May Ball Guide 2011
The Tab’s definitive guide to this year’s May Balls, now updated with ‘Hit’ and ‘Miss’ sections to help you choose your May Balls.
The TabREAD: Tickets Left for details of balls with tickets still on sale.
—————————————————————————————————
Friday 17th
Theme: ‘Guardians of the Realm’.
Ticket Price: £85. SOLD OUT
Launch Night: Sunday 20th February.
Namedrop: Two Door Cinema Club.
Wow Factor: “The ents in particular I was very impressed with, everything from ball pits, to dodgems, to fairground games and even laser quasar was there.”
It’s a hit: if your bank balance is suffering at the end of term: it still feels like a May Ball, but for less. It’s known for good DJs, and is a way to start May Week with a bang.
Give it a miss: if you want it to be pretty. Robinson is really, really ugly.
—————————————————————————————————
Saturday 18th
Theme: Around the World in 80 Days’.
Ticket Price: £84 single, £159 pair standard still on sale. (Dining – SOLD OUT)
Launch Night: 28th January at Hughes Hall Bop.
Last Year
Wow Factor: Fantastic food including hog roasts and Peking duck rolls.
It’s a hit: If you want a different crowd and want to get away from undergrad fresher hordes.
Give it a miss: If you need your ball to have a massive headliner or fireworks. Or a river.
—————————————————————————————————
Sunday 19th
Theme: ‘The Planets’.
Ticket Price: £116 standard, £126 VIP, £150 dining. Emma students can purchase tickets from Sunday 6th February, on general sale Sunday 13th February. SOLD OUT
Launch Night: 9pm on the 6th February in Emma Bar.
Namedrop: Rattus Rattus.
Wow Factor: “The music was probably the strongest part of the night for the Emma committee. I spent most of my night gyrating to Drum ‘n Bass trying to forget that I was in a sticky, nautical-themed college bar – and for the most part, did.”
It’s a hit: if you hate the queue. The Emma queue will be in college grounds, with entertainment provided.
Give it a miss: if you’re a snob. Previous years have featured bouncy castles and miniature golf. If you think this sounds tacky, don’t go.
—————————————————————————————————
Monday 20th
Theme: ‘Orient Express’.
Ticket Price: £118 standard, £134 priority queuing , £153 dining. – SOLD OUT
Launch Night: 27th January 2011 at Kambar.
Namedrop: Sub Focus.
Wow Factor: “The swings and the magnificent carousel, straight out of Mary Poppins.”
It’s a hit: if you want to go with ALL your friends. Jesus is absolutely huge. Classically a freshers dominated ball.
Give it a miss: if you want a quieter night, it’s a popular ball so expect crowds and queuing. Also, you may get lost. Did we mention it’s big?
We hear: that tickets selling out before even going on general sale caused some serious aggro in Jesus bar on the night of the 2nd February.
Theme: ‘The First and Third Trinity Boat Club May Ball’ is their simple description.
Ticket Price: £300 for a pair, or £297 without charitable donation. Trinity students get a tenner off per head. Dining will set you back another £110 per pair. SOLD OUT
Namedrop: Wheatus.
Wow Factor: The fireworks – ’20 minutes of pure excellence. The display was perfectly timed, the music apt and the experience simply magical.’
It’s a hit: if you want refined decadence, and you’re a fan of fireworks. Food also tends to be top notch.
Give it a miss: if you’d rather go to a themed ball. Also you’re paying top whack for oysters and truffles and good Champagne, so if that doesn’t interest you, it might not be worth the money.
Theme: ‘Curiouser and curiouser’.
Ticket Price: £125 standard, £155 VIP. On sale midnight 16th February (night of the 15th, morning of the 16th) to Clare students, on general sale March 2nd. SOLD OUT
Launch Night: The launch party is on 15th February 2011 at Hidden Rooms.
Namedrop: Faithless
Wow Factor: “A toss-up between the stunning decor and the spectacular ents”.
It’s a hit: if you like big ents, Clare has a reputation for great headliners, or if you fancy a big surprise (camels last year). Drunk punting is also excellent.
