Warwick Graduation Ball 2023 cancelled as SU faces financial difficulties 

Following an announcement from the Warwick Students’ Union (SU), the annual Graduation Ball has been cancelled. Alongside this, the Sports Ball has also been delayed following an expected decrease in demand for tickets. 

This comes after only 30% of last year’s Graduation Ball tickets were sold amidst the Covid-19 pandemic and decreased interest in events. The Graduation Ball 2022, a masquerade event held on June 20, charged £62 per student, being held in Hilton Metropole in Birmingham, with one student telling The Boar: “There is no way I’m paying that.” 

In a press statement provided to The Boar, President of the SU, Will Brewer stated: “As some of you may be aware, we have had to take the difficult decision not to run a Graduation Ball this year. This was not a decision we made lightly, and we wish that we could have continued the event for those students who wanted to attend. 

“Whilst we would have liked the Graduation Ball to go ahead, the Union is for all students and has core functions that are beneficial and accessible to everyone. Directing significant funding to subsidise an event that would not be of benefit to a major proportion of our membership would ultimately displease many students. 

“We accept this will cause upset for some students, but we hope you can understand the reasons behind the decision.”