Train Strikes

Currently there is no planned Industrial Action which will impact National Rail Services or Transport for London for November 2023. If this changes, information will be posted on this page.

Graduation timetable

See a timetable of your graduation and read more about what to expect on the day in the document below:

Ceremony start times

The time of your ceremony will be clearly shown in your invitation email. Each ceremony will last about one and a half to two hours depending on the number of graduands. Announcements will be made when you and your guests need to take your seats in the ceremony hall. Doors will close 15 minutes prior to the start of your ceremony, so make sure that you and your guests are seated by then.

Our venue

Our ceremonies are held on London's Southbank. Your graduation will take place in the Royal Festival Hall. The venue will be clearly shown on your invitation email. You should aim to arrive one and a half hours before your ceremony begins.

The venue is easily accessible by public transport and is located within the congestion charging zone. Parking is very limited, so we recommend that you and your guests travel to the venue by public transport where possible. 

Southbank Centre
Belvedere Road
London
SE1 8XX

Plan your journey with Transport for London.

Collecting your tickets and gown

The first things that you will need to do when you arrive at the venue is to register with us and collect your ticket(s).

You will find the Registration Desk opposite the entrance as you enter the building. You will need to show us a copy of your confirmation email, and we will give you your tickets and answer any queries you might have.

Note: confirmation emails are sent out to students approximately four working days before the ceremony.

Once you have collected your tickets visit the gown collection area with a copy of your gown order confirmation. When the ceremony is over, you will need to return your gown to the collection point near the exit by the published time, unless you have made other arrangements.

During your ceremony

When everyone is called into the ceremony hall, take your seat promptly and make sure that you are sitting in the place that has been allocated to you. Do not change seats and, when called to the platform, do not change your position in the line-up, as graduands will be presented in a predetermined order.

Guests will sit in a separate area, in the rear stalls of the auditorium.

The ceremony begins with the entrance of the Academic Procession (whose members will include the Vice-Chancellor and senior academics from your College), and you will need to stand during this opening part.

As the ceremony progresses, you will be called to the platform to be presented to the Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, Chair of the Court of Governors, Honorary Guests, and academic colleagues.

At the end of the ceremony, you will need to stand as the Academic Procession leaves the auditorium. The auditorium doors will open when the procession has left the hall. To ensure that all of our graduands are honoured equally, you must remain in the auditorium until the ceremony has ended.

Note: You do not receive your award certificate at the ceremony - see our Degree classifications and awards page for details of when you will receive your certificate.

Reception after the ceremony

After your ceremony, there will be a drinks reception for you and your guests. The reception will last about an hour. Drinks receptions are held in the Level 4 Interval Bars and Level 5 Balcony Bar. 

Photography

You may bring your own camera or video camera to the ceremony, but please be considerate of those sitting around you if photographing or filming during the event. Professional photographs will be available to purchase after the ceremony.

Tempest are the official photographers for the ceremonies and will be present at each event. You can get your photos taken on the day and can then either buy the prints straight away at the ceremony or buy them online after the event. The cost of the prints varies depending on the package you want to buy - for more details, visit our Graduation photography and souvenirs page.

Coronavirus (Covid-19) mitigations

Your safety is extremely important to us, we will make sure that all ceremonies comply with the government and venue guidelines in place at the time of your ceremony.

All of our graduations will be streamed live for friends and family who are unable to attend the ceremony. Find out more on our Graduation live stream page.

Graduation live stream

Your friends and family will be able to access a live stream of your graduation ceremony by clicking on the link below. The stream will be available approximately five minutes prior to the start of your ceremony.

Stream your graduation

Frequently Asked Questions 

If you have any questions about our graduation ceremonies, please check our FAQs section.