Upcoming Events
We are proud of our reputation as one of the most active MCRs in Oxford, with multiple events taking place each week during term time! Not only that, our events have range... We host biweekly wine and cheese nights, cocktail nights and welfare teas. We get together every fortnight to watch films. And of course, every term we have at least one MCR-only formal dinner! (We are also pretty proud of our end of year boat parties...) Most of our events are heavily subsidised, and when ticketed, you will be able to buy your tickets through FIXR or UPay.
Before the start of each term you will receive an events term card in your Hertford inbox, so keep an eye out for an email from our wonderful Social Secretary. Check out last year's term cards (2025-2026) for an idea of what you can expect!
Wine & Cheese and Cocktail Nights
Almost every week during term time, we host either a wine & cheese or a themed cocktail night in the octagon! These are inexpensive (£2-5 tickets) and open for all members of the MCR and their guests (2 max for most events held in the Octagon). The dress code for wine and cheese nights is smart and cocktail nights always have a different theme that MCR members and guests are encouraged to dress for (past examples include Barbie, decades, halloween, and glitter). Both are great opportunities to get to know members of the MCR and let loose a little… With wine and cocktails hand-selected by our wonderful sommeliers, these events always promise to be an enjoyable and welcome break from academic life! We also provide high-quality non-alcoholic options.
MCR Formal Dinners
The highlight of every term are our special MCR-only formal dinners in Hall! While the College has three formal dinners a week during term-time that are usually open to all members of the college, the MCR hosts additional black-tie formals each term with a drinks reception before and/or second desserts afterwards. In Michaelmas, we have Waugh Night, a 1920s themed formal in celebration of Hertford alum Evelyn Waugh, and a cozy Christmas formal. In Hilary term we have a Burns Night formal, which includes bagpipes, haggis, whiskey, and a Ceilidh! Finally, in Trinity we have our a May Day feast. Tickets are £25-30 and they go fast!
Cozy Events
Every week there is at least one event in the MCR to unwind and reconnect with the community. Events range from pumpkin carving and Christmas tree decorating to welfare teas and coffee walks in the park. Most cosy events are free to attend.
Our welfare, equalities, and LGBTQ representatives are around in the MCR and are contactable by email for support and for a chat ito all our members.
Academic Soirée
We are committed to fostering the academic life of our MCR members with opportunities to network and share their research. Hosted once a term, the Academic Soirée is an opportunity to practice presenting our work to each other. Additionally, the Senior Common Room (SCR) invites one DPhil students every term to share their work alongside the Herford fellows (academic staff at the college). Presenters are invited to a drinks reception and a formal dinner afterwards.
Herford MCR is also proud to organise broader academic events. In the 2025-2026, the MCR held an academic panel on nature recovery followed by the St. Patricks day BOP, raising a total of £1,700 for the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust's Nature Recovery Fund.
Term Cards for 2025-26
Our Social Secretary is currently preparing the Freshers Weeks timetable for the 2026-2027 cohort. All of the information about how to attend will be communicated in due time by email.
At Hertford, are proud to be one of the most active MCRs in Oxford. In the 2024–2025 academic year, we held a total of 108 events, including 17 arts events, two boat parties, two balls, and many bottles of wine (no records required). Keep reading for the 2025-2026 tally!
2025 Freshers Week
At the start of each academic year, we host three weeks of Freshers’ events, offering a wide range of activities including tea, board games, group runs, library tours, and cowboy-themed parties. These events provide an excellent opportunity to meet fellow students and to familiarise yourself with both the University and the city.
Further information for Freshers week 2026-2027 is shared via email and the MCR WhatsApp group before your arrival.
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2025 Michaelmas
In Michaelmas Term 2025, we hosted a total of 35 MCR events, in addition to three formal halls each week.
Several of our traditional events take place during Michaelmas Term, including the Halloween Bop, Oxmas formal (Oxford Christmas), and Waugh Night.
Waugh Night celebrates the life and work of Herford alumnus and author Evelyn Waugh. In his honour, the Jellyfish Officer opens the evening by reading an excerpt from Brideshead Revisited, formally commencing the festivities.
2026 Hillary
In Hillary Term, we hosted a total of 47 MCR events. Some days, there are two events planned to fit them all in!
We had an exciting schedule of exchange formals and wine and cheese nights. These events are a great opportunity to meet new people from different colleges and have interesting conversations as well as to tour a new part of Oxford.
Hillary was the season of love at Herford with four Valentines day events!
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2026 Trinity
Trinity term in Oxford is exam term, so we *only* hosted 33 MCR events.
The highlights included two wine tasting crash courses, with our sommelier extraordinaire Joe, a pre-pride brunch, and a trip to Cambridge for a formal exchange with Jesus College.
In honour of exam season, we also co-worked in the octagon with snacks and occasional breaks to chat.
149
Total events hosted by the MCR in 2025-2026