Purchasing guest tickets
You will receive an email confirming when the booking for your ceremony will open. You must login to the system using your external email and passphrase to confirm you are attending Graduation even if you are not bringing any guests.
In Phase 1 of ticket sales, you may buy up to two guest tickets at the cost of £25 per guest, which will admit guests to the graduation ceremony in the Ivor Crewe Lecture Hall and to the departmental reception, which includes light refreshments. Please note, these tickets are not guaranteed and are sold on a first-come-first-served basis. Some ceremonies may sell out in Phase 1, meaning you may not be able to purchase any guest tickets.
In Phase 2 of ticket sales, we release any unsold tickets. Once Phase 1 has closed the Graduation & Awards Team will evaluate how many tickets per ceremony remain, and, where there are tickets available, a notice will be put up on the Graduation web pages confirming which ceremonies have additional capacity and the maximum number of additional tickets you will be able to buy during Phase 2.
The opening time and date for Phase 2 will be confirmed to all eligible students via email. Once open, you will be able to login and purchase additional tickets, where these are available, up to the maximum allowed, on a first-come-first-serve basis. Please note, you can also confirm your attendance during this Phase of booking, but only where there is availability to do so.
Guest tickets aren’t numbered, and guests can sit anywhere in the guest seating area.
Sold out ceremonies
There are several options available to your guests:
- Reception only tickets
For some of our ceremonies, reception only tickets may be available to purchase on the day of your Graduation for a reduced cost. These tickets will only entitle the holder to the departmental receptions in the marquees after the ceremony, and not to the ceremony itself. If there are reception only tickets available, this will be publicised in the Lecture Theatre Building when you go to collect your tickets. Depending on availability, some ceremonies may not have any of these tickets available. All reception only tickets will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis and can only be purchased via card payment. If tickets are available, there will be a limit on the number each Graduand can purchase.
- Live Screenings
Our ceremonies will be live-streamed online and at various locations across our Colchester Campus, including the Lakeside Theatre. Your guests are invited to come to campus to watch a Live Screening of our ceremonies. These Live Screenings can also be attended by guests under five so long as they are accompanied by an adult. Please note, you cannot reserve a place at one of our Live Screenings and these are available on a first-come-first-served basis.
- Returned or Unsold Tickets
For some ceremonies, there may be guest tickets available to purchase on the day from the Lecture Theatre Building. These will only be available where the ceremony did not sell out during either Phase of booking or where other Graduands have returned their tickets. If there are any additional tickets available, this will be publicised in the Lecture Theatre Building when you go to collect your tickets. All tickets will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis and can only be purchased via card payment. If tickets are available, there will be a limit on the number each Graduand can purchase.
Purchasing tickets from fellow Graduands
Tickets are linked to the Graduand who purchased them and can only be collected by that Graduand. It is not possible for the tickets to be reallocated to another Graduand as photo ID will be requested before any tickets are issued.
Once the Graduand has collected their tickets it is up to them to allocate them, so they can choose to pass these to another Graduands guests should they so wish. Please remember that the babies and children under five restriction always applies.
Unfortunately, we do not have any waiting lists for guest tickets.