Summer 2024 is coming… The BIGGEST & BEST Summer Ball in the UK is back on Saturday 1st June 2024!
The legendary annual day festival returns open exclusively to BU & AUB students only (plus their guests)
Summer Ball is Bournemouth University and Arts University Bournemouth’s exclusive student festival organized by SUBU. The annual festival is dedicated to celebrating the end of the academic year and is the biggest in the UK. Since 1994 Summer Ball has been the highlight of students' academic year.
Open exclusively to BU & AUB students.
Limited amounts of Graduate tickets will be available.
Buy up to 4 tickets for you and friends from home.
BIGGEST and most successful Summer Ball in the U.K.
Return transport included with your ticket.
Student drinks prices.
After party until 5am and survivors photo included.
PLEASE NOTE:
- You must be a BU or AUB student to attend the event. Student ID and proof will be required to gain access. You can buy up to 4 tickets for yourself and 3 non-student guests. If buying guest tickets, please just purchase the SAME ticket type that applies to yourself.
- Graduate students CAN attend and buy a ticket for the 2024 SUBU Summer Ball! You will need to buy an 'Alumni Ticket' at checkout which will be limited.
FAQ's
WHAT IS THE SUMMER BALL?
The SUBU Summer Ball is the end of year party organised by the Students Union Bournemouth University. It is a day festival running from 2pm - 2am with several stages of music, entertainment, food stalls, bars and funfair rides. Open only to BU & AUB students plus their guests, it is the biggest in the country and the highlight of the end of term for all students!
WHERE IS THE SUMMER BALL?
The Summer Ball is located at Bournemouth University Sports Campus - Chapel Gate. Buses run from The Old Fire Station to the festival site and will drop you back at TOFS after the event. This travel is included with your ticket.
CAN I BRING NON-STUDENT FRIENDS OR FRIENDS FROM OTHER UNIVERSITIES?
YES! All BU & AUB students can bring 3 guests with them (who all need to buy the same ticket type). All guests still need to buy a ticket!
T&C's
The event is for students at Bournemouth University and our affiliated partners (including AUB) and their guests only.
All attendees must be at least 18 years of age and bring suitable I.D. to the event - 'pass' approved card, passport or driving licence.
Your ticket is none transferable and none refundable. Do not lose it or allow anyone to copy it. You must have a valid ticket or valid wristband to enter the event.
You will be issued with an 'E Ticket' this will have been sent to the email you used to book your tickets, it may have arrived after a few days if you booked in January, for all others it will arrive immediately after you book a ticket.
You must not resell your ticket for greater than its face value.
You should exchange your e ticket for a wristband before the day of the event. The wristband exchange will be at SUBU Reception, Talbot Campus in June, please look out for an update nearer the time.
Opening time: 2pm on Saturday 1st June 2024, coaches will start loading at the Old Fire Station from 1.30pm.
Last entry time: 6pm on Saturday 1st June 2024.
Closing time: 2am on Sunday 2nd June 2024, although parts of the event remain open longer to allow time to leave and board coaches.
Re-entry: We do not allow re-entry to the event, please bring everything with you that you need, if you leave the event you cannot return.
Coach travel is included with your ticket: You can board coaches from 1.30pm at the Old Fire Station, 36 Holdenhurst Road, Bournemouth. They will finish running at 5pm sharp. There will be queues unless you come early (before 2.30pm). Return coaches from the event will be on hand from 10pm and will only drop you at the Old Fire Station. There is a taxi rank at the event throughout.
THERE IS NO PARKING WHATSOEVER AT THE SUMMER BALL, all cars are turned away at the gate.
Taxis: can drop on the event rank only, the address is Bournemouth Sports Club, Chapel Gate, East Parley, Christchurch, BH236BL
Avoiding queues: We have taken steps to improve the speed of getting into the event, to best avoid queues:
- Make sure you have exchanged your 'E Ticket' for a Summer Ball Wristband before the day of the event
- Take an early coach, before 2.30pm.
- Arrive at the venue before 3.30pm.
- Bring cash
Cash: Bring some! The bars and catering at the event take card but cash is recommended as a back up. The bars are reasonably priced (most drinks are around £3), food can be a bit more pricey than your normal KFC (£5+), the cloakroom charge £2. Coaches to and from the event and the fun fair rides are already included in your ticket!
Alcohol: Do not bring alcohol to the event, on the coaches or into the queues - we will confiscate and pour away all alcohol. Do not drink too much before the event - every year people have their night ruined because they were denied entry to the event for being intoxicated. Take it easy, pace yourself, drinks at the event are reasonably priced, moderate the amount you drink through the event and consider drinking water or soft drinks regularly.
