Commencement Week

Commencement Week features various graduation events for seniors, their family, and guests. Commencement Week events for graduating students and families begin on Tuesday, May 26, and run through Commencement Day, Thursday, May 28. Family and guests are welcome and encouraged to attend all three days, with the main capstone events starting on Wednesday and culminating in Thursday's Commencement activities. Please note that graduating students can only participate in Senior Week and Commencement Week one time, and together in the same year. 

  • Tickets for the Class Day Picnic (May 27), Class Day Exercises (May 27), Commencement Exercises (May 28), and House/Community Luncheon (May 28) are obtained by graduating seniors only at Senior Desk. 

    Graduating seniors must first complete the online senior exit survey, titled “Senior Survey,” before they pick up their Commencement Week tickets at Senior Desk. Graduating seniors will receive an email containing a URL to access the survey, which opens on May 8. The survey may take up to 24 hours to process, so please wait until the next business day before picking up tickets. You will not be able to get your tickets on the same day that you complete the survey, so please plan accordingly.

    Each senior must pick up their own tickets in person (no pickups for others) and will need to bring their Harvard ID with them. No tickets (allotted, free, or purchased) will be available onsite at Commencement Week events. Seniors will be able to pick up their standard ticket packet, request any additional free tickets, and purchase any additional tickets that have a cost. Credit or debit card payments are accepted; we are unfortunately unable to accept cash payments (please reach out if you have any concerns).

    Senior Desk is located at the Harvard Alumni Association office at 124 Mount Auburn Street, 4th floor. Enter the building on the side facing Mount Auburn Street, across from the Post Office. Enter the main lobby and take the elevators on the right. Take the elevators to the 4th floor and then go right when you exit the elevator. Note that there is an entrance at the back of the building with a different set of elevators that you won’t want to use as it won’t access our office space. 

    Senior Desk will be open weekdays from May 12–May 27 (including Memorial Day) from 11:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m. The first four days are for specific Houses to avoid crowding. Note that tickets will not run out. 

    • May 12: Adams, Lowell, and Quincy

    • May 13: Cabot, Currier, Dudley, and Pforzheimer

    • May 14: Dunster, Leverett, and Mather

    • May 15: Eliot, Kirkland, and Winthrop

    • May 18–27 (weekdays only): Students from all Houses can come to any of the remaining days.

  • Harvard Yard will be closed beginning at 11:00 a.m. on May 27. Graduates and guests can enter the Yard for the Class Day Picnic and Exercises by having their Class Day Exercises tickets scanned after 11:00 a.m. at one of four gates around the Yard: Widener, Johnston, Meyer/Thayer, and Sever. Solomon/Lamont will be open only to HUID holders accessing the libraries.

    All Commencement Week events are held rain or shine. In the case of extreme or dangerous inclement weather, alternate plans will be communicated to the students. 

    All persons, bags, and personal items are subject to inspection before entering Commencement Week events. Banners, posters, backpacks, luggage, and any bag or item larger than 12" x 12" x 12" will not be permitted inside Commencement Week events, so please plan accordingly.

    Strollers are not permitted inside Tercentenary Theatre (the space between Widener Library and Memorial Church) on Commencement Day. Strollers are permitted into Harvard Yard but must remain in the Old Yard within the overflow viewing area only, without exception.

    Tickets to the College Class Day Exercises and Commencement Exercises allow admission into Harvard Yard but do not guarantee seats. Seats cannot be reserved and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The sale of tickets for the Class Day Exercises and Commencement Exercises is strictly prohibited. Students who attempt to sell tickets may be referred to the Office of Academic Integrity and Student Conduct.

  • Regalia is required on Tuesday, May 26, for the Phi Beta Kappa (PBK) Literary Exercises (for PBK seniors), Baccalaureate Procession and Ceremony, and the Class of 2026 photograph, and on Thursday, May 28, for the Commencement Exercises and diploma presentation ceremonies. Regalia is not worn on Class Day.