Give it a miss: if you have poor circulation. Last year there weren’t a lot of indoor spaces to keep warm in when it got to the wee hours.
—————————————————————————————————
Tuesday 21st
Theme: ‘Olympus’.
Ticket Price: £115 standard, £125 Q skip, £135 VIP, £145 Dining. – SOLD OUT
Launch Night: Tuesday 25th January – Toga Baby at Cindies.
Two years ago
Namedrop: Pendulum.
Wow Factor: The dodgems. The sausages. Teepees in the fellows garden were a nice touchl. The port and cheese hideout in the SCR was a lovely way to chill out whilst keeping warm in the early hours.
It’s a hit: if you want a big ball, lots of space, great rides, and a relaxed atmosphere.
Give it a miss: if you have expensive shoes (gravel paths = shoe death), you want a posh ball or a big name act.
We hear: that 1750 people will be attending.
Theme: No theme. St John’s are celebrating their 500th anniversary this year.
Ticket Price: SOLD OUT (long, long ago)
Namedrop: Ellie Goulding (The Tab called her “shite”).
Wow Factor: Short queues, great fireworks and the Gentlemen of St John’s singing at 5.15am.
It’s a hit: if unlimited champagne is your thing, fireworks are important to you, and you take joy in the amount of money being spent.
Give it a miss: if you haven’t got a ticket. Which you probably haven’t. Boo.
We hear: in case you haven’t (where have you been?!) that they have an unlimited budget.
Theme: Unknown.
Ticket Price: SOLD OUT
Launch Night: Tickets go on sale university wide on 1st February.
Two years ago:
Namedrop: Florence and the Machine.
Wow factor: Dodgems and a whole tent filled only with amazing desserts.
It’s a hit: if you want a big name act. The Klaxons headlined in 2007.
Give it a miss: small courts means it’s not the best venue for a ball.
We hear: The committee has a lot of old hands from two years ago, so we reckon they’re going to know what they’re doing.
—————————————————————————————————
Wednesday 22nd
Theme: ‘In Technicolour’.
Ticket Price: £76 standard, (£86 Queue Jump) SOLD OUT
Launch Night: Sat 29th Jan, 19:30 at The Union.
Namedrop: Guillemots.
Wow Factor: A set by Truly Medley Deeply.
It’s a hit: if you want something unpretentious, colourful, and not too long a night (it ends at 3am). It has a rave rep, so go if you like to party.
Give it a miss: if you get hungry. In previous years food has run out very, very fast.
Theme: The Secret Gardens.
Ticket Price: £110 standard, £150 dining. On sale to Pembroke on the 5th February; the rest of the Uni at midnight on the 13th February. SOLD OUT
Last Year
Namedrop: Beatbullyz, Filthy Dukes, Truly Medley Deeply, Bijoumiyo.
Wow Factor: A samba band.
It’s a hit: because it’s a good all-rounder, there’s something of everything. Beautiful grounds make it a nice evening to go to as a couple.
Give it a miss: if you want something out of the ordinary.
Theme: It is the Centenary – White Tie only.
Ticket Price: SOLD OUT
Two Years Ago
Namedrop: The Rumble Strips and Scratch Perverts.
It’s a hit: it’s really small so very intimate. Predominantly dining and a white tie dress code means it’s a classy affair.
Give it a miss: if you go to May Balls for the ents: the last really big name was 6 years ago. Don’t expect a rave, the volume levels of the music are kept pretty low.
Theme: Unknown.
Ticket Price: £62 for King’s members, £65 for all other students. SOLD OUT
Launch Night: 9pm Saturday 26th February in King’s Bar. Tickets on sale to King’s students 24th February, on general sale at the launch.
Namedrop: Joy Orbison and Logistics.
Wow Factor: Amazing acoustic sessions in King’s Chapel.
It’s a hit: if you want to get really, really drunk, dress up and dance like crazy. Has been described as ‘a massive bop, but better’.
Give it a miss: if you want guarantees that the food and drink will flow all night – there have been problems with shortages for the last 2 years. Or if you’re straight edge – trust me, you won’t enjoy it.
—————————————————————————————————
Thursday 23rd
Theme: ‘Camelot’.