Illegal drugs: We are enforcing a zero tolerance approach to all illegal drugs in partnership with Dorset Police, who will be onsite at the event carrying out enforcement. We will be carrying out searches at the event on the door and throughout the night. Remember the only guaranteed safe way to approach drugs is not to take any, the Summer Ball is not the place to experiment (it's a very busy, dark, outdoors and far from home) and it is illegal and we have a duty to uphold the law.
Do not bring: In addition to alcohol and illegal drugs do not bring any of the following to the event: glass bottles; drones; laser pens; selfie sticks; potential weapons of any kind; new psychoactive substances, popper and nitrous oxide; fireworks; compressed gas containers; flares; air horns; smoke bombs; flag sticks; banners, signs or materials displaying political, religious, offensive or race related messages, slogans or images; any item that an authorised person considers dangerous, hazardous and/or illegal or that may be used as a weapon or a missile or that may compromise or otherwise interfere with the enjoyment, comfort or safety of (or pose a hazard to) any person or security at the venue; animals (other than guide dogs); any camera or other type of photographic or recording device other than for personal use; any objects or other kinds of promotional signs and messages (of whatever nature) which we believe are for promotional purposes. Any prohibited Items may be removed, confiscated and/or destroyed even if the item itself is not illegal without compensation at the discretion of any authorised person.
Fancy dress: The SUBU Summer Ball is largely a fancy dress festival. please think about your fancy dress - do not come dressed as a terrorist, change the colour of your skin or dress in a way that would show disrespect to other members of the community. If you do we could ask you to remove it, and nobody wants that. Keep it fun.
Afterparty: After 12 hours of the UK's largest Students' Union event what you really need is to push on through until dawn back in the UK's best Students' Union nightclub, the Old Fire Station. Open from 2am, limited space, only for the hard core.
Survivors photograph: the ultimate Summer Ball achievement is to make it to the survival photograph. It will be taken at first light (5am ish) by pier approach in Bournemouth. The photo will then be available to download free of charge as a momento of your night.
Accessibility:
- The SUBU Summer Ball takes place on a series of sports pitches, they are largely level with short grass. There are no steps.
- The toilets are individual toilet units and a collection of shared urinal units, there is a supervised accessible toilet next to the first aid and quiet area.
- The coaches to the event have accessible ramps.
- The event is dark at night with festival style lighting for way finding and flashing lights and large video screens on stages.
- The event is loud like a nightclub close to all stages.
- There are staff to assist if you're lost or need assistance with access.
- If you require a personal assistant due to a disability you can arrange this directly with SUBU, either through reception on 1st Floor Student Centre, Talbot Campus or by emailing subu@bournemouth.ac.uk
Facilities at the event:
- There are bars selling drinks with and without alcohol, they are run by SUBU and prices are very reasonable.
- There are a range of food outlets including vegetarian and limited vegan options. Gluten free options will be available but limited but please ask and check all the different caterers. Food outlets also sell soft drinks but they may not be a cheap as the bars that are run by SUBU.
- There is free drinking water from designated points.
- There is one large toilet block with many none gendered individual toilets, there is also a bank of urinals behind a screen. The accessible toilet is supervised in an area next to the first aid point (if you may need it please ensure you locate it when you arrive).
- There is cloakroom and we recommend you use it if you need warm clothing late at night.
- There is a first aid point and a security point, please ask staff to be directed if you need them or consult the site plan.
- There is a whole world of entertainment across multiple stages - check the lineup before you arrive.
- Security staff are stationed across the event and on all stages, they can advise you if you need help.
Lost property: will be handed to the cloakroom throughout the night, it will then be taken back to the Students' Union in the student centre the following week.
Loud music and flashing lights feature across all stages.
Searches: We will be carrying out searches as people arrive and we may search people we have identified during the event. If you refuse a search we will refuse to allow you to enter or remain at the event.
Smoking: Smoking is only allowed in the open areas of the event - not inside any of the marquees or big tops.
Lineup: Tickets are sold subject to our right to alter or vary the published event programme without notification which may result in changes to the performance line-up, playing times or any other aspect of the event. We reserve all rights in this regard. Any published start times of a performance at the event are estimates and subject to change. We shall not be liable for any change of a published start time or change to the artists scheduled to perform. No scheduled acts may be considered as headline acts regardless of their relative fame or prominence in the billing and so cancellation by an artist or performer will not entitle you to a refund.
Changes to event date, time, venue: We reserve the right to make alterations to the time, date, duration and venue of the event or other details governed by any ticket in the event of unforeseen or other circumstances, including (without limitation), force majeure, safety and security concerns or decisions from any authorised person or other competent authority. In the event of such alteration we will be not be liable to the ticket holder or any other person for any costs, expenses or other losses resulting from such alteration. We shall only be required to refund a ticket purchaser with the face value of the relevant ticket if the event is cancelled before the event has started.