Ballin’ on a Budget (Or Not) - Is the Cost of Fun in St Andrews Too High?

Having just paid £98 for a dinner ticket to Opening Ball, I find myself asking two questions: why are social events in St Andrews so expensive, and why am I so willing to part with huge sums of money every time one rolls around?

Maybe it’s down to my own financial irresponsibility, or perhaps the ever-looming pressure of FOMO, but it’s hard to deny that in St Andrews, cheap social events are few and far between.

Kate Kennedy May Ball 2023- Credit: Kate Kennedy Website

Throughout the year, events such as the Kate Kennedy Balls, Fight Night, Barn Bash and Welly Ball fill up the social calendar, and subsequently drain the bank account. After party tickets start at around £50, which include transport to the venue, and the music, and ... that’s about it. On top of that, drink prices are staggeringly expensive, meaning that when all is said and done, an after-party ticket can end up costing at least £100. This all begs the question; is the cost of fun too high at St Andrews?

Certainly, there is the option to not attend these events, but a cultural norm has developed where it is viewed as part of the deal to go, and when all of your friends are attending, it's difficult to say no. That’s not to say that these events aren’t great fun, with the appeal of dressing up, drinking, and dancing certainly negating some of the cost. But it is undeniable that when you wake up the next morning, it’s not just a throbbing hangover that greets you, but also a much emptier bank account.

Is this just the price of living in a small town, where we are limited to the Union, the Vic and a few pubs, creating a demand for these glamorous events without a regard for the price tag. Or is there another reason why social events at at St Andrews have such a steep cost?

That said, St Andrews surprisingly doesn’t top the leaderboard when it comes to sky-high ticket prices. Unlike the official Times university of the year rankings, this is one league table where Oxbridge comfortably takes the crown. Cambridge’s Trinity Ball, for example, costs an eye-watering average of £418.33 per ticket, making my £98 Opening Ball look like a bargain by comparison.

This may not offer much consolation, especially when considering that Trinity Ball includes free alcohol for even standard ticket holders, but perhaps it does prove that these extravagant events do require you to be willing to part with your cash if you want to enjoy a night of glitz and glamour.  

Trinity May Ball Cambridge 2025- Credit: Trinity May Ball Website

The overwhelming issue then, is that these events are so regular, with each one feeling like a ‘once in a lifetime’ event you cannot afford to miss out on. The sheer magnitude of these events on the social calendar slowly but surely (read: not that slowly) drains the budget.

So, is the price of fun in St Andrews too high?

In many ways, yes, especially when social life is too often tied to black-tie and three-figure budgets. What is really needed are more low-cost events that allow students to enjoy themselves without the financial strain. More importantly, though, there must be a breaking of the mould: where our definition of ‘fun’ is not solely defined by the high-cost glitz and glamour that has been normalised by these events.