Ticket Price: Standard £105 until end of February, then £110, priority £120, dining £140.
Launch night: 8pm on Friday 4th February at Homerton Bar.
Namedrop: Logistics.
Wow Factor: “The ents; actually, as it passed midnight, there wasn’t much else on, but the sets were definitely fantastic.”
It’s a hit: for a relaxed, friendly evening in huge grounds with a rep for great ents.
Give it a miss: if you want to see a Glastonbury headliner, need the drink to last all night, or have a tendency to throw up in taxis, because you’re going to have to get one home.
—————————————————————————————————
Friday 24th
Theme: ‘Exhibition’.
Ticket Price: SOLD OUT
Namedrop: Bijoumiyo.
Wow Factor: ‘The Baileys fountain was a gorgeous glamourous detail’.
It’s a hit: if you’re looking for a diverse crowd and impressive food, and are looking for an intimate way to end the week with friends. The typical haunt of grad freshers.
Give it a miss: if you are hoping to pull that girl in your lectures you’ve been eyeing up all year. The odds are very, very low she’ll be there.
Theme: ‘Distant Shores’.
Ticket Price: Non-dining ticket is £118, plus a charitable donation of £2 if you wish. – SOLD OUT
Launch Night: 27th January at Hidden Rooms, 8.30pm.
Two Years Ago
Name Drop: The Automatic and Ebony Bones.
It’s a hit: if you want oysters and real champagne without the price of a John’s ticket.
Give it a miss: if you want fairground rides or fireworks.
We hear: for the second year in a row the committee are swapping tickets with JOHN’S. (Why I oughta…). Also their President tells The Tab there will be areas themed as the West Indies, the Far East, the South Seas, the Northwest Passage and that guests will be able to “explore their ship from the Captain’s Cabin to the Cargo Hold.”
Theme: ‘Titanic- an unsinkable night of revelry’.
Ticket Price: £61 standard, £66 Q-jump, £81 dining.
Last Year
Namedrop: Wolfson Howler.
Wow Factor: the food: ‘plentiful, varied and virtually queue-less…The highlight was definitely the fantastic (and fortunately gigantic) sushi platters served at midnight’.
It’s a hit: if you like to dance, expect some great dance acts.
Give it a miss: the Pres says don’t expect any big names.
Theme: Unknown.
Ticket Price: Unknown.
Last Year
Wow Factor: the food: fairytale themed including a hog roast.
It’s a hit: if you’re a post-grad looking for a proper ball.
Give it a miss: if you want to get down ’til the sun comes up – last year’s event finished at 3.00 am.
—————————————————————————————————
Committees – contact [email protected] with more information.
2. Multilingual Poetry Evening with Richard Berengarten.
Music Room, E Staircase, Monday 31st January
Love languages? Passionate about poetry? The Blake Society cordially invites you to a Multilingual Poetry Evening! This FREE event will kick off at 7pm with plentiful drinks and nibbles, for a 7.30pm start.
Poet (and Downing Bye-Fellow) Richard Berengarten, will present a multilingual selection of his writings. Readings of his English poems will be accompanied by translations into other languages. Our international readers will all be students and Fellows of the College. Languages represented are set to include Arabic, Chinese, German, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Serbian and Spanish and others – and of course English!
So if you fancy broadening your linguistic and poetic horizons, or even just some free wine, we’d LOVE for you to come along!
The Blake Society x”
‘Maybe try a different course’: Ranking Cambridge University lecturers’ brutal comments
Esther KnowlesNo wonder Cambridge students always look stressed
Quiz: Find out where you’d sit in the Cambridge University college boat club eight
Freya WattsYou go to Cambridge and don’t row? How else do you spend your free time?
