If you have any other concerns that aren’t covered here, please reach out directly to the committee.
Where should I que?
How Accessible is the May Ball?
Sidney Sussex May Ball 2024 will have wheelchair access via a secondary route. The Main entrance has 4 steps, with no handrail. The exit of the event has two steps to street pavement level. The majority of the event will be wheelchair accessible including the main stage tent and food/drink stations. There will be seating throughout the event, an accessible toilet, a gender neutral toilet, and blue badge parking. There will be a quiet room available.
There will be vegetarian, vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, halal food and allergen-free food available.
There will be soft drinks and allergen-free drinks available.
For information about carer tickets, queue-jump passes for those who need them and any other access information you can contact us on cdh38@cam.ac.uk.
How Sustainable is the May Ball?
Sidney Sussex May Ball takes a committed stance on sustainability. Recyclable cups will be used throughout the event as well as partnering with our caterers for the use of biodegradable containers for food and drink. We are partnering with various drinks providers who will ensure organically produced beverages. Programmes issued are printed on recycled paper.
How do Ticket Prices Compare to the 2022 May Ball?
The Co-Presidents decided not to increase the base line cost to the Sidney May Ball in line with inflation. With careful planning and budgeting, we have been able to achieve a event of high quality which remains one of the cheaper May Balls in Cambridge. Most other events have seen increases in ticket price by 10-20 percent, whereas Sidney will remain under the £150 mark for General Entry, £4 more than in 2022!
We appreciate that May Ball tickets are extremely expensive in the current economic climate and hope to provide a well worth experience for you and your friends. The Committee shares pride in what we have been able to achieve on a reduced budget!
Class Act Tickets are available for members of Sidney Sussex JCR who are entitled to bursary schemes. To qualify, please email the JCR Class Act Officer before the 25th of January who will process your application. These tickets will be subsidised by 50 percent off their face value. Unfortunately the MCR does not yet have a scheme in place, however we are aiming to address this for future years in collaboration with the MCR Committee.
What do I Wear?
The dress code to the Sidney May Ball is Black Tie. This is not a strict dress code and can be interpreted to however you feel comfortable in wearing. The May Ball this year will include vintage and floral themes, with a far lighter colour scheme than previous years, such as pinks, blues, oranges and pastel greens!
This traditionally entails of a bow tie with a dinner jacket or tuxedo or long dresses.
Dinner jackets and tuxedos are typically black, however can consist of different colours, fabrics or patterns. Waistcoats and cummerbunds are optional.
White dress shirts with cufflinks are traditionally associated with ‘black tie’ as well as a black bow tie, however please do feel free to explore and show off your personality through alterations to this tradition.
Any formal dress shoes are permitted.
Long dresses and jumpsuits are standard for black tie.
Heels are also normal for black tie, but formal flats are also permitted. Please feel comfortable in the footwear you choose to wear during the event, we hope you will dance and partake in the various attractions during the event and encourage comfort primarily!
We strongly believe that you should feel comfortable and yourself during the event, please do wear what makes you your best self! We will operate a cloakroom during the event, so please feel free to bring warmer clothing to wear as the night progresses.