Grad Ball this year jumps from controversy to controversy, with the announcement of S Club as the final headliner, another failure in the eyes of students.
Students faith in SUSU’s ability to run events they actually want to go to has been tested this year, from the Freshers Ball to this, the biggest event of the year.
However, to properly judge the event, it must be compared to other Graduation Balls being held up and down the country by other Union’s. To compare, these are just some of the events other Union’s are putting on for their graduates:
A Casino-themed night, tickets also cost £50, and acts still haven’t been announced. However, there are free casino tables, slot machines, a free chocolate fountain, a fireworks display, free fairground rides and a photographer. Tickets also get you free entry for a night at a local club, and 20% off Starbucks in the week before the event.
Hosted at Donington Hall, a 18th century manor house with 26 acres of surrounding land, tickets for this cost £37 for just the Ball, and £70 if you wish to have a three-course meal as well- both those tickets include transport to the venue.
Their event is being held at Newcastle Racecourse. A £45 ticket gives you a free glass of champagne, a three-course meal and half a bottle of wine, as well as a night out.
Hosted at Great Hall and Devonshire House, a ticket will get you ‘drinks’, free shisha, access to casino tables, fairground rides, arcade games. Interestingly, Exeter have not splashed out on acts at all, with relatively unknown Session One being the only professional act. There is also a ‘Rockeoke’ company and Exeter’s own dance music society Beats and Bass will host one of the rooms. Tickets are £35.
Split between an ‘Evening’ session and then an after-party, Grad Ball there kicks off with a champagne reception and a three-course meal at the Palace Hotel, with a live band in tow. Then they go over the road to the Manchester Ballroom for an after-party, with artists from Manchester DJing the event. Unfortunately the ticket cost is no longer stated as the event is sold-out, but the after-party ticket is £10.
Tickets for this bad-boy are £70, although without going to the Graduation Dinner it drops to £33-39. The Dinner is essentially the same as the rest of the other Uni’s. The “Garden Party” at the Middle Temple gardens has three distinct rooms. The price is probably affected as the event is in the middle of central London, a bonus in itself.
That is just a handful of the parties going on up and down the country. The prices are fairly similar throughout, but what is important is what your money is going on. It seems that other universities have put a lot more effort and secured much better deals for their students.
Will our Grad Ball be a flop, or will SUSU pull it out of the bag? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
We should have had ours in Rock Tunnel.
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People want three things:
1) A classier venue than Oceana
2) A sit down meal
3) Better Acts
It’s not hard SUSU.
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The venue is not the problem. it’s the booking of the acts to perform at the ball. We dont want S club, or B witched.
We are educated, knowledgeable students and booking music of this nature is quite frankly insulting.
Who is at the top making these poor decisions?
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Time and time again this question has been asked, yet there has been no real answer.
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Stop saying you’d be happy with the sit down meal. You’d complain that the ‘mass cooked’ food was over-priced and you’d rather have something else.
Ultimately all anyone wants to do is have a good night with their friends, a few drinks because that’s what you’ll remember/not remember.
SUSU should stop trying so hard to get ‘acts’ in when everyone always complains. Just have the fun fair, have Oceana, make it cheaper and give us some free drinks.
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I don’t think I’m speaking for myself when I say I am not attending this to watch the acts, but to get drunk with mates as a “sign off” to Uni, so the embarrassing line-up doesn’t bother me too much. HOWEVER, as SUSU have clearly not splashed out on acts, why could they not put more resources into the venue and theme?! Casino tables would have been so cool!! At least put a tab behind the bar SUSU
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So you’re happy to pay £50 upfront before you have started, just so you can get drunk with your mates?
This makes no sence!!!
It should bother you and you should care!
We have paid a lot of money to come to Uni, we expect a serious send off thats reflects quality
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Sorry to make light of a typo;
“Tickets also get you […] 20% of Starbucks in the week before the event.”
I’ve always wanted to own such a big chunk of a global corporation worth tens of billions of pounds, I will apply to Loughborough immediately.
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Thanks, corrected now
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Just to say that Nottingham’s is actually a bit shit. Apparently the only people who got tickets had to queue from 4 in the morning and even getting there at 5 wasn’t early enough to get a ticket…
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When the majority of the ticket price is going on just one act, this isn’t as much a Grad Ball as it is a Labyrinth gig.
There’s no affordable way you’ll be able to book enough ‘big’ acts that covers everyone’s taste in music, and there’s no point blowing a load of money on something that won’t be a selling point for the majority of students. The solution is simple; don’t bother booking any ‘big’ acts, and either spend the money on cool casino-y stuff (or something else fun), or make the tickets less expensive. People’s expectations are proportional to the cost of the event, so if you’re going to spend money on things you need to make sure they’re things that people will appreciate. Aside from a few die-hard Labyrinth fans, I don’t think anyone would consider paying £25 to have him there a good deal.
Get rid of him, and the remaining £25 for everything else would be a much more attractive deal. (Still a lot of room for improvement though.)
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Well this article made for thoroughly depressing reading. One of the bigger and better universities in the country and we get this shite. Hope SUSU realise what they’ve done so at least next years grads get a better event.
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Fuck getting acts at all I reckon. Dining option would be nice for those who want it, obviously much cheaper ticket for those who don’t, then just have a funfair and a night out. Simple.
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