Guest Information
Tickets Required for Commencement and Baccalaureate
Tickets are required for both the Baccalaureate Celebration and Commencement Ceremony.
Graduating students will be responsible for registering for guest tickets.
Important Notes:
- Only eligible graduating students can request tickets. Guests cannot request tickets.
- All guests above the age of 2 must have a ticket. Guests above 18 must bring a photo ID.
- Requests for disability-related accommodations and accessibility information will be submitted as part of the ticket registration process. Please share any needs you may have with your student by Monday, May 25.
- Tickets are non-transferable.
- Re-entry is not permitted—each QR code is valid for one scan per event.
- Due to limited venue capacity, guest entry to Baccalaureate is first-come, first-served and not guaranteed. When capacity is reached, guests will be sent to an indoor overflow space with the live-stream.
- Seating for both events is general admission—first-come, first-served and not guaranteed.
Actions for guests:
- Contact your graduating student before June 11 to confirm they have requested your ticket(s). Be sure they have your correct email address and any disability-related accommodations requests you may have.
- Download your ticket to your mobile wallet. You will receive a confirmation with your ticket QR code and details at the email address provided by your student. If you don't have a smartphone or mobile wallet feature, take a screenshot of the QR code or print it. Don’t rely on WiFi or cellular data to access the email on the morning of the ceremonies.
- Be prepared to present your QR code at the entry gate for scanning. If you have others’ tickets on your device, they must enter with you. Guests over 18 must bring a photo ID.
Gates open at 7:30 a.m. and the procession begins at 9:00 a.m. Please plan to arrive early to allow sufficient time scan your tickets, go through security, and find seats.
Commencement Venue Guidelines
Tickets are required for entry
Tickets are required for both the Baccalaureate Celebration and Commencement Ceremony. Graduates must request tickets for their invited guests. Information on how to request guest tickets will be sent to eligible graduates in mid-April. Guests (whose students have provided names and emails) will receive an email containing their tickets. Tickets will list the guest's name and include a unique QR code that will be scanned upon entry. It is recommended to download tickets to your mobile wallet or have them printed before and bring them with you.
Public Safety Clear Bag Policy
Stanford University has implemented a clear bag policy to provide a safer environment for the public and expedite entry into the venue. This policy limits the size and types of bags permitted. Items must be carried or fit into a permissible bag.
Security at gate entry
In addition to the clear bag policy, there will be electronic screening equipment (metal detectors) in use at all venue entry gates. Before entering, guests will be asked to remove cell phones, keys, and other large metal objects and must pass through the metal detectors.
Be prepared
These ceremonies are scheduled to occur rain or shine. The stadium is an open space and little to no shade is available during the ceremony. Frost is an open, grassy amphitheater with limited seating under the shade tent. For both ceremonies, an indoor, air-conditioned venue will be available nearby to watch the livestream of the event.
Dress for the heat; light clothing is advisable. Hats, visors, and sun block are also highly recommended. Umbrellas are not allowed.
Smoking prohibited
Smoking is prohibited at Frost Amphitheater and Stanford Stadium, at all indoor locations, and at outdoor areas where posted.
These policies are subject to change without notice.
Parking and Transportation
We recommend you arrive early to avoid delays.
General parking
Parking for graduates, guests, and participants is available in the following locations:
Baccalaureate: Galvez Lot
Commencement: Galvez Lot, Arboretum Grove, Lasuen Grove, Eucalyptus Grove
See campus parking map
Disability parking and drop-off
Parking and drop-off for guests with state-issued or temporary Stanford-issued disabled parking permits is available in the following locations:
Commencement: Track House Lot, with overflow in the Galvez Lot.
Baccalaureate: Roth Way between Palm Drive and Lasuen Street.
See campus parking map
Please remember to lock your vehicle and do not leave valuables inside. Parking attendants will not be monitoring parking areas closely.
Rideshare drop-off
Commencement attendees using rideshare can be dropped off at the curb on Southbound El Camino Real, from Galvez St. to the grass soccer field. See rideshare drop-off map
Other transportation to campus
For general information about traveling to campus on public transit please visit the Stanford Transportation Transit page.
