Bigtop Ball exists to make money for charity. From that standpoint alone, the whole night is a cut above the standard St Andrews fare, offering the unique opportunity to feel good about yourself for spending money on a Ring Toss stall.

Held in huge circus tents on Lower College Lawn, the size of the venue was possibly the event’s most significant issue. Bigtop is by nature one of the smaller scale events of the year, and by having it in a venue of such size, it gave the impression of being under attended to an extent. This is not to say that there wasn’t a line for each stall, and the dance floor wasn’t alive with movement; it was more an issue with the space around the outside of the clusters of people, creating the illusion of a sparse population.

Size aside, the red of the tents drenched the insides with warm light, bathing the ball in an atmospheric glow. The general feeling conjured by the organisers was extremely effective, with each person manning the stalls being costumed in theme. If the palm-reader-fortune-teller isn’t wearing a headscarf, then what’s the point really?

None of the attendees had adhered to the theme particularly, though this was negated by the red hue created by the tent; dark dresses and suits were automatically bolstered by the colour, so no problem there. This, however, should serve as precedent for other organizers considering an ambitious theme that would require effort on the part of the guests: we’re a lazy bunch, unlikely to try very hard.

The music was the usual excellent St Andrews line up, with Black Sheep, NELFUN, and SAUNIT all putting in an appearance. That’s the thing with balls in Lower College Lawn; you know exactly what you’re getting, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, it is just something that means organisers have to lean on the more original angles of their events to make them distinct. For Bigtop Ball, that means placing emphasis on their charitable nature. This factor was certainly present once the guests entered the event, with Amnesty, Save the Children and many more staffing the booths around the outside of tent, though perhaps it could have been more emphasised in the marketing.

Ultimately, Bigtop Ball was exactly what it needed to be: a night of circus themed fun. The atmosphere was positive and lively, despite a slightly delayed start. Honestly, this night is not marketed as well as it should be, which is what contributes to the feeling of under population. To dismiss it out of hand because of this flaw, however, would be incredibly unjust, as Bigtop Ball is fundamentally a lovely night attached to some very worthy causes.