WHAT: The university will confer approximately 3,400 academic degrees on undergraduate, graduate and professional students in the Class of 2026.
The universitywide ceremony will be followed by an all-school Commencement festival from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival will feature local food and beverages, games, photo opportunities and live entertainment stretching from Mudd Field on the western edge of the Danforth Campus to Tisch Park on the east end.
COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER: Andy Cohen, Emmy Award-winning host, producer and author, will deliver the Commencement address and receive an honorary Doctor of Fine Arts. Six others also will receive honorary degrees.
WHERE: Francis Olympic Field, at Forsyth Boulevard and Olympian Way, near Big Bend Boulevard
WHEN: 9 a.m. Friday, May 15, 2026
MEDIA CREDENTIALS, PARKING AND ACCESSS:
News organizations sending a reporter to Commencement should email Kedra Tolson by 5 p.m. Thursday, May 14, to make arrangements for a reserved seat.
Parking will be available on a first-come, first-served basis in front of Blewett Hall, 6500 Forsyth Blvd. From Forsyth Boulevard, turn south onto Wallace Circle drive; media parking is on the surface lot immediately on the right.
To access the lot and to pick up a WashU-issued media credential to cover the universitywide Commencement ceremony, media must show a press credential from one of the news organizations that were sent this advisory.
Media must wear a WashU-issued media credential to access Francis Olympic Field. If you don’t pick up your media credential when parking in the reserved lot, please make arrangements with a university media relations team member to get it near the gate entrance. See contact information below.
A mult box will be available near the stage. The reserved media seats are located near the AV area at the center of Francis Olympic Field.
PHOTOGRAPHERS AND VIDEOGRAPHERS will be permitted to walk around during the first three minutes of Chancellor Andrew Martin and Andy Cohen’s speeches, after which they will need to stay in the reserved media section for the remainder of the event.
MEDIA ASSISTANCE the morning of Commencement, call Kedra Tolson at 314-249-5112 or Erika Ebsworth-Goold at 314-401-7684.
A livestream of the Commencement ceremony will be available on the Commencement website.