  • 11:00 AM–12:30 PM

    Phi Beta Kappa Literary Exercises

    Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall (For PBK seniors, families, and guests; tickets not required). A traditional part of Harvard Commencement since the 18th century, the Literary Exercises celebrate the humane learning and passion for intellectual exchange that are the ideal and hallmark of the chapter. PBK seniors should wear their regalia. 

    1:15–2:00 PM

    Baccalaureate Procession

    Old Yard, Harvard Yard (graduating seniors march in the procession; guests welcome to observe). Tickets not required. The Class of 2026 will process around the Old Yard into Tercentenary Theatre for the Baccalaureate Ceremony. Graduating seniors should wear their regalia. 

    Seniors should arrive by 1:15. The procession will begin at the corner of Holworthy and Thayer, and the line will extend back along Holworthy, Stoughton, Hollis, and Matthews. Once the procession begins, the class will pass in front of Thayer and University Hall, then enter Tercentenary Theatre between University Hall and Weld. From there, the line will process to Widener Library steps, and then down the aisles of the seating in Tercentenary Theatre before moving to the seats at the front of the Theatre closest to Memorial Church. 

    2:00–3:30 PM

    Baccalaureate Ceremony

    Tercentenary Theatre, Harvard Yard. Tickets not required. President Garber will share remarks with the Class of 2026 and students will share sacred readings from their religious, spiritual, and ethical traditions. Graduating seniors should wear their regalia. 

    Seniors will sit in assigned sections closer to the stage following the procession; guests are welcome to sit in the remaining sections separate from the students. Following the program, any guests in attendance should remain seated while seniors process to Widener Library Steps for the photograph.

    3:30–4:00 PM

    Class of 2026 Photograph

    Widener Library Steps. Tickets not required. Rain date: Wednesday, May 27, immediately following the Class Day Exercises. Graduating seniors should wear their regalia. Seniors will process from their seats in Tercentenary Theatre following the Baccalaureate Service to the steps. Photos can be ordered at the Panfoto website (link forthcoming).

    4:00–5:00 PM

    Class of 2026 Dessert Reception

    Old Yard, Harvard Yard. For graduating seniors and their guests. 

    8:00–10:00 PM

    Harvard University Band and Harvard Choruses Concert

    Tercentenary Theatre, Harvard Yard. Tickets not required. Featuring student performers, this annual concert is open to all members of the Harvard community.

  • 11:00 AM–12:30 PM 

    ROTC Commissioning Ceremony

    Sanders Theatre, Memorial Hall. Open to invited guests and HUID-holders only (this event is not open to the public). NOTE: Time subject to change. This ceremony celebrates the commissioning of the new military officers from the Harvard ROTC contingent. The program will also be streamed online at harvard.edu/live.

    Noon–2:00 PM

    Class Day Picnic

    Old Yard, Harvard Yard. For graduating seniors and their guests. Enjoy a casual bagged lunch before the start of the Class Day Exercises. Tickets required. Graduating seniors are allotted up to three free tickets to start and will require one of these tickets for themselves. Additional tickets can be purchased for $25. Tickets are obtained by seniors at Senior Desk.

    Once in the Yard, guests should be prepared to give their Picnic tickets to the staff in exchange for a bagged lunch.

    2:00–4:00 PM

    Class Day Exercises

    Tercentenary Theatre, Harvard Yard. For graduating seniors and their guests. Where Commencement is a University-wide program, Class Day celebrates the graduating College Class of 2026 and includes the featured Class Day speaker invited by the Class, the Harvard Oration (a formal, reflective speech by a member of the Class) the Ivy Oration (a light-hearted, comedic speech by a member of the Class), the presentation of the Ames Awards in recognition of two members of the Class and their service to the community, and the Class Ode (two original verses to the tune of Fair Harvard written and performed by members of the Class). The event will also feature remarks from David Deming, Danoff Dean of Harvard College, and the incoming President of the Harvard Alumni Association. The program will also be streamed online at harvard.edu/live and be available for later viewing on YouTube.

