Eton College celebrated St Andrew’s Day on Saturday 22 November 2025 with a full programme of events that showcased the very best of school life, from chapel services to concerts, exhibitions to sporting fixtures. The highlight? The traditional Wall Game between College (the Boarding House in which our King’s Scholars live) and the Oppidans (made up of boys from across our 24 other Boarding Houses).
The day kicked off with chapel services for B Block (Year 13) in College Chapel and for F Block (Year 9) in the Lower Chapel, while C, D, and E Blocks (Years 12, 11, 10) held assemblies in the Farrer Theatre, Jafar Hall, and the School Hall respectively.
From 10am, visitors were invited to explore a wide range of exhibitions. The College Library and Archives showcased fascinating material along the Blue Corridor, while Elemental began its exciting run in the Verey Gallery. Several of the School’s museums—including the Museum of Eton Life, the Natural History Museum, and the Museum of Antiquities—were open to the community all day, giving them a chance to see some of the hidden treasures.
Fine and Decorative Art, including College Silver, was presented in College Hall and the Design Schools, Drawing Schools, and STEM Centre featured a stunning array of boys’ academic, artistic, and scientific work. Among the visitors was F Blocker Nikolas R, who said he “especially enjoyed” the basketball and football fixtures. He also took “great pride” in seeing his own artwork on display—two pieces in fact!
For music, the Pipe Band began by performing in Cloisters, followed by an ECMS concert in College and a Jazz Concert in the School Hall. According to Vladimir P, Secretary of ECMS, the concert was “a resounding success”, with the viola ensemble opening with “an intense rendition of Bach’s 6th Brandenburg Concerto, setting the standard for the concert”. He went on to highlight that the event not only showcased “the amazing standard of music making in the School” but also demonstrated “the versatility of the musicians in the wider School”.
Vladimir praised the choir for their mastery of English choral repertoire and commended the senior organists for showing “their best colours, and sounds from the magnificent organ”. He emphasised the significance of the occasion, reflecting that St Andrew’s Day is “such a historically rich day in the School”.
Drama students also got involved, showcasing an A Level sharing at 10am in The Empty Space, and the School Library remained open from 9.30am until noon.
As usual, the Sporting events created a lively atmosphere across the campus. There were kickboxing and kung fu demonstrations at Athens, F Block (Year 9) rugby fixtures at Sixpenny and Chambers, and the Rackets Courts hosted exciting matches between the School and Old Etonians. Other highlights included water polo at Athens, Fives on the Fives Courts, and a demonstration of the F Block (Year 9) Wall Game all drew interest from spectators. Football and basketball fixtures against the Old Etonians were played at Mespots 1 and Athens respectively, and the Lower School hosted fencing exhibitions.
But the main event? The Wall Game: the annual St Andrew’s fixture between College and the Oppidans. In a determined and high-energy contest, the Oppidans defeated College 4–0. The scoring was led by Keeper of the Oppidans, Yang Yang Q, who secured three shys (a point in the game), while Vice Keeper Abdi K added a fourth, completing a decisive and memorable victory for the side.
After all that excitement, refreshments were available in Athens and on College Field, providing an opportunity for families and boys to gather between events.
The 2025 celebration once again highlighted the breadth and vibrancy of school life. With something for everyone, it brought together students, staff, families, and Old Etonians for one of the most anticipated days of the Michaelmas term.
