UCD Ball’s return to campus showed off the best of live music and UCD fashion, but struggled with low attendance.
Glitter, glam, live music, and €2 test-tube shots; UCD Ball returned to campus on Thursday for the first time in over a decade. The event kicked off at 4pm, but it wasn’t until 7pm that students started gathering. By 8pm, it was clear that this event was not going to reach the attendance records desired by the UCD Students’ Union.
As of the day before, the event had been moved entirely inside due to “UCD construction work”, with the Atrium hosting the Spin Radio House Party Stage, and Astra Hall hosting main headliners Ispíní na hÉireann, Gemma Dunleavy, and Le Boom. The Swiftogeddon stage from 2023 was replaced by UCD talent, with UCD DJ Collective and Lotte and Izzy both performing early in the night. Whilst UCD talent is a welcomed addition to the night, it was an oversight to remove Swiftogeddon, arguably the biggest driver of attendance for the 2023 Ball. The promised ‘third stage’ pulled off the greatest spectacle of the night: an elusive disappearance act. I really did look for it.
The Clubhouse provided a surprisingly budget friendly bar, with a vodka dash costing only €4.50, and a 3-for-€10 deal on standard shots. Test-tube shots from a bartender in cowboy gear were only €2; fun and somewhat quirky, you got what you paid for, with one student saying, “the €2 shots were not good… but I appreciated the financial responsibility.”
Growing up in Tipperary, I am very familiar with the potential of Spin Radio to get a room going. However, the interesting choice to keep full fluorescent lighting on in the Atrium for most of the night somewhat hindered the atmosphere, despite the bouncy dance tunes.
Inside Astra Hall, the atmosphere was far better. It reached its peak when Ispíní na hÉireann took to the stage. The crowd was small but they were engaged, with students sporadically showing off their questionable Irish dancing skills, singing along, and stomping their feet. Ispíní na hÉireann were electric and full of banter. With a previous student of UCD in their ranks, they naturally made a dig at Trinity (in jest, of course). The room finally felt alive, and students were buzzing for the entire set.
“The interesting choice to keep full fluorescent lighting on in the atrium for most of the night somewhat hindered the atmosphere, despite the bouncy dance tunes.”
Gemma Dunleavy followed Ispíní na hÉireann, with just as much energy. Honestly, the only words that do her performance justice are she slayed. Her set was equal parts excitement, energy, talent, and a passionate dedication to her local area, Dublin’s inner city Sheriff Street flats. Again, Dunleavy is top-tier in Ireland’s music scene, with songs like ‘Up De Flats’ and ‘Stop The Lights’. Both Dunleavy and Ispíní na hÉireann have the potential to draw a huge crowd, and have sold out venues by themselves, so it’s a shame that UCD Ball couldn’t give them a crowd of a worthy size.
“The room felt alive, and students were buzzing for the entire set.”
The music and performers were the highlight of the night, but the event seemed to fall victim to the SUs ongoing engagement trouble, and the atmosphere was stilted as a result. The event felt underprepared, with one student saying that although the music was amazing, the event “would have been better if everything they promised was going to be there was there.” The food trucks that were promised were notably absent, and many people ended up leaving early to source food elsewhere. Another student claimed the early start time didn’t suit the style of the event, “If you’re going to start at 4pm, make it like a festival. It felt like secondary school.”
However, UCD students made the most of their €30 tickets, showing off their impeccable fashion sense; gold corsets, crushed velvet suits, vintage kitten heels, and enough platform docs to make you think you were at a Boygenius concert. Despite some of the shortcomings of UCD Ball, people were still enjoying themselves. The performers were on fire, and UCD students demonstrated their ability to always have a good time (the €2 test tube shots were potentially a contributing factor).
“Fashion-wise, the people of UCD pulled through; gold corsets, crushed velvet suits, vintage kitten heels, and enough platform docs to make you think you were at a Boygenius concert.”