Every guest attending the ceremony must hold a ticket, including babies and infants. Tickets are per person (including babies and children) not per seat and standing is not permitted in the Cathedrals or Augustine Hall. This ensures that the congregation numbers remain within the Health and Safety guidelines, set down by both the Dean & Chapter for the Cathedral and the University.
Bringing Children to Graduation
Graduation is a family occasion, but it is important to remember that ceremonies are long and formal events and may not be suitable for babies and very young children. Therefore, we recommend that any student, or guest, with childcare responsibilities seek alternative childcare arrangements. We recognise this is not always possible, however, so it is important to ensure each child guest holds the appropriate ticket from the following options by the RSVP closing date:
- Children aged 5 years old and over must hold a guest ticket and will be allocated their own guest seat in the ceremony.
- Children under the age of 5 (including babies) must hold a complimentary ‘child on lap’ ticket. These can be requested free of charge via the i-zone here. Please note, if children aged 4 years and under are present, they must be kept on a guest’s knee for the duration of the ceremony.
Please note that tickets might be checked once you are seated.
Polite notice: if your child becomes unsettled during the Ceremony, our staff will be on hand to support you to find a quiet space outside the Cathedral for a short while. We appreciate your help in ensuring a comfortable experience for all our graduating students and their guests.
The ceremony is also live streamed to the St George's Centre for Canterbury Cathedral ceremonies, RWg21 on Medway Campus for Rochester Cathedral ceremonies and in Augustine House for the Award Ceremonies (room location tbc). This will provide a more relaxed setting in which to watch the ceremonies for guests with children.
Things to consider:
- The Ceremony lasts between 75 and 90 minutes.
- Graduating students sit separately from guests.
Pushchairs and prams are allowed inside the Cathedral however they need to be kept clear of walkaways; equally, to comply with the Cathedral's health and safety and security guidance, prams cannot be left unattended and need to be kept in the proximity of their owners (ideally folded). Due to space, prams for the Award Ceremonies will be left outside Augustine Hall.