A May Ball is a ball at the end of the academic year that takes place at any of the colleges of the University of Cambridge. They are elaborate and lavish formal affairs, requiring black tie or sometimes white tie, with ticket prices ranging from around £100 to as much as £640 for a pair of dining tickets at Trinity.[1] May Ball budgets (excluding VAT) can exceed £200,000; a report by the student newspaper Varsity in 2016 found that the budget for the 2015 Trinity ball was £286,000.[2] The balls are held in the colleges, starting around from 6-9 p.m. and lasting until well after dawn. "Survivors photographs" are taken of those who last until morning. Other colleges frequently hold winter balls, such as the popular Selwyn Snowball, who recently had acts such Tinchy Stryder and Mumford and Sons headlining.
- ^ "Which May Ball". Which May Ball. Retrieved 8 June 2016.
- ^ "Revealed: May Ball and June Event budgets show striking disparities". Varsity. 16 June 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2016.