How to Get Alumni Tickets
Getting May Ball tickets as an alumnus is more complicated than it was as a student. You no longer have automatic access to internal tickets, and external tickets for the bigger balls sell out in minutes. But there are several routes, and with a bit of planning, most alumni who want to attend a ball can make it happen.
Your Own College's Ball
Your home college is almost always your best bet. Most ball committees reserve a specific allocation of alumni tickets - typically 5-15% of total capacity. The process varies by college:
- Alumni ballot - the most common approach. Alumni register their interest during a window (usually a few weeks in Lent Term) and tickets are allocated by random lottery. Some colleges weight the ballot by graduation year, giving priority to those who graduated most recently or who haven't attended in the longest.
- First-come, first-served - some colleges simply release alumni tickets at a specific time and date, and it's a race to buy them. Be ready at your computer with your payment details loaded.
- Direct allocation via development office - some colleges allocate alumni tickets through their development (alumni relations) office. Stay subscribed to your college's alumni mailing list and respond promptly when information comes out.
- Donor or Fellow Commoner perks - some colleges offer guaranteed or priority tickets to alumni who are significant donors or Fellow Commoners. This is the least egalitarian route, but it exists.
Other Colleges' Balls
If your college isn't running a ball this year (remember, most operate on a biennial cycle), you'll need to look elsewhere. Your options:
- External tickets - apply for external tickets like anyone else. Alumni have no special priority here, so you'll be competing with current students from other colleges, friends, and the general public.
- Know a current student - if you know anyone currently at the college (a friend's younger sibling, a former supervisee, a college contact), they may be able to buy a guest ticket for you at the internal rate.
- The marketplace - check the official resale marketplace for face-value tickets from people who can no longer attend.
- Alumni of other colleges - some balls explicitly welcome alumni from any Cambridge college, not just their own. Check the ball's website for details.
Which Balls Are Easiest for Alumni?
Honestly, this varies year to year. But as a general rule:
- The smaller and mid-tier balls tend to have proportionally more alumni availability, simply because external demand is lower.
- Trinity and St John's are the hardest for alumni - even their alumni ballots are extremely competitive.
- Colleges that are running their ball for the first time in a while (returning from a gap year or post-COVID hiatus) sometimes have slightly looser allocations as they rebuild their systems.
- June Events and soirees are generally the easiest to get alumni tickets for, as they're smaller events with less external demand.
Timing
Alumni ticket processes typically begin in January-March. Sign up for ticket alerts on our balls directory and subscribe to your college's alumni mailing list. The key dates are often announced well in advance, but you need to be paying attention.
What's Changed Since You Graduated
If you haven't been back to a May Ball in a few years, here are some things that might be different:
Tickets Are Digital
Most balls now use digital ticketing exclusively. Your ticket will be on your phone - either in the ball's ticketing app, Apple Wallet, or as a QR code. Paper tickets are increasingly rare. Make sure your phone is charged and you know how to access your ticket before you arrive at the gate.
Prices Have Gone Up
If you graduated before 2020, prepare yourself. Ticket prices have increased significantly, driven by inflation, post-COVID cost increases, and rising entertainment costs. A ball that cost £150 in 2019 might now be £220-250. The big balls have always been expensive, but the gap between the cheapest and most expensive events has widened.
Production Quality Has Improved
On the positive side, the production quality at many balls has improved dramatically. Better sound systems, more elaborate staging, more professional lighting, and more immersive theming. Committees are increasingly sophisticated in how they plan and execute events. Many balls now feel like professionally produced festivals rather than student events.
Cashless and App-Based
Many balls now operate entirely cashless. Drinks and food are included in the ticket price (as they always have been at most balls), but any add-on purchases or fairground credits may be card-only or handled through an app. Don't rely on having cash.
Security Is Tighter
Post-pandemic, and in response to general event industry trends, security at May Balls has become more professional. Expect bag checks, wristbands, and ID verification at the gate. The informal atmosphere of walking in with a wave and a smile is largely a thing of the past at the bigger balls.
Accommodation
If you're coming from outside Cambridge, you'll need somewhere to stay. Here are your options, roughly in order of preference:
College Rooms
Some colleges rent out student rooms during the vacation period. This is the cheapest and most convenient option - you're already on-site, you can get changed in your room, and you have somewhere to collapse at 6am. Contact your college's conference office or accommodation team to ask about availability. Book early, as May Week rooms are popular.