    There is no formal procession for this event, and seniors can sit with family and guests; there is no assigned seating. Signage around Harvard Yard and Tercentenary Theatre regarding ticket types and seating areas can be ignored on Class Day; these are for Commencement the following morning. Students will not wear academic regalia on Class Day; business casual dress is recommended for all.

    Tickets required. Graduating seniors are allotted up to three free tickets to start and will require one of these tickets for themselves. Additional tickets will be available for free. Tickets are obtained by seniors at Senior Desk (see Frequently Asked Questions for details). 

    4:00–5:30 PM 

    Dudley Community Reception

    53 Dunster Street. Tickets not required. For graduating Dudley Community seniors and their guests.

    4:30 or 5:00–6:30 PM

    Faculty Deans' Receptions

    Undergraduate Houses. Tickets not required. For graduating seniors in each House and their guests. Start time varies by House. Students will receive more information about start time and specific locations from their House. 

    5:00–9:00 PM

    Senior Letterwinners' Dinner

    Bright-Landry Hockey Center. Advanced ticket purchase required. Senior student-athletes are free. For more info, visit the Harvard Varsity Club website. 

  • 6:45 AM

    Harvard Yard Gates Open

     

    8:00–8:15 AM

    Senior Valediction

    Harvard Yard between Phillips Brooks House and Holden Chapel. Graduating seniors should wear their regalia and will march into the Yard with their Houses or Community. More information about morning gathering locations and details at each House or Community for seniors only will be shared by House and Community staff. This gathering will be directly before the procession line up for Commencement. For graduating seniors only; families and guests should find their seats in Tercentenary Theatre for the Commencement Exercises. 

    9:30 AM–12:15 PM

    375th Harvard University Commencement Exercises

    Tercentenary Theatre, Harvard Yard. For graduating seniors and their guests. Celebrating the achievements of all Harvard University graduates, this program features remarks from students, the conferring of student degrees, the presentation of honorary degrees, and an address by the Commencement Speaker.

    Tickets are required. Graduating seniors are allotted up to four free tickets for guests (they will not need a ticket for themselves); additional tickets are not available. Tickets are obtained by seniors at Senior Desk (see Frequently Asked Questions for details). For seniors with guests in wheelchairs, tickets may be swapped on a first-come, first serve basis at Senior Desk in May. 

    Indoor viewing is available via live web stream in the Science Center, the Smith Campus Center, and most undergraduate Houses, and the program will also be streamed online at harvard.edu/live. A ticket will not be needed for entry to these spaces. More information can be found at https://commencement.harvard.edu/.

    Academic regalia, lanyard (to be distributed at the Houses), and active HUID allow entry for graduates. Tickets will be obtained by seniors at Senior Desk (see below). More information about entry requirements (including bag policies) for Harvard Yard and Tercentenary Theatre is below.

    Graduating seniors will enter Tercentenary Theatre via a formal procession from the Old Yard and will sit together by House in a section for Harvard College graduates. Families and guests will sit in different sections. Note that names of graduates are not called nor are diplomas presented at this University-wide program; rather that will occur at the Diploma Presentation and Luncheon at 12:30 at the Houses.

    12:30–3:00 PM

    Diploma Presentation and Luncheon

    Undergraduate Houses. For graduating seniors and their guests. This event is where graduates' names will be called and diplomas will be presented. Tickets are not required to view the diploma ceremony but are required to partake in the lunch that occurs during this time. Graduating seniors should wear their regalia. 

    The order of the luncheon and diploma ceremony, as well as other program logistics, may vary by House or Community. Graduating students will learn more from their House or Community regarding program plans, including the specific location. Graduating seniors are allotted up to three free tickets to start for lunch and will require one of these tickets for themselves. Additional tickets can be purchased for $25. Tickets are obtained by seniors at Senior Desk (see Frequently Asked Questions for details). 

  • Friday, May 29

    By 2:00 PM

    Senior Move-Out

    All seniors must move out of their rooms by 2:00 p.m. on Friday, May 29.