Review: May Ball

Waking up on Monday morning and realizing that I’ve had my final night out in St Andrews was a sad moment. It has been an incredible year, and the Kate Kennedy Club Charity May Ball was the perfect way to round it off.

Despite the fact that we’re coming to the end of our student loans (until September – scary) and hearing lots of complaints about the £40 classic ticket and £65 VIP ticket prices, in comparison to how much I have paid to go to other events this year, May Ball was a seriously good deal. This was made even better by the fact that drinks were vaguely reasonably priced. Perhaps that’s some sort of consolation for the people who pitched their tents, pulled all-nighters and sat in the rain at 5am to queue for tickets to the year’s biggest event.

Being the mature 19 year old that I am, the first thing I did when I got to Kinkell was head for the fairground rides. The bumper cars were my personal favourite, even though I think we can pretty much conclude that the next Lewis Hamilton is definitely not in St Andrews. The only one I didn’t try was La Bamba for fear of my pre-drinks making a reappearance, but apparently it was a whirlwind of fun.

Inside Kinkell, the venue was split into a main bar area, the main dancefloor and headliner stage and a separate VIP tent. This year also saw the arrival of the May Ball Casino, giving a fresh twist to the venue. Guests took to the roulette tables to try their luck and I actually woke up yesterday morning with £200 in my purse. Just a shame it was the casino money and not the real stuff.

The music was varied with a mix of live bands and DJ sets. The highlight was this year’s headliner Mylo who played to a packed dancefloor. His hit ‘Drop the Pressure’ was, of course, a particular crowd pleaser.

Guests lucky enough to get their hands on VIP tickets had access to the separate VIP tent with its own bars, stage, pick and mix stand, photobooth (courtesy of Owl Eyes) and free Janetta’s ice cream (I have yet to actually buy a Janetta’s ice cream in St Andrews – I just get my fix from events). And for those survivors at 2am, VIP guests were treated to ‘breakfast’ of sausage or bacon rolls… obviously well worth sticking it out for.

My only complaint would be that the system for getting taxis and buses back was an absolute nightmare. Waiting for more than an hour ain’t so fun, especially in heels and a slinky dress. KK boys and girls get your acts in gear for next year, that’s all I’ll say. Taxi/bus situation aside, it was an amazing night – well organised, well priced and incredibly fun. Definitely the best way to end the academic year. I probably should start revising now…

images © Alex Williams