Churchill College has announced plans to host a June Event instead of its traditional May Ball, citing concerns about affordability for students.

Churchill is among the Cambridge colleges that traditionally hosts a ball every 2 years, last doing so in 2024. That year, Sidney Sussex, Emmanuel and Gonville and Caius were among the other colleges to hold balls, alongside annual balls such as Trinity, St John’s and Jesus.

According to this biannual pattern, Churchill had been expected by some to host a ball this year.

However, two weeks ago (21/11), Churchill students received an email announcing plans to host an end of year event on behalf of the “June Event Committee”.

According to the email, the committee is planning to hold a “summer solstice” themed event on the 21st June. Tickets are expected to cost around £70, and promises to include “food, drinks, and entertainment”.

One Churchill student described the move as being “for the best,” saying that “realistically we were never going to get lots of people to attend, which is fine and not a failure of the committee”.

The student continued: “This way, Churchill students can still celebrate on home ground with their friends, while also being able to finance a more extravagant evening outside if they so want.”

The decision not to host a May Ball comes after Sidney Sussex became the first college to cancel its 2026 May Ball. Explaining the decision, the committee said that they “didn’t have enough people with the experience and availability,” to be able to deliver the event.

It also follows huge controversy surrounding Churchill’s last May Ball in 2024, which was criticised as “tone deaf” after utilising graphics of explosions and violence for their theme ‘Aftermath’.