Formals are held commonly in
colleges in the universities of
Oxford,
Cambridge and
Durham, and at
Trinity College Dublin (where they are known as
commons). They are also held in some halls and colleges of other universities, including
St Andrews,
Leeds and
Manchester in the UK;
Adelaide,
Melbourne,
Queensland,
Sydney,
Tasmania,
Western Australia Monash,
New England and
New South Wales in Australia; and
Toronto in Canada. Formals have declined in Britain in the 21st century, with the last formal at
Wills Hall, University of Bristol, being held in 2018 and formals at some Durham colleges have been reduced from twice weekly in 2019 to every other week in 2026. Some colleges and halls have elaborate traditions, while others are more relaxed.
Grace may be said before the meal, in some places in
Latin. The wearing of
academic gowns at formals is compulsory at some colleges and halls; Fancy dress may be permitted for themed formals. and
Downing College, Cambridge. Many formals include a
high table, for members of the
senior common room, their guests, and sometimes members of the middle common room or the junior common room executive, with other students eating at the lower tables. At Manchester halls, which do not have a close academic connection with the university and have always been largely undergraduate institutions, the executive committee of the junior common room sits at the high table. There may be one or more
after-dinner speakers at the end of the dinner or even between courses on special occasions. These have sometimes caused controversy, such as
Rod Liddle at
South College, Durham. == Terminology ==