Guest information

Everything you need to know as an invited guest of a UCL graduate.

Graduation is a special day not only for our graduating students, but for those family, friends and loved ones who have helped support them along their journey! We look forward to welcoming you to a UCL Graduation ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall to celebrate with your graduate. Below is important information for you as guests attending a ceremony.

If you have any questions about the ceremonies that are not answered below or in the FAQs or Graduation Checklist, please contact ceremonies@ucl.ac.uk.

About the 2025 ceremonies 

When and where are the 2025 events?

The events for 2025 will be held at The Royal Festival Hall. The graduation periods for 2025 are Monday 12 May - Friday 16 May, 14 July and Monday 8 September - Friday 12 September. Please ensure you check with your graduate for the exact date and time they will be graduating as we hold several ceremonies per day during the graduation periods. The Royal Festival Hall is easily accessed by public transport on the South Bank in central London. You can find more information about the venue here.

Do I need a ticket to attend?

Yes, all guests are required to have a ticket to be able to attend the ceremonies. Only graduates are able to purchase tickets on the Graduation Portal when it is open- guests are not able to purchase tickets on their own. Tickets include entry to the ceremony as well as the reception which takes place immediately after the ceremony concludes. Dependent on capacity, tickets will be available for purchase on the day at the venue, however, the graduating student must be present in order to purchase additional guest tickets. Guest tickets purchased on the day will not be sat with previously purchased tickets.

Private boxes are also available for purchase on the graduation portal by your graduate. They hold up to 4 guests per box. If there is availability on the day, you can also enquire with the Help Desk upon arrival to upgrade your tickets.

Children are welcome, however, we ask you to consider the formal nature of the event and that they will be required to sit for a long period of time so this may not be particularly suitable for babies or young children.

Children under 3 can attend for free and will need to be seated on a guests lap. If they are over 3, they will be required to have a ticket and their own seat.

Live stream of ceremonies

We warmly invite everyone who has supported our graduates to attend the ceremony, though we understand that not everyone may be able to join in person. For those unable to attend, we offer a live stream of each ceremony, which can be viewed here. All live streams are recorded and will be available online for on-demand viewing.

Travel and accommodation

What if I need a visa to attend?

Please check the UK Government guidance on whether you need a visa to travel to London.

We can only provide invitation letters for our students and graduates. We cannot write invitations to family and friends who also want to attend. Details on how your graduate can write their own invitation and apply for guest visas are available on the UCL visitor visa page. Students are provided a visa letter which they may use in applications as additional support.

Accommodation

We don't directly offer accommodation. However, UCL Summer Residences are open to the general public at affordable prices. UCL students or alumni are eligible for a 10% discount on your booking! For more information, please visit the UCL Summer Residences page. 

Travel to the Royal Festival Hall

The Royal Festival Hall is easily accessible via public transport. There are several major tube lines and main line stations within walking distance of the venue. Plan your journey using Transport for London's Journey Planner. 

Before the ceremony

Buy something special for your grad!

You can buy from our range of UCL branded clothing, notebooks, certificate holders, gifting items and of course our iconic "Jeremy Beartham" Teddy Bear from our Merch stall at the ceremony at Royal Festival Hall which will be open on all week. You can also order from The Hanger website and collect from the shop on campus at 25 Gordon Street, or the Pop-up on South Quad opposite Print Room Cafe. Please note that only card payments are accepted.

Get your QR code ticket from your graduate

Graduates will receive any guest tickets they have purchased on the graduation portal as a QR code around 1 week before the ceremony. We recommend, if you will not be arriving with the graduate, that you ask for the graduate to send you your QR code ahead of time for ease of check-in upon arrival. It is essential that you download these prior to arriving at the venue, as signal is limited at Royal Festival Hall.

When you arrive at Royal Festival Hall, you must check in with us at registration to pick up your paper ticket. If you do not have a paper ticket, you will not be allowed into the auditorium.

Accessibility information

We want to ensure you have a wonderful time celebrating with your graduate. The Royal Festival Hall is wheelchair accessible, and hearing loops are available. You can find out more about accessibility at the venue. Graduates will be able to indicate when purchasing tickets if any of their guests have additional access needs on the Graduation Portal and our team will personally reach out to each graduate to ensure we have everything in place.

On the day of the ceremony

Arrival and check-in information

We suggest that guests arrive with the graduate if at all possible. If your graduate has photography booked, you will have the opportunity to take photos with them. There will also be several fun photo opportunities throughout the Royal Festival Hall whilst you wait for the ceremony to begin. Remember, the Royal Festival Hall is also right on the River Thames next to Big Ben and the London Eye! Some great photo moments to be had!

Both graduates and guests enter via the Southbank Centre Square Doors, Level 1. You can find the exact location for this entrance here. If your graduate or yourself or any other guests have any accessibility requirements, please enter via the Mandela Entrance. The exact location for the accessible entrance can be found here. If you require step-free access to the venue, please use the lift next to the Artist's Entrance and go to Level 2. When using an accessible entrance, please speak to our VIP and accessibility desk at the Mandela Entrance on Level 2 upon arrival to check in.

We recommend arriving in good time to allow yourself time to check-in and make it to your seat before the ceremony begins.

If you will not be arriving with your graduate, please ensure that you ask them for your QR code ticket which will need to be scanned upon arrival in exchange for a paper ticket. It is extremely important that when you arrive you get your ticket scanned and exchanged as you will not be allowed into the ceremony hall without this! It will also include 2 vouchers to be used in the reception which takes places directly after the ceremony concludes. The QR code tickets are normally sent to graduates via email approximately 1 week before the ceremony.

Ceremony duration and programme

Ceremony hall doors will open around 30 minutes before the ceremony start time. The ceremony will last around 1 ½ hours in length. The ceremony will start with a few opening videos, then the platform party procession, followed by a speech from the Presiding Officer. There will normally be a few speeches and/or videos throughout the ceremony to break up the student processions including messages from graduates and alumni. There will normally be 3 student processions which are grouped based on departments and award.

We ask that you remain seated throughout the entirety of the ceremony and that you exit after the platform party has processed out of the hall after the ceremony concludes.

Photography

You are welcome to bring a camera and take photos of your graduate as they cross the stage, but you should not have tripods, selfie sticks or stands. Please note that there is no flash photography allowed and we ask that you are respectful of others around you.

Flowers

You are welcome to bring flowers for your graduate, but please note that these are not allowed in the ceremony hall. There will be a space provided for you to leave them before you enter the hall, however, these are left at your own risk.

Bags and cloak room

There will be a bag search at Royal Festival Hall. We recommend that any bags you bring are as small as possible as this will speed up these checks. In addition, there will be very limited storage space for luggage items e.g. suitcases or carry-on cases so we strongly advise you not to bring these. Please note that the cloak room at Royal Festival Hall costs £2 per item. If you have luggage with you on the day, please deposit this in a local luggage storage space before arriving at Royal Festival Hall.

Reception after the ceremony

Enjoy time with your grad, meet their friends and faculty members and continue your celebrations! There will be a reception held on the 4th and 5th floors of the Royal Festival Hall immediately after your graduates ceremony concludes. Your paper ticket will have two vouchers attached, one for a drink and the other for a special UCL graduation biscuit. This will last for approximately 45 minutes. We recommend to pre-arrange with your graduate where you will meet after the ceremony concludes so that you are easily able to find them. Please note that phone signal is limited once inside The Royal Festival Hall.

Mobile phones

Please ensure that your mobile phone is on silent during the ceremony. It is important to note that phone signal is limited once in the Royal Festival Hall. There will be free wifi available via the Royal Festival Hall.