If you’ve spent any decent amount of time in the town over the course of the last quarter of a century there’s a good chance you will have heard about the notorious Black and White Balls – if not gone along to one or two along the way. These twice-yearly party events are held at the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre and consistently sell out with 950+ tickets up for grabs.
The event started back in 1993 as the White Ball set up by a group of friends to celebrate the Summer Solstice in June and it was such a hit that a Black Ball was added in the November. And so the Black and White Balls were born.
The 2017 Black Ball was held on Saturday 25 November and followed the brand’s long-established and much-loved set of customs. The dress code is always Black for the winter event, but this guideline is very much open to interpretation with some opting for classic eveningwear and others plumping – literally – for fancy dress.
The event always has the full run of the Pavilion Theatre, kicking off with a fun ‘ice breaker’ dance class and even the car park gets involved as home to the always-popular dodgems ride. People attend in couples, as work teams and groups of friends and there’s always a really sociable and friendly atmosphere.
The 2017 event launched at 8:15pm with a dance class before the DJs took over the dance floor from 9pm. All the games and attractions in the main ballroom opened at 9pm too and house party band The Crack played their first of two sets at 10:15pm. The night panned out as a mix of party music, DJs and games to keep you entertained until 1am. There was a casino in the Lucullus Room and karaoke in the Phoebe Bar – usually such sedate venues given a complete new lease of life when the Black Ball took over!
Many of the Black Ball guests come back year after year so if you’re yet to try this seasonal bash you might just set a trend for life. Tickets can be purchased from the website as well as from the Pavilion and BIC box offices.