Tickets and guest information

All graduands we expect to be eligible to attend Graduation will be contacted via email by the Graduation and Awards team with information on when and how to book for their ceremony. More information on attendance and eligibility can be found on our Student Directory.

You must book your place at Graduation in advance and by the booking deadlines, to attend - there is no charge for this. Your tickets allow entry to your ceremony and departmental reception, which includes light refreshments. 

You will need to pay for Graduation gown hire, although you may be eligible for this free of charge as part of the Graduation Assistance Fund which can provide financial support for those attending Graduation who may need it.

You can visit our helpful schedule of key dates and deadlines which provides information about booking opening and closing, gown collection and return, and other key dates that are part of our Graduation arrangements. 

Purchasing guest tickets

You will be able to purchase guest tickets via the online booking system when it opens for your ceremony. Guest tickets cost £30 each and provide entry to the Graduation ceremony and reception afterwards, and includes light refreshments.

Booking for Graduation is divided into two phases to provide a fair opportunity for all graduands to purchase guest tickets. 

All graduands who wish to attend their ceremony should ensure they confirm their place at Graduation during Phase 1 of booking. During this phase, graduands will be able to purchase up to two guest tickets. It is not possible to purchase more than two guest tickets in Phase 1.

In Phase 2 of booking, all remaining guest tickets will be released and sold on a first-come, first-served basis, although there may be a limit applied per graduand.

Whilst there may be graduand spaces and guest tickets remaining in Phase 2, this cannot be guaranteed, and it is therefore strongly recommended that graduands adhere to the Phase 1 booking deadline to ensure they can attend their ceremony and secure up to two guest tickets, if required. 

Guest seating and admittance

Graduands and guests are seated separately during the ceremony. Guest seating is unallocated, unless there are individual needs made known to us ahead of the ceremony. Please note that children under the age of five are not permitted entry to Graduation ceremonies.

Sold out ceremonies

If you wish to bring more guests than you can obtain guest tickets for, there are several options available to you:

• Live Screenings
  Our ceremonies will be live-streamed online and at various venues across our Colchester Campus, including the Lakeside Theatre and Cine10 in the Lecture Theatre Building. Your guests are welcome to join you on campus to watch a live screening of our ceremonies. You do not need to purchase tickets for these screenings, and children under the age of five are permitted entry to them. Seats cannot be reserved for live screenings and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

• Reception only tickets
  Reception only tickets will permit entry for a guest to the Graduation reception after your ceremony.  Your guests would not be permitted entry to the ceremony itself, but could watch a live screening at one of our venues on campus, and join you for the reception afterwards for celebrations and light refreshments.
  
  
• On the Day Ticket Sales
  If there are any remaining guest tickets for a ceremony, or tickets made available due to cancellations, these will be made available to purchase on the day from the Ticket Collection Desk in the Lecture Theatre Building. All tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and can only be purchased by the graduand via card payment. If there are tickets available, there may be a limit placed on the number each graduand can purchase.

Purchasing tickets from fellow Graduands

It is not possible for guest tickets to be resold or reallocated between graduands. All guest tickets purchased can only be collected by the graduand who purchased them and photo ID will be requested before any tickets are issued. It is the responsibility of the graduand to then issue the tickets to their guests.

Children aged five and over are welcome to attend our Graduation ceremonies and must have their own ticket and be accompanied by an adult .

Ceremony

Babies and children under five years of age are not permitted entry to the Graduation ceremony. Please do not purchase guest tickets for babies or children under the age of five.  

Children aged five and over may attend the ceremony and must have their own ticket and be accompanied by an adult, who is responsible for the child's behaviour whilst on campus. Their ticket will provide entry to both the ceremony and reception held afterwards, where light refreshments are served. There are no discounts for children's tickets. Please note, it is not possible to leave the ceremony once it has started, and the ceremony will last for approximately one and a half hours.

Live screening

Children of any age can attend live screenings, held at various venues across campus, when accompanied by a responsible adult. The ceremony will be shown free of charge and it is possible to leave the room during the ceremony if your child is unsettled. We recommend this option as more suitable for younger children.

Reception

Babies and children under five years of age are permitted entry to the Graduation reception held in the Sports Arena after each ceremony. It is free of charge for them to attend, but you must book a ticket in advance for them as there is limited capacity in the venue. You can do this by contacting graduation@essex.ac.uk.  

