Help for guests

Graduands are entitled to two guest tickets. There is no formal dress code, however most guests dress for a formal occasion. Check with your college about any special considerations for your college graduation event.

IMPORTANT: Guests will not be allowed to enter the Sheldonian Theatre without a guest ticket. If you bring additional guests, or if your guests lose their tickets, they will be denied entry. 

Only guests with a ceremony ticket will be allowed to enter the theatre. If you bring additional guests, or if guests lose their tickets, they will be denied entry.

Guests should arrive at the Sheldonian Theatre 45 minutes before the ceremony start time. Seating is on a first come, first seated basis so please arrive with your whole party should you wish to sit together.

The University can provide a carer ticket for guests with registered carers.

Many carers are close family members so can be covered by one of your two assigned guest tickets: in this case you do not need to contact your college unless your guest has additional accessibility requirements (eg wheelchair or mobility scooter). 

All queries/requests relating to carer tickets and accessibility requirements should be logged with the graduand’s college which will, on behalf of the graduand, forward them on to the University’s Degree Conferrals Office (DCO), as appropriate. 

Examples of registered carer status are those people who are in receipt of:     

- Carer's Allowance

- Carer's Credit

- Personal Independence Payment

All of the above are valid proof of carer status and should be provided to the College ahead of the ceremony day, in order to confirm arrangements. 

More information can be found at:  Identifying yourself as a carer | Carers UK . 

Should you need to check the accessibility of the venue, please see: Sheldonian Theatre.

Doors open 45 minutes before the ceremony begins. Guests will be queuing outside, so we recommend bringing suitable apparel for all weather. Due to the nature of the building, guests are asked to remain seated for the duration of the ceremony. The building was not designed to modern regulations, so please take extra care in the building (vertigo, steep steps, etc).

Children may attend the ceremony at the Sheldonian Theatre. However, it is important to follow the instructions of the Theatre's Stewards on the day as the following restrictions will apply:

- Babies and children under the age of two do not need their own ticket if they are able to be seated on a guest’s lap.

- Children aged two and over will require their own seat and Guest ticket.

- Guests with young children will be seated in the Stewards Gallery and away from the front row. This area has easy access to toilet facilities as well as the family-friendly Cecil Jackson room. Please also ensure that minors are supervised by a parent/guardian at all times during the ceremony and not left alone.

- Guests with unsettled children may be asked to relocate to the Cecil Jackson room if the ceremony or other guests are disrupted. This is a family-friendly, safer and more comfortable room, where live streaming of the ceremony is broadcast. Please note that Guest tickets are still required to use this room. Please do notify your college if you think it applicable to your guests.

NOTE: These restrictions are necessary due to the solemn nature of the ceremony as well as the Sheldonian Theatre being a Grade I listed building, with dated seating areas. On the day, please seek guidance from the Sheldonian's Stewards who can provide assistance for all Guests.

Please note there is limited space to store pushchairs or luggage but we will try to assist where we can.

We ask that you and your guests refrain from taking photographs or recording videos during the ceremony. This will avoid disrupting the experience for other students and guests. There are opportunities to applaud the graduands on the day at certain points during the ceremonies.

Following the ceremony, a copy of the recording will be available to purchase as a digital download. Please visit Degree Ceremony Filming for more information.

For friends and family who do not have a guest ticket, live streaming of the ceremony will be available at https://podcasts.ox.ac.uk/odc-livestream. Just click on the correct date and time of your ceremony; the live stream will start a few minutes before the ceremony begins. In addition, some colleges organise viewing facilities on college premises for those that do not have tickets for the ceremony. Please confirm with your college as to whether they offer this.

Following the ceremony, a copy of the recording will be available to purchase as a digital download. Please visit Degree Ceremony Filming for more information.

Please be aware that by attending a degree ceremony at the University of Oxford, either as a graduand or as a guest, you may be captured in photography or film footage. Note that not all students choose to graduate in person at a graduation ceremony – you can also choose to graduate in absentia.