People need to hurry up and buy tickets!”

If cancellation goes ahead, it’s believed organisers will try to replace Goldney residents’ tickets with entry to the Summer Ball. As for everyone else, it looks like the Triangle will have to do for post-exam festivities.

Organisers have been pedalling tickets since March for the Saturday 15 June event.  Tickets are still going for £40 – visit http://www.goldneyball.co.uk/