Graduation Information
2026 General Information
Date: Saturday, May 9, 2026
Location: Chaifetz Arena on the campus of St. Louis University. The street address is: 1 S Compton Ave 63103
Start time: 7:00 p.m.
Doors open: 6:00 p.m.
Graduation livestream: https://youtube.com/live/1Psyr6pBh5g?feature=share
Tickets: Graduation is a ticketed event. Tickets are distributed through the graduates and their families. Neither KHS or Chaifietz Arena is directly distributing tickets. If you wish to attend, speak to the graduate you are supporting and see if they have tickets available for you.
Information for Attendees
Parking: Will be available for $15 in the Olive/Compton garage, on Compton Ave. (See map below).
- Parking is available for pre-purchase through the Ticketmaster website.
- Parking is cashless, so please be prepared to pay with a credit or debit card.
- Guests needing a handicap parking space in the Olive/Compton garage should enter off Olive Street.
If a guest needs to be dropped off, this can be done on Compton Ave.
Golf Carts: For Guests needing assistance to the venue, golf cart shuttle services will be running to and from the garage to the venue.
- Golf carts will pick up on the West side of the Olive Compton Garage and drop off at Gate A
- Please see the map below
Entry: Guests should enter the venue through GATES A, B, or C. For quicker entry, please consider bringing a small bag or NO bag.
Policies & Prohibited Items: No outside food or drink, no noise makers (air horns, whistles, bells, vuvuzelas), no flags, no balloons, no confetti or silly string, no wrapped/bagged gifts, no weapons (including mace and pocketknives).
- Handheld signs 11"x17" or smaller are typically welcome at Chaifetz Arena as long as it does not disrupt the view or experience of any other guest. Signs must be focused on celebrating the graduates and their achievements.
- Banners and signs are subject to search and may be confiscated if messages are inappropriate. Banner poles and sign sticks are not permitted.
- Guests will enjoy every event free from disruptive behavior and will not wear clothes or bring signs that promote or display obscene or indecent messages or gestures.
Seating: All seating for the event is general admission. The arena has limited accessible seating and it’s available on a first come first served basis. The arena asks that only guests needing accessible seating and one companion sit in these areas.
- Graduates will be sitting alphabetically with last names A-K will be seated on the left side of the arena (as you are facing the stage). L-Z last names will be on the right.
- See map below for seating information.
- Students will walk across the stage on the side that they are seated (A-K will walk up onto the stage on the left side and walk across, exiting on the right side; L-Z will walk up onto the stage on the right side and walk across, exiting on the left side)
Concessions: There will be a concession stand open on the concourse, by GATE B. The arena is cashless, so please be prepared to pay with a credit or debit card.
Exit: Graduates will meet all guests OUTSIDE the main gates following the ceremony.
Information for Graduates
Graduates will enter through the VIP Doors on the West side of the venue (See map below).
Students need to arrive at 4:30 for rehearsal.
Try not to bring anything with you as there will not be a space for you to keep things. Upon entering the building, you need to have your graduation gowns unzipped, that will help arena staff get you in quicker.
Usually, things that slow down the entry process for graduation ceremonies are graduates bringing bags that will be checked, and needing their gowns unzipped. We have them hold them open as they go through the metal detector.
At the end of the ceremony, all students are to return to the practice gym where you will receive your documents.
Maps
The Olive/Compton parking garage is north of the arena (the top of the pictures). Please note that gates A, B, and C are the public entrances. The graduate doors will be on the right side of the arena, as you are coming from the parking garage.
If you are needing to use the golf cart shuttle, you can see the path on the map below.
Best seating to see your graduates.
