Graduation - Summer 2026

Trains run regularly from London Waterloo to Kingston and Surbiton stations.

Kingston station

Midweek there are 4 trains per hour, journey times take between 28-33 minutes. Kingston station is approximately a 10-minute walk to the Rose Theatre and a 15-minute walk to Penrhyn Road campus.

Surbiton station

Midweek there are 10 trains per hour, journey times take between 15-32 minutes. Surbiton station is approximately a 15–20-minute walk from our Penrhyn Road campus. Alternatively, there is a taxi rank located outside the station or you can take a number of local buses toward the University and into the centre of Kingston.

Visit the National Rail Enquiries website for further information, and keep an eye on any planned industrial action. 

Buses run both locally and from other parts of London. Visit the Transport for London website for further information.

There is no parking at any of our graduation venues.

The closest car park is the Rose Car Park, on Kingston Hall Road (the entrance is on East Lane KT1 2NN). This car park can get extremely busy, so early arrival is recommended. Please note: this car park currently has no lifts working. Disabled spaces and parent bays are all located on Level 3 (street level).

Alternatively, you may wish to use the Bittoms Car Park, just off from Penrhyn Road/A240 (KT1 2AG). It is the responsibility of graduates and/or guests to check opening and closing times of car parks.

There are accessible parking spaces for Blue Badge holders close to the Rose Theatre on the High Street and in the Rose Car Park, and there are also spaces close to Penrhyn Road campus. A 10-minute-only drop-off spot is available directly outside the Theatre.

Visit the Royal Borough of Kingston website to find out information about other car park locations and charges.

Please note that if you're parking in Kingston, be aware that scammers are operating – please take caution to ensure you pay for your parking correctly. 

The first thing you need to do is collect your gown at the Main Building, Penrhyn Road campus (KT1 2EE). Only graduates are allowed in the gowning area. There is a waiting area for guests. You must collect your gown at least 1 hour before your ceremony start time. Gown hire is optional, and if you do not manage to pre-book your gown, you can hire it on the day.

Find out more about hiring a gown

The time to collect your gown will depend on the start time of your ceremony.

*You can collect your gown earlier but if the area is busy you may have to wait a little longer as Graduation Attire staff will prioritise those collecting for the upcoming ceremony (except on Tuesday 21 July, when gowns cannot be collected before 3pm).

Please note: you must leave enough time to walk from Penrhyn Road campus to the Rose Theatre to be in time for your ceremony so please plan accordingly. We would recommend collecting your gown at least 30 minutes before your ceremony start time.

After collecting your gown, make your way to the photography studios in the Main Building, Penrhyn Road campus (KT1 2EE), where our official graduation photographers H Tempest will be ready to assist you.

Find out more about graduation photography

The time you can have your photograph taken will depend on the start time of your ceremony. Priority time slots are allocated to each ceremony, so please visit the photography studio within the times listed. 

If you are unable to have your photograph taken within the allocated times, you can still visit the studios at other times but you may have to queue longer. The studios will close at 7.30pm on ceremony days (except on Thursday 30 July when the studios close at 1.30pm).

You are welcome to have photographs taken with your guests, however the largest group that can be photographed at one time is seven people, including the graduate. If you have more than six guests with you, please talk to staff on the day.

If you do not wish to have photography taken, please make your way to the Rose Theatre around one hour before your ceremony.

Please note: you do not need to book a slot for photography nor pay in advance. You can purchase the images you'd like on the day or at a later date using the image references you'll be given before you leave the photo studio. We recommend you take advantage of the opportunity to visit the studios on the day as you can choose the images and purchase prints at a later date.

After collecting your gown and having your photos taken, make your way to the Rose Theatre (KT1 1HL). Ticket collection will be available 90 minutes before the start of your ceremony.

Find out more about graduation tickets

The time to collect your tickets will depend on the start time of your ceremony.

When you receive your name card, please check this to make sure you are happy with the name, as what is on the card is what will be announced on stage. If you would like to amend your card, please speak to the Information Desk in the Rose Theatre cafe.

Buying guest tickets on the day of your ceremony

If your ceremony has guest tickets available to purchase on the day of your ceremony, they will be £27 (card only) and sold at the information desk at the Rose Theatre, 90 minutes before each ceremony starts, on a first-come, first-served basis.

Extra ticket availability will be posted closer to the ceremony date.

Graduates without tickets

We will always allow graduates to attend their ceremony. If a graduate has not pre-booked to attend, please come to the Information Desk in the Rose Theatre café where one of the Graduations Team can assist you.

Guests without tickets

If you are not able to purchase all the tickets that you need either in advance or on the day, guests can still come along and enjoy your graduation day with you.

Guests can watch the ceremony on a large screen in the Studio Space at the Rose Theatre (though sometimes this can be very busy) or an even larger screen at the Town House at our Penrhyn Road campus. Guests can then wait at the Town House for the ceremony reception to begin once the ceremony has finished.

We will also be live streaming each ceremony online so guests can watch from anywhere (link to follow).

