Cambridge University students braved the rain to attend the 150th Trinity May Ball, where tickets cost more than £500, partying through the night despite the weather. The annual event, held to celebrate the end of exams, saw 1,800 undergraduates in elegant ball gowns and tuxedos queuing for up to three hours to enter the sold-out party.
Guests were treated to a five-course meal in Trinity Great Hall, followed by oysters, a hog roast, and a chocolate fountain. Drinks were served from a floating punt on the river, and entertainment included comedians, a casino, a jazz tent, and a midnight fireworks display. The festivities continued with drunken punt rides on the River Cam and a champagne breakfast in the college gardens.
Many students looked worse for wear as they made their way home still dressed to the nines, with some needing assistance. The event comes just days after another boozy tradition, 'Suicide Sunday', which saw elite students causing havoc on the river with a punt race involving vomiting, condom water bombs, and ramming into families.
Clare College also held its May Ball last night, with tickets at around £200 each. Students could pay £20 to queue jump and were entertained by garage band Artful Dodger and dance duo Blonde. The Trinity May Ball has been held annually since 1866, except during the war years and in 1910 following the death of King Edward VII.
