Now that the May Week whirlwind of long nights and hangovers has ended and we’ve had time to settle into the summer holidays, Varsity’s Music Section is here to bring you a definitive roundup of (some of) the best May Ball headliners of the year. If the last-minute substitution of Jedward for The Last Dinner Party at Homerton May Ball is anything to go by, this has been a year of musical surprises and it would be wrong to ignore the hard work of the artists and committees that brought May Week to life.

Jesus May Ball

Jesus May Ball is an experience that will probably never be matched in terms of its excess and scale, completely deserving of its “surrealist” theme. What could be more surreal than listening to Tinie Tempah rap your favourite hits from year seven while riding a fairground-scale skyrider, thousands of people and floating, glow-in-the-dark jellyfish in your eyeline? The enthusiasm of the black-tie crowd was unmissable as they shouted the lyrics to ‘Written in the Stars’ amid the delirium of the night’s halfway point.

“The enthusiasm of the black-tie crowd was unmissable”

My other musical highlights were slightly more lowkey: the First Court and Chapel Court stages hosted a range of student bands, including a personal favourite, Quasar. Melding RnB, jazz and rap, the band had me dancing at the point when I was craving my pillow. Hiring the CU Ceilidh Band was a genius move from the May Ball committee, carrying a somewhat intoxicated group into Tuesday morning with the chaos that only a ceilidh can bring – Elspeth White

Opening Tempah’s set, DJ Charlesy, one of his long-time collaborators, satisfied the crowd with upbeat anthems scattered with calls of “are you ready for Tinie?” Finally, the main star appeared on stage. With the opener – and my personal favourite – ‘Frisky’, a high standard was set. Highlights of the evening include ‘Pass Out’ and ‘Written in the Stars’ (by the chorus, there wasn’t a voice in the Ball that wasn’t screaming along) as well as a hugely requested encore of ‘Girls Like’. While Tinie gave a highly enjoyable performance, there was one point when he said to move from the right to the left and many had concerns of being trampled due to the high volume of people – Aniya Pramanik

Sidney Sussex May Ball

Cambridge has introduced me to many dairy-free alternatives: oat milk, soy milk, unsweetened almond drink. But the latest shelf star was unexpected: Milk. (the band). I admit that, when the headliner was announced, I was sceptical, having never heard of the Dublin-based, four-piece pop group – and I was not alone, with a larger crowd appearing for the ABBA tribute. While the dwindling audience did dull the atmosphere, it allowed for the laid-back, reverb-infused sound to swim through the air and for me to soak in the dulcet tones of the lead singer.

“Their latest release ‘Don’t Miss It.’ was an instant crowd-pleaser”

The band closely resembled The 1975, though with fewer high-energy tracks. While this earned them a spot on my playlist and could even convince me to catch a concert, it seemed out of touch with the typical setlist of a May Ball headliner, which works best when songs are recognisable, nostalgic and urge you to jump around so much you lose a bow tie (true story). Nevertheless, their latest release ‘Don’t Miss It.’ was an instant crowd-pleaser and had the otherwise tame crowd spinning around and singing along by the final chorus – Oliver Cooney

King’s Affair

King’s Affair claims to be the “antidote to the monotony of traditional May Balls” and the headliners this year certainly reflected that. Female-only DJ collective Girls Don’t Sync and Boiler Room legend Yung Singh graced the King’s Affair stage. The much-anticipated set by Girls Don’t Sync did not disappoint, setting the tone for a night of euphoric dancing. They drew in the crowd with dance classics, elevated by their unique mixes. Their dynamic stage presence primed the audience for Yung Singh’s set, which began with familiar tracks but built up momentum, seamlessly transitioning into garage towards the end. I loved how he included older house tracks like Technotronic’s ‘Pump Up the Jam’ in his mixes.

“The much-anticipated set by Girls Don’t Sync did not disappoint”

The music team on the King’s Affair committee curated a perfect, quintessentially King’s lineup that provided an electric soundtrack for the night. #Camfession41014 superbly summed up the music: “Reached a state of dance euphoria at King’s Affair that I’m not sure will ever be replicated”. I have to agree – Anna Milsom

Catz May Ball

With highlights ranging from an Elvis impersonator donning a Chappell Roan-esque pink cowboy hat to Soft Crunchy Landing’s spectacular funk finale, the musical talent on display at Catz May Ball made the night rush by. Halfway through the evening, I heard waves of cheering at the main stage, welcoming the headliners, Young T & Bugsey. I half-reluctantly abandoned the queue for doughnuts just as the end came in sight – but this was a sacrifice worth making.

The Nottingham-based duo took the stage with an energy that was quickly matched by the crowd. They offered catchy and versatile hip-hop, complete with addictive ad-libs, snappy hi-hats and punchy snares. The crowd shouted along to their hits, including ‘Strike a Pose’, while the duo added variety with newer songs, teasing their latest single ‘Dundee’ – a danceable Afroswing banger. Although their set was brief, it lived up to the electric and eclectic atmosphere of the Vegas-themed night – Jonathan Baddon