The Young Gathering
The Young Gathering is a formal black tie Scottish reeling ball specifically for young people in Years 11, 12 and 13. it is designed to be a highly enjoyable evening that builds confidence on the dance floor and acts as a stepping stone to adult reeling events.
All of the best known Scottish reels are included, and each dance is “called” from the stage to act as a helpful reminder of the steps. However, as this is a fast-paced evening with a live band, the ball itself is not a teaching session. For anyone who is completely new to reeling, we strongly recommend that they attend the pre-ball practice held at the venue earlier in the afternoon, to learn the basics before the evening begins.
The Young Gathering Ball runs twice yearly in London typically taking place during the Easter and Christmas school holidays.
When’s the next one?
All upcoming events can be found at events.reeling.com. The next Young Gathering will take place for Y11-Y13 on Thursday 17 December, at St Columba’s Church in Pont Street (see flyer below). Be sure to sign up to our mailing list to be the first to hear more in the autumn. Tickets will go on sale on Thu 1st October 2026.
UPDATE 01/10/2026: The Young Gathering is now sold out, with all available tickets snapped up within 10 seconds of going on sale. Sorry if you missed out! However, we are delighted to confirm that we have added another Young Gathering in December, and tickets for that are now on sale!
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Tickets for the Young Gathering can sell quickly, so it is worth being ready when they go on sale. A few things to know:
Tickets will only be available from events.reeling.com.
Tickets are initially sold in groups of 8 to 24. You do not need to buy a multiple of 8, so you can buy 8, 10, 12, 14 or whatever number suits your group.
You do not need to fill in the names of everyone in your group when you buy. We will ask for those details later.
If tickets sell out before you manage to buy, please join the waiting list. Further tickets often become available nearer the Ball.
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We want everyone to attend the Ball as part of a group. It means guests arrive with people they know, have others to share the evening with, and are less likely to get lost in the crowd or end up without partners for the dances.
Ideally, groups should meet beforehand for supper or drinks, which also helps everyone get to know each other before the Ball.
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All the reels are danced in couples, so having equal numbers of boys and girls means everyone has a partner and nobody is left out.
We know that organising a balanced group can sometimes be tricky, but it makes a big difference to everyone's enjoyment on the night.
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No. Please have one person buy all the tickets for your group in a single booking.
For example, if you are organising a group of 16, please buy all 16 tickets together rather than one person buying 8 tickets for the boys and someone else buying 8 for the girls. This avoids the risk of one half of the group getting tickets while the other half misses out.
Each booking must have an even balance of boys and girls.
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If you have already purchased a group of at least 8 tickets for the Ball and would like to add a few more to your party, this might be possible if extra tickets are still available. The only requirement is that the same person who bought the original group tickets must buy these extra tickets. Best advice is to email john@reeling.com to enquire.
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No problem at all – the Young Gathering is open to anyone in Years 11–13, whether or not they have reeled before. The focus is very much on fun and participation.
Once again, there will be a Pre-Ball Practice on the afternoon of the Ball. Any beginners are strongly encouraged to attend, as it will cover the basics and build confidence so the evening itself can be all about dancing rather than learning.
It’s also worth watching John Carver’s short Reeling Essentials video (link here), which gives a quick introduction to the main steps. On the night itself, John will walk through and call every dance, and there will be plenty of friendly dancers around happy to guide newcomers.
Most importantly, if your son/daughter comes with a willingness to join in and have fun, and attends the pre-ball practice if they’re a complete beginner, they will have a fantastic evening! 🕺💃
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For many guests, this will be their first reeling ball, so we’ll start with simpler reels and build up from there. Expect to dance classics like the Dashing White Sergeant, Eightsome Reel, and Reel of the 51st (likely to be the grand finale). We may also include Hamilton House and Duke of Perth, and for fun, we might even throw in Strip the Willow (although not strictly a reel!). And the 'Young Gathering’ reel is John’s creation, super easy and will be called on the night - nobody has ever found it tricky! Don’t worry - there will be a walkthrough before every dance. Want to brush up ahead of time? Check out John’s reeling tutorials at www.reeling.com/learn
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A: Absolutely! This is a key tradition of any reeling Ball and the Young Gathering will be no different. We can even send them out to ticket-buyers in advance of the event, if groups would like to fill in their dance cards perhaps during drinks/supper before coming along to the Ball. A helpful guide to filling in dance cards correctly will also be sent with all dance cards, just so guests know what to do!
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All ticket buyers will be contacted 3-4 weeks before the Ball and asked where you would like your dance cards to be sent to. We send them via Royal Mail so that your party can fill them in before you arrive at the Ball.
Alternatively, you can choose to collect them on the night at the venue and fill them in at the drinks reception before the first dance.
The choice is yours!
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We will have some small snacks going around between dances but we encourage everyone to have a bite to eat with their parties before coming to the venue. This way we can make the most of the time for dancing - this is a Reel Thing event, after all :-)
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No. This is a zero alcohol event simply because of the age group of those attending. However, there will be plenty of soft drinks available during the evening, including a flute of sparkling elderflower served to everyone on arrival! 🥂
We will have security guards on site and any guest arriving at the Ball in possession of alcohol or clearly under the influence will be asked to leave immediately
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No. The dress code is Black Tie or Highland Dress for boys, and long dresses or skirts for girls. Tartan is encouraged, and shoes should be suitable for dancing. No trainers, please.
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We recommend you visit our partners at www.thedresscode.cc for all your son’s DJ needs!
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All guests must present their Ticket Tailor QR code, sent by email at the time of purchase, for admission.
Tickets for the Young Gathering must be purchased by a parent or guardian.
Admission to the ball is conditional on the parent or guardian completing a Google Form, which will be sent following ticket purchase and must be completed in full before the event.
Wristbands will be issued to all guests once admitted.
Security checks will include bag searches for alcohol or prohibited items (including vapes, cigarettes, and illegal substances). Anyone found in possession of such items may be refused entry or asked to leave.
Reel Thing Events Ltd reserves the right to refuse entry.
No alcohol will be served. Guests appearing intoxicated will not be admitted.
There will be no re-entry once guests have left the venue.
Vaping is not permitted.
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Professional security staff will be on duty throughout the evening.
Bag checks and light searches may take place on entry.
Refusal to comply with security checks may result in refusal of entry.
Guests are expected to behave respectfully towards event staff, helpers, and other attendees at all times.
Reel Thing Events Ltd reserves the right to remove any guest whose behaviour compromises the safety or enjoyment of others.
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The event will finish at 11:00 pm.
Parents or guardians must confirm, via the Google Form sent after ticket purchase, how their child will be travelling home.
Attendees may leave the event independently only where this has been explicitly approved in advance by a parent or guardian through the Google Form.
Where collection is required, it must be by a responsible adult whose details have been provided in advance.
Reel Thing Events Ltd is not responsible for attendees once they have left the event premises.
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Tickets are non-refundable unless the event is cancelled by Reel Thing Events Ltd.
When booking through Ticket Tailor, you may be offered the option to purchase Refund Protection for an additional fee. This can provide cover in certain circumstances if you are unable to attend.
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Photos and videos may be taken for sharing with guests after the event or future event promotion.
Attendance implies consent for image use.
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St Columba’s Church, Pont Street, London SW1X 0BD
Nearest Underground stations: Knightsbridge, South Kensington, Sloane Square.
A glimpse of the fun from our Dec 2025 event! This exact moment has been viewed over 400,000 times on our Instagram page. Well done to everyone on the dance floor!