Hotels
Cambridge has a limited number of hotels, and they fill up fast during May Week. If you're planning a hotel stay, book as early as possible - ideally as soon as you know the date of the ball. Options range from the Gonville Hotel and the University Arms (both in central Cambridge, both expensive during May Week) to more affordable options like the Holiday Inn on the outskirts of the city or Travelodge/Premier Inn properties.
Airbnb
There are usually plenty of Airbnb options in Cambridge. A central location (within walking distance of the colleges) is ideal, as you won't want to deal with taxis or driving after a ball. Shared Airbnbs with friends can be an affordable and sociable option.
Friends' Rooms
If you still know current students at any Cambridge college, asking to crash on their floor is the time-honoured tradition. Most students are happy to offer a sofa or a spare bed to alumni friends during May Week. Just bring a sleeping bag and don't expect luxury.
Combining May Week with a Cambridge Weekend
Most alumni don't come back to Cambridge just for the ball - they make a weekend of it. Here's a suggested itinerary:
Day Before the Ball
- Arrive in Cambridge, check into your accommodation
- Walk around your old college and the town centre - it's amazing how nostalgic this is
- Punt on the Cam (book in advance or hire from Scudamore's or one of the chauffeur companies)
- Dinner with friends - Cambridge's restaurant scene has improved enormously. Try Midsummer House (if you're celebrating), Parker's Tavern, or the Cambridge Chop House
- Early night - you'll need the sleep for tomorrow
Ball Day
- Late start. Sleep in.
- Light lunch - don't eat too heavily, as there will be plenty of food at the ball
- Get changed. Allow plenty of time - you don't want to be rushing
- Pre-ball drinks with friends (a college room, a pub garden, or someone's Airbnb)
- The ball (9pm-6am)
Day After the Ball
- Sleep. A lot.
- Brunch when you eventually surface (try Fitzbillies for a Chelsea bun, or Hot Numbers for coffee)
- If you have the energy: the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Botanic Garden, or a gentle walk along the river
- Head home, feeling simultaneously exhausted and energised
May Ball Etiquette as an Alum
A few things to keep in mind when attending a May Ball as a graduate:
- You might be the oldest person in your section of the queue. This is fine. Own it. You've earned the right to be there. Nobody cares about your age - they're too busy worrying about their own outfit.
- Don't be the person who says "it was better in my day." It wasn't. The production quality of modern May Balls is objectively higher than it's ever been. Enjoy it for what it is.
- Pace yourself differently. Your alcohol tolerance and stamina may not be what they were at 21. That's okay. Eat more, drink more water, and don't try to keep up with the undergrads. The goal is to make it to the survivors' photo, not to the medical tent.
- Embrace the nostalgia. Walking through a college you know well, dressed in black tie, with a glass of champagne - it hits differently when you haven't been there in years. Take a moment to appreciate it.
- Go with other alumni. Going with a group of friends from your year is the ideal scenario. You'll have shared memories, shared references, and someone to take embarrassing photos with.
Other May Week Activities for Alumni
Even if you can't get ball tickets, there's plenty to do during May Week:
- May Bumps - the annual inter-college rowing competition. Watch from the towpath near the boathouses or Ditton Corner. If your old college boat is racing, it's obligatory to support them loudly.
- College garden parties - some colleges hold alumni garden parties during May Week, which are more relaxed (and much cheaper) than a ball. Check with your college's development office.
- Evensong - attend choral evensong at King's College Chapel or your college chapel. It's free, beautiful, and deeply nostalgic.
- Punting - an essential Cambridge activity. Hire a punt and spend an afternoon on the Backs. If you've forgotten how to punt, the chauffeur services are a dignified alternative.
- The ADC Theatre and other performances - May Week sees a flurry of student theatre, comedy, and musical performances. Check local listings for what's on.
- May Week concerts - various musical groups perform free or ticketed concerts in college chapels and gardens throughout the week.
A Final Thought
Coming back to Cambridge for May Week is a strange experience. The buildings haven't changed, but you have. The students look impossibly young. Your old room has a different name on the door. The cafe you used to study in has become a bubble tea shop.
But then the ball starts, and the fireworks go off over the college you once called home, and someone hands you a glass of champagne, and for a few hours everything feels exactly the same. That's why alumni keep coming back.