Trinity College has cancelled its 2021 May Ball, according to an email sent to students today (06/02).

The email from the 2021 Trinity May Ball Presidents states: “Regrettably, there is no clear indication of when lockdown will end, of what will happen when lockdown restrictions ease, and to what extent any potential restrictions will permit the holding of large events. We cannot proceed with assumptions about what the public health situation will look like in June.”

It continues that it would not be “appropriate” to hold a Ball during a pandemic. “Holding a huge party when there are limits of thirty people attending funerals and some grandparents are unable to see new-borns, added to the UK hitting a death toll of over 100,000 people, is the most privileged and insensitive thing we think possible,” it states.

On Monday (01/02) it was announced that the 2021 Trinity Hall June Event has also been cancelled. In a Facebook post, the Presidents of the June Event stated: “This does not rule out any sort of event from happening at all at the end of next term, and, should college give us the go-ahead, we will try our best to plan something.”

In January, The May Ball Presidents’ Committee, comprising the Presidents and Chairs of all major May Week Events, released a statement outlining plans for organisers of May Week events to make individual judgements about whether to go ahead with events this year.

The statement raised the possibility that events this year might be replaced by “significantly smaller” events, depending upon restrictions.

The Trinity May Ball Presidents state in their email: “A reduced scale ball is not a feasible option and the cost to students would be extortionate. The Ball would end up in a financial deficit, which impacts the experience of future cohorts of students. If government regulations change to allow a modest summer event (or events) for Trinity students we will of course be in touch, but we cannot make any promises.”

This week’s cancellations follow a decision by the Queens’ May Ball Committee in January not to proceed with their biennial event.

Last year, all May Balls were cancelled due to national lockdown restrictions.