Graduation Guide – September 2026
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Graduation Guide – September 2026
Ceremony details
Summer Graduation 2026 ceremony dates and times
Graduands should arrive two hours early to collect tickets and gowns, and arrange photography if desired, then be seated 30 minutes before the ceremony starts.
Table 1: Table of ceremonies with arrival and start times (arrival time is two hours before the ceremony start time)
| Date | Arrival time | Ceremony start time |
|---|---|---|
| 8:00 AM | 10:00 AM |
| 10:30 AM | 12:30 PM |
| 1:00 PM | 3:00 PM |
| On Tuesday, 8 September only | 3:30 PM | 5:30 PM |
Tuesday 8 September 2026
- 10am – School of Childhood and Social Care (UG and PG)
- 12.30pm – School of Childhood and Social Care (UG and PG)
- 3pm – School of Health, Sport and Bioscience and School of Childhood and Social Care (UG and PG)
- 5.30pm – School of Health, Sport and Bioscience (UG and PG)
Wednesday 9 September 2026
- 10am – Royal Docks School of Business and Law (MBA and PG)
- 12.30pm – Royal Docks School of Business and Law (MBA)
- 3pm – Royal Docks School of Business and Law (PG)
Thursday 10 September 2026
- 10am – Royal Docks School of Business and Law (UG and PG)
- 12.30pm – Royal Docks School of Business and Law (MBA, PG and UG)
- 3pm – School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering (PG)
Friday 11 September 2026
- 10am – School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering (UG and PG)
- 12.30pm – School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering (UG and PG)
- 3pm – School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering (PG) and School of Arts and Creative Industries (UG and PG)
Graduation map
Key locations
- Registration and Gowning: Marquee, Docklands Square – What3Words: ///glass.woven.flows
- Photography: Aqua East Car Park (opposite the SportsDock) – What3Words: ///hero.swaps.judge
- Ceremony Hall: Arena 2, SportsDock – What3Words: ///icons.kinds.people
- Reception: Docklands Square
- Entertainment: Under the Stretch Tent in the Main Square (by Costa) – What3Words: ///punk.finely.warm
- Gown Drop-Off and Additional Photography: East Building Atrium (outside the Career Zone) – What3Words: ///secret.united.mats
Quiet spaces
- Tuesday 8 September: SportsDock, SD.1.14
- Wednesday 9 September – no quiet room available in SportsDock
- Thursday 10 September: SportsDock, SD.1.14
- Friday 11 September: SportsDock, SD.1.14
Before the ceremony
Getting to campus
Car parking
Unfortunately, there is no on-campus parking available unless you are a blue badge holder, and this must be pre-booked by Thursday, 3 September at 4pm. Please fill in this form or contact graduation@uel.ac.uk to pre-book a space if this applies to you. Entry to campus will be refused to anyone who has not pre-booked a space.
We have partnered with Exchange Ilford to ensure car parking spaces are available for attendees over the week of Graduation at your own expense. Further information on how to book a car parking space at Exchange Ilford, including parking rates per hour, can be found online here. Please note that you are responsible for paying for your car parking. The University is not liable for any parking expenses incurred.
A free UEL shuttle bus service will be in place throughout graduation, running approximately every 20 minutes between Exchange Ilford and Docklands campus for anyone who chooses to park here. The shuttle bus service will be operating for the following times:
- Tuesday, 8 September only – from 7:40am to 9:10pm
- Wednesday 9, Thursday 10 and Friday 11 September – from 7:40am until 7:10pm
The pick-up and drop-off points for the shuttle buses at Exchange Ilford will be Myrtle Road, Ilford, by the car park entrance. At the Docklands campus, the shuttle will stop outside the East Building, as shown on the map above.
Arrival and registration
When you arrive at the registration marquee, a staff member or security officer will ask you to take a place in the queue for one of the registration desks. Desks will be organised by surname and then in alphabetical order.
A staff member will take your surname and student number and will give you an envelope that contains the following:
- A yellow calling card (this will be used to read out your name on stage, so please keep this safe)
- Guest tickets (if purchased in advance)
- Food vouchers (to enjoy food or drinks from the graduation reception)
- Physical copy your graduation ceremony programme
You will then be guided to the gowning area, which is right behind the registration desks. A staff member will scan the QR code you have received from Marston Events or will take your details to find your gown details on the system. The staff members will then dress you in an academic gown. The academic dress goes over your clothes, so there is no need to change or undress. The academic dress includes your gown, hood and mortar board.
Unfortunately, no guests will be able to proceed with gowning and will be asked to meet their graduands outside the registration and gowning tent. We can only give the student envelope and gown to the graduand; guests or other students will not be able to pick these items up on their behalf. They do not need to arrive at the registration tent.
Extra guest tickets, if available, may be purchased from the extra ticket desk to the left as you enter the tent. If guests are looking to purchase guest tickets, they will need the student’s ID number and name. All guest tickets will be priced at £28 each, and we are unable to take cash payments or AMEX payments.
Photography
If you have pre-booked photography, you will be guided to the photography marquee in the car park next to ‘Aqua East’, the smaller car park opposite the larger car park and to the right of SportsDock.
It may be advisable if guests wait closer to the photography marquee whilst graduands are collecting their tickets and gown.
At the photography marquee: a staff member will either scan the QR code you have received from Marston Events or enter your details to locate your photography package in the system. A professional photographer will then take the requested photos with you and your guests (if applicable).
During the ceremony
Arriving at the Ceremony Hall
Priority access entrance will be located: ///thank.visual.giving. Should you need to use the priority entrance, please fill in our short form: September 2026 Graduation Priority Access Form.
The ceremony hall will open approximately an hour before your ceremony start time. We recommend being seated in the ceremony hall 30 minutes before your ceremony start time.
