Congregations
Congregations in 2026
The Summer 2026 ceremonies were primarily for students finishing courses between December 2025 and June 2026. They took place from 6 - 17 July 2026.
The Winter 2026 ceremonies are primarily for students finishing courses between July 2026 and November 2026. The schedule of ceremonies can be found here: Winter Congregations December 2026 - final schedule with times.pdf (Please note that this schedule now contains the times of all ceremonies). We encourage graduating students to be on campus at least 60 minutes before their ceremony is due to start.
Booking Your Place for the Winter Congregations
Bookings for the winter ceremonies 2026 have now closed. If you think you may be eligible to attend but haven't received an invitation email, please email us.
Eligibility to Attend the Winter Ceremonies
To be eligible to graduate at the Winter 2026 ceremony, you must complete your course and appear on a pass list by 12 November 2026.
If you have debts to the University, these must be reduced to under £100 by 12 November to attend your ceremony, and must be cleared completely for you to receive your certificate.
Further guidance for PGR students
You need to be on a pass list around 3 weeks prior to the congregation periods to be eligible to attend the graduation ceremony.
The Congregations Team liaise with Schools and Graduate Schools, around 5 months before the congregation period, to ascertain who they think will be eligible to attend. You do not need to be on a pass list before you apply to graduation - please follow the steps below:
- The Congregations Team invite all eligible students by email. You will need to complete a form to confirm if you plan to attend that graduation ceremony.
- If you are not sure if you will finish in time, it is better to apply to attend graduation and then drop out closer to the date (if you are not going to finish in time), rather than try to register for the graduation last minute.
- If you are definitely not going to finish in time, please respond to the graduation form choosing 'Defer to the next congregation period'.
- If you do not receive this email and graduation form by 7 October 2026, and believe you will finish your course by November 2026, please contact the Congregations team and your School.
The pass list deadlines are typically mid-June for the summer ceremonies, and mid-November for winter ceremonies.
- Ensure you are on track to complete and are on a pass list by that date.
- If you are concerned, get in touch with your Graduate School / School who can help work out the timeline for your pass list.
Late applicants can sometimes be accommodated, but not always. If it is not possible for you to attend the upcoming graduation ceremony, you will be invited to the next available congregation period.
Extra Guest Tickets
Extra guest tickets for the winter 2026 ceremonies will be made available for purchase from Monday 19 October.
Links to purchase Extra tickets can be found here.
Most extra guest tickets will be for the Live Screening of the ceremonies, which takes place in a tiered lecture theatre in Armstrong Building (the building which contains King's Hall where the ceremony itself takes place).
For some ceremonies, there may be a few extra tickets for King's Hall itself.
We cannot guarantee that extra tickets will be available in King's Hall. Some ceremonies will have no extra tickets in King's Hall.
When extra guest tickets are released initially, they are limited to 2 per graduate (subject to availability). About a week later, we remove restrictions and you can buy as many tickets as you like, subject to availability).
All tickets include:
- entry to the Congregation Ceremony
- entry to the post-ceremony reception
- complimentary drink at the post-ceremony reception
Student Orator
We appoint one Student Orator for each Congregation ceremony. The orator speaks at their ceremony on behalf of their cohort of students.
If you are chosen, you'll provide an invaluable contribution to the day. You'll help to make it unique and memorable for everyone there. It will be an unforgettable experience for you - and one which will enhance your CV.
Student Orators are awarded a certificate in recognition of their contribution.
We welcome applications from all students attending the Congregations. Academic performance is not considered when we choose the Orator, but you must have passed your programme by mid-November 2026, to be confirmed as the Student Orator.
The deadline for applications is Monday 19 October 2026.
Professional Photography
Professional photography studios will be set up on campus by our trusted supplier .
The photography studios will be open daily (Monday-Friday) during the congregation period. There is no pre-booking required. Simply drop in for your photography proofs and then purchase online, after your graduation, via the Tempest Photography website.
