What’s a May Ball but some fireworks, a band and a chocolate fountain? All these hallmarks of decadence exist at Robinson’s annual May Week-launching shindig, but at £75 a ticket, these cost a snip of its wealthier competitors’ equivalents. Folie d’une Nuit affirmed the college’s reputation for hosting Cambridge’s best value Ball, celebrating the end of a proud term where noted alumni of the red brick fortress have been elected Deputy Prime Minister and become engaged to Charlie Brooker.

Joining a queue snaking along Grange Road an hour before opening time, the wait was enlivened by a burlesque troupe of mademoiselles, complimenting ball-goers’ attire in accents more Essex than Parisian. Once inside, though, the triumphant ‘Paris After Dark’ theme became apparent. Draped with red carpets and adorned by projected images of the Eiffel Tower and the Moulin Rouge, the college resembled a Gallic wonderland, whose splendour only grew as the sun set.

The drinks and cuisine on offer were diverse, complementary to the French theme for enthusiastic foodies. Sure, sparkling wine, as opposed to champers, is an inevitable fixture at a budget Ball, but after a few glasses of the stuff, it hardly makes a difference. And not even the canteen-like surroundings of Robinson’s Garden Restaurant, under the moniker of Le Restaurant du Jardin, could detract from the tastiness of the coq au vin, goats cheese wraps and tartiflette reblechon being served. Outside, in the spectacularly lit garden, hog roasts, doughnuts and crepes were devoured. Les grenouilles and escargots were conspicuously absent in this Parisian night-world. On the other hand, drinks abounded. A venture into the trees was rewarded by an array of luridly coloured cocktails.

Following an exceptional fireworks display, Ou Est Le Swimming Pool and Two Door Cinema Club played on the main stage. The highly-danceable indie pop of the latter, signed to hip French label Kitsuné, made them a perfect choice of band. While Paris is renowned for its electronic music, Alex Metric proved no Daft Punk, despite his best attempts. The Radio One DJ disappointingly failed to fill the tent even to half-capacity during the traditional ‘off-your-face-and-in-need-of-a-dance’ 1 am slot.

Instead, King’s EllaFunks fared better. The charms of Ella Jones and her saxophone-tooting men packed the tent out for their breakfast appearance, proving a fitting musical accompaniment to the energy-injecting pain au chocolat and coffee.

It was the abundance of options (underground silent disco, anyone?), impossible to cram into eight hours, which defined the Ball. Often the magic lay in the unexpected. News of an unfortunate urine-based incident couldn’t detract from the appeal of the Lazer Quest, and, after a couple of Pimms, a giddy stint on the ball pit-cum-bouncy castle resulted in another of the remarkable evening’s countless highlights.