Graduation Ceremony 2026

Arrival Times

Gowning and photography will take place on the day at the University Centre building. You will return you gown at the graduation venue, Old Christ Church, Waterloo Rd, Waterloo, Liverpool L22 1RE.

You have been allocated an alphabetical arrival time slot based on the first letter of your surname.

We ask that you adhere to these arrival times to help the Events Team manage waiting times and queuing. We also ask that your guests attend at this time as there will be photo opportunities for you all to enjoy.

Please see below for arrival times:

• 09.30am – Surnames A-I
• 10:00am – Surnames J-Q
• 10:30am – Surnames R-Z

Following a group photo of graduates and staff, we will make the journey to Old Christ Church in Waterloo. We will be providing transport for all graduands and their guests to the venue. All graduands will be expected to travel to the ceremony this way. Guests are welcome to make their own way to the venue if they prefer, there is plenty of on-street parking around Old Christ Church in Waterloo, however it is a residential area, so we do ask attendees to be mindful of this. Please email graduation@hughbaird.ac.uk if you wish to book a space for your guests on the bus.

Gowning and Photography

To book your gown hire, please click the button below:

Book your gown hire

Your student identification number will be required to access this webpage. If you no longer remember your number, please email graduation@hughbaird.ac.uk.

The cost of your cap and gown will be £20 (payable via the link shown above). For this, you will receive the hire of your gown, hood, and mortarboard for the day. The University Centre will be contributing towards the cost of your gown hire to ensure the ceremony is accessible to all.

You must have booked your gown hire by no later than Friday 6th March 2026. Entry to the ceremony will be denied if you have not booked a cap and gown via the portal, so please ensure you meet this deadline.

Professional Graduation photography for yourself and friends and family will also be available on the day.

Any queries in relation to gowning, photography package and prices, should be made via:

Gowning
Email info@graduategowning.co.uk or call 01736 751855.

Photography
Email graduation-photographs@htempest.co.uk or call 01736 752411.

IMPORTANT PLEASE READ

Additional Guests

All Graduates have been allocated two complimentary guest tickets for the Graduation Ceremony (Graduate plus two guests).

Extra tickets MAY be released closer to the time but this is not guaranteed.

Graduates must not arrive with more than their allocated guests. Any additional guests without tickets will be refused entry on the day.

Should you have any questions or queries on this matter please email graduation@hughbaird.ac.uk no later than 6th March 2026.

Graduate and guest tickets will be emailed to you nearer to the time and must be presented on the day in order to access the ceremony. Please make sure your contact details are up to date.

Dietary and Special Requirements

Should you have any allergies, dietary requirement, disability requirements or other special requirements, please email graduation@hughbaird.ac.uk no later than 6th March 2026.

Please note: there is disabled access into the University Centre and at the Old Christ Church. If you would like to book disabled access for the shuttle bus, please email graduation@hughbaird.ac.uk.

Photography

Please be advised that all graduation photography must be completed prior to the ceremony, as de-gowning will take place at a separate venue immediately following the event. Graduates wishing to have official photographs taken in their academic dress are therefore required to do so before travelling to Old Christ Church. We therefore recommend that you arrive at the start of your slot to ensure there is enough time for this.

Prams

Unfortunately, we are unable to accommodate prams at the either the pre-event reception at the University Centre building or during the graduation ceremony at Old Christ Church. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause.

Parking

Please note: there is disabled access into the University Centre and at Old Christ Church. If you would like to book disabled access for the bus, please email graduation@hughbaird.ac.uk.

Ceremony Start Time

We understand that some of your guests may not be able to attend the pre-event reception at the University Centre. If this is the case, then they must be at Old Christ Church by no later than 12.45pm. Guests must present their ticket. Entry without a ticket will not be possible. Please note: due to high volume of guests parking might be busy, please consider this and ask you guests to ensure they arrive with ample time to find parking.

Failure to arrive by 12:45pm will result in access being denied to the Graduation Ceremony.

Following the Ceremony

Following the Ceremony, Graduates, guests and staff are invited to stay at Old Christ Church where entertainment, a bar and food will be provided. Here, Graduates will give their gowns back and collect other important information.

Checklist

You will only recieve you tickets after you have done the following:

• Booked and paid for your gown through the gowning portal provided above.
• Checked your arrival time.
• Sent any dietary requirements.
• Sent any accessibility requirements.

Your tickets will be sent to you via email two weeks before the event via Eventbrite. Please inform graduation@hughbaird.ac.uk if your email address has changed. Entry into graduation will not be allowed without your ticket.