All you need to know about St Andrews’ most iconic event: wellies are mandatory

This year's Welly Ball is taking place on the 9th November, celebrating its 12th year of being St Andrews strangest, and most exciting, night out. St Andrews is consistently ribbed for being the ball capital of the UK. We are mostly known for our golf and gowns, and that's not a bad reputation to have. Here is everything we know about Welly Ball this year and how you can make sure you get that famous insta pic.

Despite what everyone tells you, you don't have to wear Hunters

One charity shop in St Andrews told The Tab that every year they 'completely sell-out' of wellies, with one year seeing dozens of striped wellies sold-out in days. We've heard they're stocking up this year. Charity Wellies all round.

It's a massive event

Over 2000 students will be there from across the UK. It's held at Kinkell Byre and every year it sells out. That's roughly the number of one-quarter of ALL St Andrews Undergraduates.

You'll definitely meet someone you knew from school

Expect to meet people from Durham to Bristol who can't resist black-tie and that all-important footwear. The event says you can expect to meet people from across the UK.

They have a really strong relationship with charity

For several years, Welly Ball has been supporting the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust, a charity which raises awareness about depression in young people and aims to reduce stigmas associated around mental illness.

You have to have nine friends, or acquaintances, to go

The ball is ultimately run on a ballot system which means you need to pull together nine of your best friends, or random people you remember from first year, to get a table.

The dinner is spenny but you get what you pay for

The dinner ticket comes in at a whopping £70 but you do get a fair few freebies. Tickets include a goody bag, dinner, a gin drink, transport, afterparty, and half a bottle of wine. It's something to commit to but on-par for many St Andrews events. Also it's for charity so you can feel good about yourself while you're downing your third glass of wine.

The afterparty can be a last-minute deal

The afterparty is £29 and you can decide last-minute: tickets don't go on-sale until the 30th October.

Black-tie isn't optional

The committee makes sure everyone knows that black-tie is a must have. You don't get to be St Andrews' most iconic ball without having rules in place. Make sure you read the Ts & Cs freshers.

For more information about Welly Ball, view the event on Facebook here. Additionally, to learn more about this year's charity, you can find their website online.

Image Credit: Zygmunt von Sikorski-Mazur and Welly Ball