Summer Ball will now be held at the Thistle Hotel

This year’s Summer Ball will now be held in the Thistle Hotel instead of within the North and South quads of our iconic Founder’s Building. The Thistle Hotel is near Heathrow’s Terminal 5, and is where our Socs and Colours Balls were held earlier this March.

This change is due to concerns surrounding the expansive construction site on campus for the Emily Wilding Davidson Building. There are safety concerns surrounding the security of the site, in particular that inebriated students could crawl under the fences and roam free around the area in the early hours without the appropriate safety gear on.

The Thistle Hotel’s ballroom, where Socs and Colours Balls were held

Additionally, the part of the construction site that is outside the Founder’s Building is where the fairground rides are usually installed during the Summer Ball. As the ball would not be the same without them, the entire event has been relocated.

The Thistle Hotel boasts a large ballroom which is where the main stage will be; however, to fit with their drum and bass vibe Chase and Status will play their set in a low-ceilinged basement room of the hotel. The basement can only fit around 50 students in, but the set will be live-streamed on the Royal Holloway Instagram story for other students to watch.

No more of this

Following his musical debut at last year’s ball, Paul Layzell will be playing a 30 minute set on the harmonica, accompanied by 60s counterculture icons Simon and Garfunkel. The fairground rides traditionally set up at the ball, such as dodgems and a ferris-wheel, will be in the car park of the hotel.

Don’t worry about transportation – there will be horse-drawn carriages leaving from the Founder’s bus stop to take students to the ball.

P.S. Check the date – Happy April Fool’s!