Many of the country's brightest young minds have let their hair down at the annual Cambridge May Balls to celebrate the end of exams and the academic year.
Students at the elite university were dressed in their finest for the night of fine dining and dancing in the centuries-old colleges as part of a tradition dating back to 1838.
The revellers were pictured arm in arm in their black tie and ball gowns returning to their homes in the morning light as they played with traffic cones and danced in the street.
But the sedate celebrations after a night with yoga and a cinema on offer seemed a far cry from the wild scenes of hedonism and debauchery from the balls of previous decades.
May Balls in the past have seen students stripping off and teaming up to throw eggs at gatecrashers and one was even shut down by police after a crush was caused watching The Stranglers at King's in the 1970s.
Last night it was the turn of Emmanuel College, founded in 1584, for the biggest event in their social calendar.
Students returning home from last night's May Ball at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, had to wrap up warm after a long night of partying
The revellers were dressed to the nines in black tie and ball gowns but many ditched the high heels for trainers after a night on their feet
The sedate scenes of this year's revellers seems a far cry from the May Balls of previous years where guests were seen throwing eggs at gatecrashers at Magdalene in 1983
The annual celebration is the biggest event in each college's social calendar with tickets costing £190 for the party at Emmanuel College
This year's theme at Emmanuel was 'Mille Miglia, Racing Through Italy' and tickets for the exclusive event cost as much as £190.
Stalls offering cocktail ice lollies, Ferrero Rocher brownies and vodka candy were on offer to the students at the college throughout the night before a 'Survivors' Photo' and a bacon sandwich at 6am.
The guests were also treated to a variety of musical performances, theatre, comedy, magic, a casino and even yoga at sunrise at the no-expenses-spared event.
Each college holds its own May Ball on the week commencing the second Thursday in June after exams.
One party-goer did the well-worn student tradition of taking a traffic cone and dancing on the streets of the university city
Revellers at Magdalen College May Ball in 1997 were pictured frolicking on the grass in their finery while students today were enjoying yoga at sunrise at the prestigious event
Students at Emmanuel College enjoyed unlimited food and drink throughout the night with a range of entertainment on offer
This year's ball theme at Emmanuel was 'Mille Miglia - Racing Through Italy' - and this student was certainly racing to get home after the long party
Guests were treated to food stands from all over the world including pizza, Ferrero Rocher brownies, Vietnamese curry and falafel wraps - but that didn't stop these hungry revellers having a pit-stop at McDonald's on the way home
After a night of drinking with a wide variety on offer from vodka candy and gelato cocktails to tequila slammers and Italian fizz, a bottle of water was a sensible idea for the return journey home
One attendee at Trinity's May Ball in 2005 left the event slightly more exposed than when he arrived, carrying his clothes as well as a parasol and flowers
Students this year preferred to take photographs on the way home as they made the most of the glorious sunrise after staying up until 6am
The ball has been held every year apart from 1910 when King Edward VII died and between 1939 and 1945 during the Second World War.
The first one was held in 1838 when 38 Trinitarians happily drank their way through 47