If you are graduating in an afternoon ceremony, we recommend you visit the photography studios before your graduation ceremony.
Tempest photographers will be present in the graduation ceremony itself. They aim to capture special moments during the ceremony. The ceremony photographs will be on display in the post-ceremony Reception, and available for purchase.
They also have roaming photographers on campus during the congregations, capturing special moments of you with your friends, guests and those special places on campus. Roaming photographs will be available to purchase after the congregation period from the Tempest website.
Photo Opportunities on Campus
Alongside the official photography provided by Tempest Photography, there are many other photo opportunities on campus. For example, at the summer 2026 congregations there were the locations below:
- Photobooth in the Boiler House
- Grass letters in the Student Forum
- 360 video booth in the post-ceremony Reception
- Flower wall in the post-ceremony Reception
- Light up letters in the post-ceremony Reception
- The Arches
- The Quad
Ensure you have plenty time around your graduation ceremony and the reception to enjoy celebrating on campus, in your gown and with your friends and guests.
MyGraduationClip
MyGraduationClip create short, personalised video clips which capture your special moment on-stage during the ceremony. Each graduate will receive a free personalised clip which you'll be able to download and share to your favourite social media apps.
The registration form for MyGraduationClip will be available ahead of the Winter 2026 ceremonies - usually the form goes live 3-4 weeks before the graduation ceremonies begin.
Photography and Filming Disclaimer
Photography and filming will be taking place during all ceremonies and around campus. The ceremonies will be streamed live and videos will then be openly available on demand via the University’s YouTube channel for a period of 6 months. Occasionally, these photographs and film will be used for University marketing materials, both print and digital. If you do not wish to appear in the photographs or film please make this known to our photographer, film crew or a member of staff. Every effort will be made to ensure that you are removed from any photographs or film.
Gown Hire
All graduates are strongly recommended to wear the official 缅北禁地 Gown and Hood for the ceremony, provided by our official University Robemakers .
Gray and Son are a local business who have a long history of providing high quality robes to Universities in the North East. The staff provide a wonderful service, ensuring your gown and hood are arranged comfortably.
Pre-booking for your gown is now open. Book here: .
Hire is for one day only. Charges are as follows:
Non-Degree Qualifications (Diplomas and Certificates) = £44 (£49 on the day)
Undergraduate Degrees = £44 (£49 on the day)
Postgraduate Masters Degrees = £49 (£54 on the day)
Doctorates = £54 (£59 on the day)
If you wish to purchase a gown rather than hire it, please contact our Robe Makers directly.
缅北禁地 has a preferred supplier agreement with Gray and Son for the hire and purchase of graduation gowns. Under this agreement, the University receives a payment from Gray and Sons for each order placed by students. These funds are reinvested into the graduation experience and to provide free guest tickets. While students are allowed to use other suppliers, they must ensure that any alternative gown meets the University’s exact academic dress regulations. See Gowns Hoods.pdf.
Visa Invitation Letter
If you need an invitation letter to your ceremony, to support a visa application, complete the .
Please note: We can only provide visa letters in the name of the student. We cannot produce letters inviting named friends and family to the ceremony. Information about how to invite friends and family to your ceremony can be found on the Visa Team Web pages (Bringing your Family to the UK)
Disclaimer
In the event that the congregation ceremonies have to be cancelled, delayed, postponed or curtailed due to circumstances beyond the University’s control, the University shall endeavour to provide graduates with as much notice as is reasonably practical.
The University will not be liable for any losses, direct or otherwise, incurred by graduates or their guests in the event of 缅北禁地’s Congregation Ceremonies being cancelled, delayed, postponed or curtailed due to circumstances beyond the control of the University.
Circumstances that would constitute a force majeure may include, but are not limited to:
- fire
- flood
- explosion
This also includes any other incident that renders the venue or areas in which the event is due to be held unsafe to use;
- terrorist act (or threat of a terrorist act)
- natural disaster
- pandemic
- industrial action
- a period of national mourning