Once you have collected your gown and tickets, and had your photograph taken, you can relax, and grab some food and drink from the theatre bar while you wait for the auditorium doors to open. Listen out for an announcement approximately 30 minutes before the ceremony starts, once the announcement that the doors to the auditorium are open, you will be able to take your seats.

Before you enter the auditorium, you must leave bags, coats etc with your guests. You will not be allowed in the auditorium with your belongings. If you do not have any guests, you will be permitted to bring a small bag inside the auditorium with you. You are responsible for all of your belongings and the University and the Rose Theatre are not responsible for any loss or damage.

Your seat number is on your graduate name card. Seating is arranged in alphabetical order by course, so you will be sat with your classmates in the order you will be presented on stage. Please sit in the seat you have been allocated.

Guests are allocated to a specific seat on one of the Theatre’s seating levels: Stalls (ground floor), Circle (first floor) or Upper Circle (second floor).

The graduation programme will detail a brief running order of the ceremony including who will be speaking. There are a few speeches before the graduates are presented on the stage.

1. When it is time for you to be presented on stage, a member of staff will tell you which way to leave the auditorium. Take your name card with you.
2. When you are told to enter the stage, walk along the red carpet and give your name card to the person standing at the lectern. Wait for them to read your name.
3. Once they have read your name, continue to the centre of the stage to meet the ceremony host – pause here briefly.
4. Continue to walk along the red carpet until you are off-stage. A member of staff will direct you through the backstage area and into the theatre foyer where you can collect your certificate.

The ceremony typically lasts between an hour to one hour 15 minutes.

The moment you cross the stage will be photographed. Your presentation photograph will be available to view and purchase straight after your ceremony at the reception and they'll also be online a few days after your ceremony.

Visit H Tempest’s website to view and purchase stage photography.

We're excited to celebrate with you. Here are some guidelines to ensure everyone has a memorable and special ceremony.

• Put your phone on silent, and refrain from making calls during the ceremony.
• Official assistance dogs are welcome (please speak to a member of KU staff), but pets or emotional support animals are not allowed.
• Please do not talk during the ceremony.
• This is an inclusive, non-political, celebratory event of all of our graduates hard work and achievement. Please do not produce any items such as flags or signs.
• Children must be accompanied by a guest at all times and cannot be left unattended.
• If a child becomes distressed during the ceremony, please take them outside the auditorium.
• Graduates cannot take children across the stage with them.
• Celebrate the success of your fellow graduates by applauding as they cross the stage.
• Remain in your seats until the end of the ceremony, you cannot leave the auditorium during the ceremony (until directed to by staff).

It's time to celebrate! After the ceremony has finished, please make your way to the Town House, Penrhyn Road campus (KT1 2EE) for your ceremony reception. The road outside the Rose Theatre can get very busy so please take care when exiting the venue.

The reception will last approximately 1 hour and we invite you all for some refreshments so you can toast your success with your friends, family, fellow graduates and academic staff.

It's our way of sending you off in style and welcoming you to our Kingston Alumni – who'll be there to talk to you and share some alumni goodies, plus you can collect your Class of 2026 Gift. You can also get merchandise from the students' union and speak to colleagues from the Careers Team about support available.

Find out more about our graduation merchandise

You can also visit the photo studios at the Main Building, Penrhyn Road campus after your ceremony if you didn't manage to in advance. Ask staff at the Rose Theatre before you leave the venue and they can direct you.

For a:

We have partnered with MyGraduationClip to offer you the opportunity to purchase a 30-second clip of your graduation moment. It can be shared straight after the ceremony to social media and sent to family and friends. 

This is a wonderful keepsake to remember your achievement. To purchase, go to the MyGraduationClip store.

Gowns must be returned to Main Building (Room 0003), Penrhyn Road campus by 8.00pm*

Mortarboards are available to purchase on the day. For details, please enquire with Graduation Attire staff when returning your gown.

*On Thursday 30 July gowns must be returned by 1.30pm.

The Kingston University Alumni team is here to support you now that you're an alumni. Check out the Kingston University Alumni page, join the LinkedIn group, like the Alumni Facebook page and follow us on Twitter to keep up to date with the goings on at KU!

All our graduation venues have lifts and can accommodate wheelchair users and people with mobility difficulties. When booking your graduation, please let us know of any access requirements (either the graduates or the guests) so that we can accommodate this with the venue. Please make yourself known to a member of staff when you arrive if you require assistance.

Guide dogs are welcome. Please let us know in advance if one of your party is bringing a guide dog, so we can make suitable arrangements during the ceremony such as a water bowl, an appropriate seat or a dog-sitter.

Anybody with hearing problems doesn't have to miss a word of the graduation ceremony. The Rose Theatre has a wireless (infra-red) audio system. This works in two ways:

• If you wear a hearing aid you can collect a neck-loop from the theatre staff. Simply put on the neck-loop and switch your hearing aid to the 'T' position.
• If you don't wear a hearing aid, you can pick up a discreet wireless headset from the staff. Please speak to a member of staff when you arrive at the Theatre.