Cambridge University college to install climbing wall inside 150 year old church tower
Pembroke has already converted the church on Trumpington Street into an auditorium
Cambridge University to ban use of the term ‘Oxbridge’ due to elitist connotations
Anyone caught using the word will be forced to undertake a mandatory ‘inclusivity training’
St John’s College Cambridge now has control over the SJV choir’s social media
The petition to save the mixed choir is supported by the former archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams
Cambridge University temporarily halts funding from fossil fuel companies
A report found that donations from oil and gas companies posed a ‘high reputational risk’ for the university
Eight cafés to try in Cambridge as a student before you graduate from university
Lucy BarberSpoiler alert: Fitzbillies isn’t the only coffee shop in Cambridge
St John’s College Cambridge mixed choir is being disbanded
The decision means female sopranos will no longer be able to sing in any chapel services
Cambridge University colleges as songs with women’s names in the title
Ellen HawleyGet ready to update your playlist immediately x
Leah Whiting
Cambridge men lose on penalties at the 150th anniversary of Varsity football
Cambridge was forced to substitute its goalkeeper following an injury on the third minute
THE RESULTS: Cambridge vs Oxford women’s football 2024
A short summary of the Varsity match for those of you who know nothing about football
Cambridge’s smallest pub has reopened after four years
Here’s everything you need to know about The Rad, a tiny pub on King Street
Review: Blackadder Goes Forth – Cambridge Does Comic Relief
Sophie PetrieA performance that did justice to the much-loved British comedy
Paint thrown over Cambridge University West site building in protest of its ties to Israel
Cambridge’s Laboratory for Scientific Computing has been under fire for its links to arms companies
A moral alignment ranking of Cambridge college rowing blade designs
Totally objective (based on free speed and vibez)
A definitive ranking of Cambridge stash from ugly to just about wearable
April O'NeillIt’s me and my puffer against the world
Olivia Little
Who are the candidates running for election at the Cambridge Union?
Jessica SpearmanVoting opens Thursday 7th March after the weekly debate
Everything Jack O’Connell has been up to since breaking all our hearts as Cook in Skins
Rebecca MurphyHe’s now starring in the new Amy Winehouse biopic Back To Black
From absolute legends to losers, the definitive ranking of Coachella’s biggest headliners
Aaron EdwardsThere’s been the best of shows, there’s been the worst of shows
Emily Smith
Tori has finally spilled what her friendship status is now with the other MAFS Australia girls
Harrison Brocklehurst‘What those girls did to me was not friendship’
Madeleine complains that her MAFS Australia edit made her look like a ‘batsh*t crazy b*tch’
Francesca EkeThe psychic medium said that producers ‘pushed on a relationship topic that she didn’t want to go into’
MAFS Australia bride says groom broke up with her ‘out of the blue’ and won’t reply to her
‘He won’t reply to me. He hasn’t replied’
A body language expert says Jack and Tori are lying about having sex on MAFS Australia
‘Do I think they had proper sex? No’
Everything Eden and Jayden have been up to since their messy run on MAFS Australia
Apparently they broke up FOUR TIMES after filming finished
This is why everyone thinks Taylor Swift’s song thanK you aIMee is about Kim Kardashian
The title literally spells out KIM!!
All the savage Matty Healy lyrics Taylor Swift sings on The Tortured Poets Department
‘They shake their heads and say God help her when I tell them he’s my man’
Richard Gadd speaks about how similar Baby Reindeer’s Martha actually is to his real stalker
Phoebe KowhaiShe did actually send him over 41,071 emails and leave 350 hours of voicemails
Student at £43,000 a year private school ‘smashed the skulls’ of two students with hammer
The 17-year-old also tried to kill a teacher in ‘horrific attack’
Ellie Ring
What have Timothy and Lucinda been up to since their MAFS Australia 2024 homestay fight?
They’re still besties!
Here’s where to watch Richard Gadd next if you’re obsessed with Netflix’s Baby Reindeer
He’s in a police show with Stephen Graham!
Digs at Davide to Lorraine Kelly drama: What Ekin-Su has been up to since Celeb Big Brother
Iona MacRobertShe’s been in the headlines a lot lately
After their tense homestay, are Jack and Tori still together after MAFS Australia 2024?
I need answers immediately
Yikes! A snippet of Taylor Swift’s new album has allegedly leaked and people are SLATING it
‘We declared Charlie Puth should be a bigger artist’ is an actual lyric
Inside the life of Walton Goggins, the Fallout ghoul everyone is weirdly crushing on
Lily ColdstreamYes, it’s possible to thirst after a man who looks like a carved pumpkin