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Arial view of the Bournemouth Pavilion Theatre with its surrounding car park. Bournemouth Beach is visible in the top-right corner.

Graduation

Travel, accommodation and parking

Celebrating your achievements

Travelling to Bournemouth

In the event of cancellation, the University does not accept liability for any travel or accommodation costs/expenses incurred by those due to attend graduation.

Therefore, we recommend any travel plans/accommodation bookings are made with caution and, where possible, allow for free cancellation, if necessary. Always read the cancellation policy when booking any travel or accommodation arrangements.

We're carefully monitoring Government guidance about COVID-19 and will follow any mandatory or recommended safety precautions as may be required of hosting large, indoor events. Maintaining the safety and wellbeing of our graduands, guests and staff is of paramount importance to us.

If you're arriving in Bournemouth by public transport (coach or train), you'll arrive at the Travel Interchange, which is in the Lansdowne area of Bournemouth. Upon arrival, you'll be able to make your way to the venue by bus or taxi.

MoreBus buses operate regular services between the Travel Interchange and Bournemouth Pavilion (located on Westover Road).

A taxi journey to the venue will take about 10 minutes.

South Western Railway travel offer

To help out with the ongoing cost-of-living situation, you can now get 34% discount on train fares if you travel with South Western Railway (SWR) to AUB's Graduation Ceremonies. For holders of a 16-25 Railcard, this discount is bumped up to 40%.

Please note: Discounted fares (indicated by asterisks) are limited and are subject to availability.

Public transport – terms and conditions

  • The Graduation SWR travel offer is only available for travel on SWR services. If travelling from or within a region of the country that isn't part of the SWR network, you may need to purchase separate tickets to the chosen destination.
  • The destination is restricted to travel to AUB campus/event only.
  • Origin of journey must be within the SWR network.
  • The offer can't be combined with any other promotional fare.
  • All fares are subject to availability
  • The offer is unique to AUB and can't be used for destinations other than those specified.
  • This offer can be withdrawn without notice.

FAQs

  • I can't see an available fare Either tickets, which are subject to availability, may have sold out or, if you're a regular user of SWR and its booking tool you can clear your cookies and try again.
  • I can't see an available date – The Advance Purchase ticket window is generally available from 12 weeks in advance of the travel date. if you can't see an available date it's worth checking back from 12 weeks before the event.
  • Who's the offer available to? – Anyone who's travelling with the student.
  • Can I use a Railcard? – Only the 16-25 Railcard is currently valid with the offer.
  • Can I change or refund my ticket? – The promotion tickets are based on the Advance Purchase fare and are subject to the same conditions. They can be changed for a £10 admin fee but can't be cancelled. Unless due to an incident that'd mean you couldn't travel on the requested times, e.g. industrial action.

If you're arriving to Bournemouth by car, you'll be able to park at any one of the car parks located in the town centre - most of which are just a short walking distance away from the venue.

Please note there's no parking available at the Pavilion Theatre. There is, however, a convenient passenger drop-off area in front of the Pavilion.

If travelling to graduation by car, please note there is no parking available at the Pavilion Theatre, except for Blue Badge holders with a graduation parking permit as pre-arranged with the Graduation Office.

There are several pay-and-display car parks located within a short walking distance of the venue. Check our handy car park map and plan prior to your arrival.

If you or your guests require accessible parking and are a Blue Badge holder, you may request a reserved parking space at the Pavilion. Please note, there's a limited number of reserved spaces available.

Upon registering for graduation and purchasing your guest tickets, you may indicate in the form whether you require one of these reserved spaces. A member of the Graduation Team will follow up with you directly for your Blue Badge details.

Staying in Bournemouth

If you wish to stay in Bournemouth during graduation, the Bournemouth Tourism website features an extensive range of accommodation.

Explore more

A theatre full of people in graduation dress, viewed form the back with a stage blurred in the background.

Overview

AUB's graduation ceremony is a great time to celebrate your achievements with your family and friends

A group of graduates from AUB throw their mortar board hats into the air while standing on Bournemouth Beach

Graduation FAQs

We've answered some questions you might have about our graduation ceremonies...

A group of graduate students in a line wearing their gowns on Bournemouth beach, posing for the camera.

Guest tickets

Each graduand is entitled to bring a maximum of two guests to attend their ceremony.

A group of students in graduate gowns posing for the camera, holding a sign that reads 'WE GRADUATED, CLASS OF 2023'.

Graduation day

Graduation Day is a milestone event and most guests and graduands choose to wear smart attire...

AUB students in graduation dress in the ballroom at the Pavilion at the 2023 graduation ceremony.

Filming and photography

We'll have our in-house photographers circling throughout the event capturing those special moments...

Two students talking to family members at graduation wearing gowns.

Archive

We've collected photos and videos of the AUB graduation ceremonies from over the years, which are free...

Yellow banner with an arrow in the top left corner and the text "AUB& the alumni network" in the centre.

AUB&

AUB& is a dedicated platform that brings together all our Alumni, to share exciting news, features, careers...