When you arrive at the ceremony hall, a staff member or security officer will ask you to take a place in the queue. You will then be guided to the designated bag search area where security officers will check for any prohibited items. Please note that this is a legal requirement under the new Terrorism (Protection of Premises) Act 2025. Please ensure you have left time for bag searches.
Once you enter the ceremony hall, a marshal or security officer will check your ticket and will guide you to your allocated seat. Please note that graduands and guests will be seated separately. Graduands will fill the front of the ceremony hall, and guests will be seated behind the graduands.
Your Row and Seat Number will be on your yellow student calling card. Rows are laid out from A to T in alphabetical order, with A the 1st row, B the 2nd, and so on, with Row T the last row in the ceremony hall. Floor stickers will mark row letters, and seat tags will be placed at the end of each row.
When entering the hall, facing the stage, seat 1 will be on the far right, and seat numbers will go from right to left, with seat number 58 the far-left seat.
The ceremony hall comprises of the following elements:
- Stage
- This is where the main part of the ceremony will take place. Members of the University Executive Board, the Academic Board, and academics will be seated on the stage. There will also be a red carpet at the front where graduands will walk onto to graduate, as well as a lectern and a ceremonial mace holder.
- Screens
- Both screens will display a live feed of what’s happening on stage, including speeches, the honorary award conferral and graduands crossing the stage. Live captions will also be displayed at the bottom of the screens.
- Seating
- Seating at rows A – T, 58 seats in each row, 19-20-19 seats breakdown per section.
Proceedings
As the ceremony begins, a staff member will deliver a housekeeping address outlining the ceremony and providing information on fire alarms and emergency evacuation. After the housekeeping address, graduands and guests will be asked to stand (if they can) for the academic procession, and the entrance music will begin. Everyone will remain standing until the procession enters the ceremony hall and goes on stage. The Master of Ceremonies will then outline the housekeeping requirements for the ceremony and call upon the Vice-Chancellor and President to deliver the opening address.
After the Vice-Chancellor and President has delivered her speech, the presentation of awards will begin. A marshal (staff member) in a blue gown will ask graduands to leave their seats, walk down the aisle of the ceremony hall, and proceed to the stage. Graduands will need to wait briefly for their fellow graduands to cross the stage. When it is time to cross the stage, graduands will need to give their yellow calling card (included in the envelope with their guest tickets and vouchers) to another marshal standing next to the Name Caller. The Name Caller will then read out the graduand’s name, and the graduand will walk down the red carpet and doff their cap to the Chancellor. Graduands will then descend the stage and be guided by marshals or security officers back to their original seats.
Your walk across the stage will be livestreamed and recorded for your ‘Clip of Me’, sent within ten days after graduation. This free gift from the Alumni and Graduate Success team helps you treasure your achievements. If you do not want to appear on the livestream, inform a marshal (staff in a blue gown) before your ceremony starts or, ideally, email the Graduation Team on graduation@uel.ac.uk ahead of the ceremonies.
Between the Presentation of Awards, there may be a break for the Presentation of the Honorary Awards. The Master of Ceremonies will deliver a citation introducing the Honorary Doctor, who will then receive a certificate from the Chancellor and deliver a speech. The Master of Ceremonies will call upon the name caller again to present the remaining awards for this ceremony.
A copy of the correct order of proceedings for your ceremony can be found in the programme you’ll receive at registration.
After the presentation of graduates, the Master of Ceremonies will call to the stage the graduand who will deliver the student Vote of Thanks, and this graduand will then deliver a Vote of Thanks on behalf of the graduating students.
The Master of Ceremonies will invite the Chancellor to officially confer the graduands. Graduands will then throw their caps into the air as a symbolic gesture of celebration.
After this, the Vice-Chancellor & President will draw proceedings to an end and ask everyone to stand again as the academic procession leaves the ceremony hall. Graduands and their guests can then leave the ceremony hall and head to the campus square to enjoy the graduation reception and return their gowns.
Order of Proceedings
Academic Procession
Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor & President, and the academic procession will enter and take their seats on the stage.
Master of Ceremonies
The Master of Ceremonies will introduce housekeeping requirements of the ceremony and will call upon the Vice-Chancellor & President to give the opening address.
Welcome Address
Vice-Chancellor & President, Professor Amanda Broderick will formally open the graduation and give her opening address.
Presentation of Awards
The Master of Ceremonies will call upon the name caller to present the Prize Winners and the graduand awards for your ceremony.
Presentation of Honorary Awards
If there is an honorary awardee, the presentation of graduands' awards will be paused, typically halfway, to present our honorary guest with their award. If there is no honorary awardee, there will be no pause in graduand award presentations.
Presentation of Awards resume of there was an honorary award
The Master of Ceremonies will call upon the name caller to present the remaining graduand awards for the ceremony.
Vote of Thanks
After the presentation of graduates, the Master of Ceremonies will introduce the student Vote of Thanks for the ceremony, who will deliver a vote of thanks on behalf of the graduating students.
Formal Conferral
The Master of Ceremonies will invite Chancellor, Lord Sarfraz of Kensington, to officially confer the graduands.
* Cameras ready for a cap raising celebration.
Closing Address
Professor Amanda Broderick to draw the proceedings to a close.
After the ceremony
Graduation Reception
After the ceremony, graduands can join the graduation reception and celebrate with their peers, family and friends. The reception will feature food trucks, a cocktail bar, live entertainment and a flower wall for pictures. The vouchers included in the envelope with the calling card and tickets can be used to purchase food or drinks from any of the participating vendors.
Graduands can return their hired gowns in the East Building Atrium (outside the Career Zone).
Ceremony Video
A video of a ceremony can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxsYBIg9ipc