Two female students taking a selfie onstage at Slope Day

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By Cornellians staff

Photography by Alex Bayer, Devin Flores, Sreang Hok, Jason Koski & Ryan Young

Neither cold nor rain (nor mud!) could keep Cornellians from their annual spring celebration. Under gray skies and with temperatures in the 40s, students marked the end of classes with music, food, libations, and more.

This year's Slope Day was headlined by the Grammy-winning electronic music duo the Chainsmokers, with special guest singer-songwriter Daya.

In addition to the traditional revelry, students enjoyed carnival games and other activities as part of Slope Fest, held on Ho Plaza—plus the alternative option to get off campus for a free session at the Hoffman Challenge Course.

Here's a photographic tour of Slope Day 2026!

Students dance in the crowd on Slope Day

Two female students in green ponchos on Ho Plaza

Students in the crowd take cell phone photos on Slope Day

Touchdown in front of the Slope Day crowd

A student's legs are seen as they stand in the mud in short books and crew socks

A panoramic image of the crowd on the Slope during Slope Day

A student gets her face painted with white and red dots

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Student band After Six performs during the festivities during Slope Day on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.

Students, some in rain gear, on Ho Plaza during the Slope Day festival

Two male performers at a sound board during Slope Day

Six female students pose on a yellow inflatable

A student covered in clear garbage bags to keep out the rain

Five smiling students pose on the Slope

A man performs in front of the Slope Day crowd

A group of students smiles as one shoots bubbles out of an orange plastic gun

Daya performs in front of the Slope Day crowd

Published May 7, 2026


What are your favorite Slope Day memories?

Comments

  1. Sean O’Day, Class of 1994

    Cloudy memories of Slope Day ‘94. Bloody Mary’s, music, and great memories with who would become lifelong friends! My Cornell days were long ago, but still feel like yesterday!

    Congrats class of 2026!

    • Eric Key, Class of 1977

      Commander Cody and the Lost Planet Airmen!!!$

      • Michael Grenis, Class of 1980

        With Nicolette Larson as a vocalist with the band!

  2. Eric R Kierstead, Class of 1983

    Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes concert, either 1983 or 1985(?)

    Students rushed the stage, there must have been almost 100 students up there dancing with the band. A great time had by all!

  3. Alan Perlmutter, Class of 1953

    In 1953 we didn’t have slope day …..and it looks like we missed an opportunity for a really good time.

  4. David Silverstein, Class of 1968

    In the 1960s/early 1970s, before Slope Day, there was Spring Weekend. The partying started Fri. morning and continued pretty much non-stop through the Sun. afternoon lawn parties. Yes, there was a lot of drinking. But there was also live dance music into the wee hours of Sat. and Sun. mornings, Sat. afternoon swimming, games and picnics at Treman state park, and a lot of good camaraderie celebrating surviving another Cornell school year! As a 3rd-year law student, I spent a terrific Spring Weekend ’73 with my later-to-be wife Leslie (Roth), Hum Ec ’73.

  5. Ken, Class of 1990

    I was a January freshman in 1986 and Slope Day was forbidden. Instead, they had the Del Fuegos play a fenced in concert elsewhere on campus. My band and I acquired an enormous PA and played on the lawn of Theta Delt and projected the music to the Slope as part of our effort to “Take Back The Slope”. It was fun and we played to a couple hundred people if that.

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