Ticket Information

Guidelines and Ticket Information

 

Gates and Bag Policy

NOTE: A ticket will be required to gain entry into Tercentenary Theatre, the site of the Commencement Morning Exercises. 

Please note that while a ticket grants you access into Harvard Yard, it does not guarantee a seat. General Admission seats in Tercentenary Theatre – the main event location for the Morning Exercises – are often claimed early, shortly after Gates open at approximately 6:45 AM. We encourage all guests desiring a seat in the Theatre to arrive early.

Abundant overflow seating is available both in the Yard (near Lamont Library or Weld Hall) as well as just outside of the Yard in the Plaza Tent, Smith Campus Center, and Science Center. Also, most undergraduate Houses and graduate Schools also livestream the event.  

All persons, bags, and personal items are subject to inspection before entering Harvard Yard. No backpacks of any type will be admitted. No bag or item larger than 12 x 12”x 12” will be permitted inside the Yard.

To accommodate the increasing number of those wishing to attend Harvard’s Commencement Exercises, the following guidelines are proposed to facilitate admission into Tercentenary Theatre. Beneath the guidelines, please find specific information for alumni, parents, and others interested in attending Commencement.

Please visit here for up-to-date visitor guidance regarding COVID-19.

The following guidelines are presented for the safety of our graduates and guests on Commencement Day:

  • Gates open at 6:45 AM and all parents and guests should be seated by 8:30 AM.
  • Without exception, parents and guests must present tickets to enter Harvard Yard.
  • Academic regalia is required for all graduating degree candidates.
  • Degree candidates will receive a limited number of tickets.
  • For all alumni seeking Commencement tickets, please visit the Harvard Alumni Association webpage.  
  • The sale of Commencement tickets is strictly prohibited.
  • A ticket grants admission into Harvard Yard, but does not guarantee a seat; seating is available on a first-come basis and cannot be reserved.
  • Additional viewing is available in the Science Center and at most of the undergraduate Houses and Graduate / Professional Schools before the luncheons and diploma ceremonies.
  • The Commencement Program may be viewed via live webcast on harvard.edu or Comcast 283 in metro Boston.
  • Backpacks are prohibited in Harvard Yard and all bags and personal items are subject to inspection.
  • Strollers are permitted only in the Old Yard and not in Tercentenary Theatre.

Ticket Information

Family and Guests of Graduating College Seniors
Graduating College Seniors will receive a total of four (4) tickets to the Morning Exercises for their parents and guests. Tickets and other Commencement materials will be distributed to the Seniors in mid-May.

Family and Guests of Degree Candidates from the Graduate and Professional Schools
Degree candidates and from the Graduate and Professional Schools will receive two (2) tickets to the Morning Exercises for their parents and guests. Tickets will be distributed to all degree candidates by their Schools in early May.

Alumni/ae 

For all alumni seeking Commencement tickets, please visit the Harvard Alumni Association webpage.

Livestream
Alternatively, alumni and guests may view the Morning Exercises via video screens situated in the Science Center, Sanders Theatre, and many of the professional schools. These locations provide ample seating, and tickets are not required. Viewing will also be available via live web streaming on Harvard.edu.

Guests with Disabilities
There is a reserved and accessible seating section available for individuals with disabilities in Tercentenary Theatre on Commencement Day. Degree candidates are welcome to trade 1-2 general admission tickets for Accessible seating tickets at the time of their ticket pick up at their schools or Senior Desk, for College graduates. There is a limited number of these and they will be provided first-come, first served. However, there is additional, ample overflow seating that is accessible in the Science Center Plaza Tent as well as the Smith Campus Center.

If you have specific questions, please contact commencement@harvard.edu.