On-campus transportation
On-campus transportation may be limited during the weekend. Special shuttle routes for parking, Caltrain to the Stadium, and the president's reception are included on the interactive Commencement map and on the School and Department Ceremony map. See shuttle timing on the Plan Your Visit page. Directions to individual school and department ceremonies from the stadium are also available.
For health and safety reasons personal golf carts are not allowed to be brought onto the campus during Commencement Weekend.
Additional Viewing Options
Livestream Viewing on Campus
For guests who prefer to view the ceremonies from an indoor, air-conditioned venue, Bing Concert Hall will be open on Saturday for Baccalaureate livestream viewing, and Maples Pavilion will be open Sunday for Commencement livestream viewing. Capacity is limited, entry and seating are first-come, first-served and not guaranteed. Learn more about the livestream viewing locations.
Live video stream and broadcast
The main Commencement ceremony and Baccalaureate celebration video will be streamed live on this website, and audio broadcast live on Stanford's radio station KZSU FM 90.1 and on kzsu.stanford.edu.
Video Recording
Videos of Baccalaureate and the main Commencement ceremony will be available on Stanford's YouTube channel following the event.
At the Venues
Food and drink
Bottled water, as well as multiple water refill stations, will be available at the Stadium on Sunday. Food and beverage concessions will be available for purchase. All concessions locations will be self-order using cashless payment such as Cardinal Dollars, credit cards, and Apple or Google Pay.
Only water refill stations will be available at Frost for Baccalaureate on Saturday.
Complimentary bag and stroller check
Guests with bags or items that do not satisfy the Public Safety Clear Bag Policy are welcome to bring them to the complimentary bag check tent on Sunday at the Stadium Varsity Lot. Due to safety regulations, no strollers are allowed inside the Stadium.
The bag and stroller check tent opens two hours before the ceremony begins and closes one hour after the conclusion of the event. Any items left after closing will be brought to the Stanford Stadium Operations Office, located inside Gate 1 of the stadium.
THERE WILL NOT BE A BAG CHECK AT FROST FOR BACCALAUREATE ON SATURDAY.
Lost and found
For lost items, visit the Stanford Athletics Lost and Found website. Found items may be turned in to any staff member, and the info tables, or at the Stadium Operations Office inside Gate 1.
First aid
A First aid station is located inside Stadium Gate 3. Stations are also located in the concourse near sections 115 and 132.
First aid at Frost is located inside the Lasuen Gate, and mid bowl.
Stadium map
See the stadium map for locations of parking, guest entry gates, seating sections, restrooms and other amenities at the stadium.
Locations and hours are subject to change.
Items and Vendors at the Stadium
Commencement Program
Programs will be available at all main entry gates of the stadium. A digital version of the program, as well as a listing of the names of the degree candidates, will be also posted on this website Commencement Weekend.
Vendors
A small selection of vendors will be located outside the gates until just after the ceremony concludes. Details for vendors will be added in Spring quarter.
Around Campus
School and Department Graduations
Separate from the main Commencement ceremony, individual school and department graduations will take place at various locations across campus. Please note: These events may be located some distance from the stadium. Consult the interactive Commencement Map or the Directions from Stadium to School and Department Graduation Ceremonies & Receptions page for walking directions.
Public Restrooms on Campus
In addition to the restrooms at the stadium, several additional restrooms across campus will be open during the weekend. See the interactive Google map for public restroom locations.
Sustainability Information
Zero Waste
At Stanford, we’re All About No Waste! To help us achieve our Zero Waste goal and reduce contamination in our waste bins, please consider the following:
- Bring your own clear bag approved reusable water bottle! If everyone attending commencement brought a disposable water bottle, it would generate enough waste to cover 27 football fields!
- All PPE and sanitary wipes should be disposed of in landfill trash bins (not recycling or composting).
- Paper programs can be saved as mementos, or they can be disposed of in recycling bins.