‘Girton Spring Ball is often described as a hidden gem of Cambridge balls’Tobia Nava on behalf of Girton College

As I stood at the front of the queue for the Girton Spring Ball the world was not silent. Before I had even entered, the sounds of excitement filled the air, a column of fire shot from the mouth of a dazzlingly dressed performer and the bin next to me was playing the guitar.

“If Girton Spring Ball is a secret treasure then it is the worst-kept secret in Cambridge”

Girton Spring Ball’s theme was absurdism and you could feel its presence in every aspect of the decor. From the indoor clouds to the giant inflatable mouth, to hundreds of origami birds, the aesthetics team were able to imbue the vaulted ceilings and gothic turrets of Girton College with a palpable surreality. However, despite the beautifully bizarre elements, a grass chessboard in the library, a woman in a champagne dress or a good DJ set, the strangest element of the ball was the fact it was happening at all.

The 2020 Girton Spring Ball was the last Cambridge ball before the nationwide lockdown. Ten days after this Art House themed party ended, Boris Johnson made a proclamation which would become all too familiar over the following two years: ‘stay home.’ After two of the most unprecedented and difficult years in living memory, the idea that something like a spring ball could ever happen again seemed more unrealistic than anything. Yet, despite all this, just under two years after that first major lockdown I stood in a crowd of almost a thousand people, relaxed, happy and remembering that this is supposed to be normal. While the Covid-19 pandemic is far from over, being able to enjoy this simple college tradition felt like a testament to how much has changed.

“The most impressive part of the evening was its logistics”

The night was full of ‘beautifully bizarre elements’Tobia Nava on behalf of Girton College

While its context, the first post-lockdown ball, made Girton’s Spring Ball momentous, it was also helped by the quality of its execution. There was a vast array of different ways to spend your time. In Girton’s labyrinthine corridors could be found a Tarot card reader, Churchill Casino, a ceilidh and, after stepping outside, dodgems. The phrase ‘something for everyone’ is cliché, but at the Girton Spring Ball, you could practice your poker, find out your future and pretend you were at a Scottish wedding all before 11pm. After all that you would still have had time to watch the university pole sports, Dragtime and go to the Silent Disco.

This abundance of variety carried over to both the food and the music. From Armoi and Africfood, to the nachos, bao buns and fish and chips you could go on a culinary odyssey from Sicily, to Nigeria, to the British seaside. Although, unfortunately, a Taste of Cambridge was slightly isolated without a lot of foot traffic. The music was an eclectic mix of student performers, tribute acts and smaller bands which all set the tone for each room that they were placed in: Churchill Jazz Band providing atmosphere to the Stanley Library and ABBA Re-Björn and Taylor Swift Tribute blasting the roof off the Marquee.

Standing in a crowd ‘felt like a testament to how much has changed’Tobia Nava on behalf of Girton College

The myriad of different options for entertainment, food and music made it impossible to be bored at the Girton Spring Ball, but the most impressive part of the evening was its logistics. Drinks were free-flowing all night, only short queues for even the most popular food and quick transitions between events. A particular mention should go to the music team for the seamless transition between tonally different main stage acts, ABBA Re-Björn was able to melt into JAPOW’s DJ set as if they were natural partners. With the exception of the Tarot card reader, who had a very long wait time, and the inevitable queue to enter the ball, the event was characterised by a slickness that elevated each of the ball’s component parts to excellence.


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Girton Spring Ball is often described as a hidden gem of Cambridge balls. If that was ever the case it has changed as of 2022; tickets sold out in a matter of hours and messages on Ticketbridge became increasingly desperate. If Girton Spring Ball is a secret treasure then it is the worst kept secret in Cambridge. Four ½ stars

"A particular mention should go to the music team"Tobia Nava on behalf of Girton College