Guests

Ticket Allocation

Each graduand is entitled to a maximum of two free guest tickets for entry to the Butterworth Hall. These need to be requested during the graduand registration process. Tickets are NOT sent out in advance of the ceremonies, and only graduands are permitted to collect tickets on the day.

All guests must have physical tickets to enter the Butterworth Hall and Cinema. The graduand ticket and any pre-allocated guest tickets (if requested on the registration process), along with any extra purchased tickets for the Cinema, must be collected from the ticketing & robing area by the graduand, at the location and times specified on the Timetable for the Day.

Any children aged 2 years or over will require their own guest ticket and seat to enter the hall due to strict venue restrictions. You may wish to take advantage of our free creche/kids club for children without a ticket. Find out more, including how to book places hereLink opens in a new window.

Accessible Seating

You should indicate on the registration form if any of your guaranteed guests need accessible seating, flat floor seating is extremely limited. Please indicate on the form if your guest/s are able to transfer from their wheelchair to a seat, or if a space for a wheelchair is required.

Extra Guest Tickets

Extra guest tickets guarantee a seat in a Warwick Arts Centre Cinema (not the Butterworth Hall). These tickets are being sold by the Warwick Arts Centre. Extra guest tickets cost £12 per person (includes a booking fee), and are subject to Warwick Arts Centre’s Terms and ConditionsLink opens in a new window. Extra guest tickets must be purchased in advance of the graduands ceremony, and can only be collected by graduands on the day of the ceremony. Please ensure the name of the graduand is provided at the point of booking.

In the event there are spare seats within the ceremony venue (Butterworth Hall), the pre-purchased cinema tickets will be upgraded to Butterworth Hall tickets on a first-come, first-served basis on the day. Up to a maximum of two tickets per graduand can be upgraded. The extra guest tickets for the Cinema will be numbered and given out in number order on arrival. The ticketing and robing area will open at 8.30am for 11am ceremonies, and at 11.30am for 3pm ceremonies.

Once the doors to the Butterworth Hall have closed and all guests with ceremony tickets are seated, Warwick Arts Centre staff will call out numbers (from inside the cinema) in order, to fill as many available seats as possible in the Butterworth Hall from the guests allocated with cinema tickets. Some of these seats may have a restricted view.

It is important to note that if cinema tickets have been purchased, e-tickets are NOT VALID FOR ENTRY. Physical cinema tickets must be collected by the graduand only.

Extra Guest Tickets for the January 2026 Graduation

Please contact the Warwick Arts Centre Box Office team on +44(0)24 764 96000 if you have any accessible seating needs (relevant to extra tickets only). Companion tickets are available free of charge for those needing support in order to attend the event.

Guests Without Tickets

The ceremony will be shown live on the big screen on the Piazza. We also offer a live stream of the ceremony which can be viewed here, allowing family and friends to watch from a mobile device or the comfort of home. Footage of the ceremonies will also be available to download following the ceremonies.

On the Day

• Please ensure that your guests arrive promptly and are aware of the seating times (all guests and graduands must be seated 30 minutes before the start of the ceremony). Any guests arriving late (after 30 minutes prior to the start time of the ceremony) will not be guaranteed entry to the Butterworth Hall as any unoccupied seats will be re-allocated to other guests on the waiting list on the day.
• Guests will enter through a separate entrance to the hall to graduands. Please follow signage and direction from stewards in the Arts Centre on the day.
• Your guests are welcome to either sit together or apart from one another. Those wishing to sit together should enter the Hall together (seat numbers are not allocated in advance).
• Guests are not necessarily required to wear smart clothes, but as the ceremonies are a formal event, most do prefer to be dressed appropriately for the occasion (e.g. collar and tie).