We love animals but sadly we do not allow pets to attend Graduation. If you are supported by the assistance of a service dog please notify the Graduation and Awards Team by email so that the relevant seating arrangements can be made.

Additional guests can visit the Colchester Campus with you on the day of your Graduation, but will not be able to enter the ceremony or departmental reception without a ticket.

The Graduation ceremony will be screened live and any guests without tickets are welcome to use this facility to watch the ceremony. 

If there are no guest tickets left available for your ceremony, you may purchase Reception only tickets for additional guests.

Reception only tickets

Reception only tickets will permit entry for a guest to the Graduation reception after the main ceremony.  Your guests would not be permitted entry to the ceremony itself, but could  watch a live screening at one of our venues on campus, and join you for the reception afterwards for celebrations and light refreshments.

Cancel your guest tickets

If you wish to cancel your guest tickets, you must do so in writing via email to the Graduation and Awards Team. Requests must be sent by the Graduand and contain their full name and registration number, with details of the number of guest tickets that should be cancelled.

Refunds

All requests for refunds must be received by the refund deadline for each Graduation to be eligible for a full refund.

Graduation 2026 refund deadline: 5pm on Friday 3 July 2026.

All refunds will be processed after Graduation week and will be reimbursed via your original payment method.

The Graduation and Awards Manager may, in exceptional circumstances, approve a refund in respect of cancellation requests received after the deadline. 

If you have purchased guest tickets but subsequently become ineligible to receive an award, as determined by the Board of Examiners, your booking will be cancelled by the Graduation and Awards Team and a full refund will be processed after the ceremonies have taken place. 

Debtors

Should you be in debt to the University, the refund will be off-set against any outstanding debt owed by the student to the University. Where the outstanding debt is higher than the sum of the refund, no refund will be given.

If you are a member of University of Essex staff and graduating from a programme of study, you may be eligible for our Graduating Staff Package. You will need to have been a member of staff throughout the duration of your studies and to have typically undertaken your award as part of the Staff Fee Waiver Scheme. Eligible staff will be contacted by the Graduation and Awards office.

To check eligibility, please contact the Graduation and Awards Team by email.

Guests should wear smart/formal dress, suitable for the occasion.

Please ensure you are wearing suitable footwear for stairs in the auditorium, and to walk up the hill to the Reception held in the Sports Arena.

Our Colchester Campus is beautiful, but some pathways are steep.

Accommodation on campus may be available for graduands and guests to book.  For more information on accommodation and how to book, please contact Event Essex as follows: 

• Email: eventessex@essex.ac.uk
• Telephone: 01206 872358

Wivenhoe House Hotel is also located within the grounds of our beautiful campus and offers a number of bedrooms which may be booked by graduands and guests for each Graduation. For more information and rates, please contact the hotel directly.

If you’re having financial difficulties, you may be eligible for financial support with some of the costs for attending Graduation, such as gown hire and guest tickets.  The University’s Graduation Assistance Fund is available to students who may meet the eligibility criteria for the Fund and are eligible to attend a Graduation ceremony. The fund covers the cost of up to two guest tickets and the advance hire of an academic gown - there is no cash alternative.

You must meet the eligibility requirements to be considered, please read the full eligibility criteria for the Graduation Assistance Fund, which can be found on Blackbullion, prior to submitting your application.

Graduation 2026

Applications for the Graduation Assistance Fund will open on Monday 23 March 2026 and will close on Friday 19 June 2026. 

Students and guests with limited mobility are usually seated at the front of the Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall (ICLH) in reserved seating where there is adequate leg room, and where there are no steps to climb.

If a guest requires reserved seating, we will of course try to seat the whole party together, however, in ceremonies where we have other individual needs to accommodate, we may limit this to one other member of their party, with others seated as close by as possible. Seating stewards are available at Graduation specifically to show students and guests to their reserved seats.

At the end of each ceremony, graduands can choose to leave the auditorium through the central aisle with the rest of the graduates or via another route. If you would like to take a look at the ICLH when it is set up for the ceremonies to see what is involved, please email the Graduation and Awards Team.

Students and/or guests with limited mobility can park in the south campus car park in a reserved area which is closest to the ICLH. You will need to notify us of these additional requirements in step 3 on the online booking form, when open, and provide details, including the vehicle registration number and the name of the disabled person.

Please note that all accessible parking is subject to availability.