Commemoration ball

There is no formal definition of a Commemoration ball, but the usual Oxford convention is to refer only to the larger, triennial balls as Commemoration balls. The dress code is usually white tie. Many other colleges hold smaller events during Commemoration Week that they call summer balls or parties rather than Commemoration balls. These are usually held on an annual or irregular basis, and are usually black tie. Merton College holds a triennial winter ball.[2]

In the past, Commemoration balls were held "night after night"[3] by different colleges during Commemoration Week. With many colleges now holding smaller annual summer balls, Commemoration balls are now held by only some of the larger colleges, who still follow the traditional triennial cycle. Oriel College hosts a ball in the first year of the three-year cycle, and until recently Magdalen College also did. However Magdalen College cancelled their ball in 2015 at the last minute downgrading to a smaller affair. Currently, in the second year, there are Commemoration balls held by New College and The Queen's College. In the third year, there are now four colleges with this honour (Worcester College, Christ Church, Trinity College, St. John's College).

The 2005 Christ Church Commemoration ball was the first to be held by that college for fifteen years because of an incident at the 1990 ball that led to the Governing Body suspending the ball and replacing it with an annual summer party until 2005. Until 1990 the three great Oxford choral foundations of Magdalen College (first year), New College (second year) and Christ Church (third year) held their "white tie" Commemoration Balls in consecutive years on a triennial basis, each being widely regarded as the most prestigious ball being held in Oxford in that year, but the 1990 incident at Christ Church upset the tradition as various other colleges claimed Christ Church's (third year) slot, and continue to do so after the Christ Church Ball was reinstated in 2005. The cancellation of Magdalen College's (first year) Commemoration Ball in 2015, and its reinstatement in the "New College" (second) year of 2016, completed the break with tradition.

In 2013, Balliol College held a Commemoration ball to mark the 750th Anniversary of the College's foundation, the 2023 Commemoration ball will be only the third Commemoration held at the College since 1969.[4] Similarly, the commemoration ball hosted by Worcester College on 27 June 2014 was the highlight of celebrations to mark the college's tercentenary.[5]

• 2003 — Magdalen College
• 2004 — New College
• 2005 — Trinity College, Worcester College, Christ Church, St. John's College
• 2006 — Magdalen College
• 2007 — New College
• 2008 — Trinity College, Worcester College, Christ Church, St. John's College
• 2009 — Magdalen College, Oriel College
• 2010 — New College, Wadham College
• 2011 — Trinity College, Worcester College, Christ Church, St. John's College
• 2012 — Magdalen College, Oriel College
• 2013 — New College,[6] Balliol College
• 2014 — Trinity College,[7] Worcester College,[8] Christ Church,[9] St. John's College,[10] Merton College,[11] Exeter College[12] Hertford College[13]
• 2015 — Oriel College, Magdalen College (Cancelled)
• 2016 — New College,[14] Magdalen College,[15] The Queen's College[16]
• 2017 — Trinity College,[17] St John's College, Worcester College, Christ Church, Corpus Christi College
• 2018 — Oriel College[18]
• 2019 — New College, The Queen's College, Magdalen College (Cancelled again)
• 2022 — New College, The Queen's College, Christ Church, Trinity College
• 2023 — Balliol College, Magdalen College, Oriel College, Worcester College, St John’s College

Commemoration ball organising committees generally seek to secure private performances from leading entertainers; some notable performances are listed below.

2022

• Example, The Academic, (New College)
• Boney M., (The Queen's College)

2019

• Everything Everything, (The Queen's College)

2018

• Sigma, (Oriel College)

2017

• Scouting for Girls, Redlight (Christ Church)
• Example (St. John's)
• Izzy Bizu, Tiggs da Author, Clokkemaker (Trinity College)[19]

2016

• Chase and Status, VITAMIN, The Electric Swing Circus, (Magdalen College)
• Circa Waves, Gentleman's Dub Club, Afriquoi, (New College)

2014

• Laura Mvula, A Skillz, The Oxford Imps, (Christ Church)[20]
• The Hoosiers, Pendulum, Jigsaw & Dynamite MC, Eliza And The Bear (St John's College)
• Maxïmo Park, Stornoway with Oxford University Sinfonietta, The Correspondents, DJ EZ, Jaymo & Andy George, (Worcester College)[21]
• Clean Bandit, AlunaGeorge, The Correspondents, DJ Heidi, Friend Within (Trinity College)[22]

2013

• Mark Ronson (Balliol College)
• The Fratellis (New College)[23]

2012

• Athlete, Labrinth, Loick Essien, Natty, Roll Deep (Magdalen College)[24]
• The Feeling (Oriel College)[25]

2011

• The Feeling (St John's College)
• Mystery Jets (Worcester College)[26]
• The Streets, Sophie Ellis-Bextor (Trinity College)[27]
• Tinchy Stryder (Christ Church)

2010

• Scouting for Girls (New College)
• Electric Six (Merton College)

2009

• Feeder, The Pipettes (Magdalen College)
• Ladyhawke, Scratch Perverts (Oriel College)

2008

• The Wombats (Christ Church)
• Sugababes, Stornoway (Trinity College)
• One Night Only, Logistics (Worcester College)

2007

• Ash (New College)

2006

• Pharrell, Bodyrockers (Magdalen College)

2005

• Supergrass (Trinity College)

2004

• Dizzee Rascal (New College)

1999

• Coldplay, Jools Holland (Trinity College)
• St Etienne, (New College)

1964

• The Rolling Stones (Magdalen College)

• Colleges of the University of Oxford
• May Ball - similar events at the University of Cambridge