Everything you need to know about Northeastern’s 2026 commencement
For the sixth year, Fenway Park will host Northeastern’s undergraduate and graduate commencement ceremonies. Here is a detailed breakdown of what to expect, from how to get in to when students take the stage.
Commencement 2026 has finally arrived, and Northeastern University has a full day of celebrations planned for graduating students, parents and the entire Northeastern community. From multiplatinum singer Hilary Duff’s speech to fireworks and, of course, the conferral of degrees, April 29 will be packed with memorable moments.
With so much going on, knowing the ins and outs of what to expect can help prepare for what the day will have in store, including the forecasted chilly weather.
Fenway Park will serve as the venue for Northeastern’s commencement for the sixth year in a row. About 5,000 undergraduate and 3,400 graduate students will attend their respective ceremonies on April 29. For those who are unable to attend, both ceremonies will be livestreamed.
Before arriving, every graduating student and guest needs to make sure they have their ticket to guarantee entry to Fenway Park.
The graduate ceremony kicks off at 10 a.m. EDT, but students and guests should arrive at 8 a.m. EDT to check in and start lining up at Gate B on Van Ness Street. Guests should arrive at Gates A, D or E for security and ticketing. A map of Fenway Park can be found here.
The undergraduate ceremony begins at 4 p.m. EDT, and students and guests should similarly expect to arrive around two hours earlier, at 2 p.m. EDT, to start lining up. Undergraduate students also line up at Gate B, and their guests should also go to Gate A, D or E to go through security.
Parking near Fenway Park is limited, but complementary parking is available at Northeastern’s Columbus Parking Garage, about a mile away, on a first-come, first-served basis. The venue is also accessible by the MBTA, via the Green Line’s B,C and D branches.
The graduate ceremony procession begins at 8:50 a.m. EDT, at which point students will be led to their on-field seating. The undergraduate procession starts at 2:45 p.m.
April in Boston can still be chilly so graduates are encouraged to wear warm clothing under their gowns and closed-toe shoes. Blankets and umbrellas are allowed for those who may want to be extra comfortable, but umbrellas must be closed once the ceremony begins. Water will be provided to students on the field, but guests in the stands can bring unopened plastic water bottles. Refillable water bottles will not be allowed inside the venue.
Both events have a full slate of speakers before degrees are presented.
A brief video that is sure to get the crowd energized will kick off the event followed by the National Anthem and brief remarks from university leaders. At this point, student speakers will take the stage. Graduate student speakers include data science student Daniela Gonzalez, soon-to-be EY employee Mohamed Ouattara and Shayan Menahi, an engineering management student and entrepreneur who created innovative AI tools for T-Mobile during his co-op and contributed to Northeastern’s Mars rover team. The quartet of undergraduate students speakers features: Amelia Brooks, the co-president of the Women’s Interdisciplinary Society of Entrepreneurship who is graduating with a business administration degree; Navy Veteran and clinical psychiatrist-in-training Evan Kenny, mechanical engineering graduate Kayla Parlato; and Armaan Sarao, the president of Northeastern’s student-run production studio, NUTV who graduated with a degree in a media/screen studies and English.
Northeastern President Joseph E. Aoun will follow the student speakers and deliver remarks to both graduating classes. The headline speakers will then hit the Fenway stage.
Alan McKim, a Northeastern graduate, trustee and executive chairman and chief technology officer of the environmental cleanup company Clean Harbors, will address the gathered crowd at the graduate ceremony at 10:23 a.m. EDT. Multiplatinum singer, actor and millennial icon Hilary Duff will deliver her remarks beginning at around 4:45 p.m. EDT.
Then comes the moment every student and parent has been waiting for: the presentation of degrees, which is expected to commence at 10:53 a.m. EDT for the graduate students and 5:02 p.m. EDT for the undergraduate students. After the president officially confers the degrees, students and guests will be treated to a finale of musical performances featuring over 200 students and fireworks.
After the celebration, graduates will be led off the field, at which point, they can meet their guests on Jersey Street.
For more information, students and families can use Northeastern’s 24/7 AI-powered chatbot, GradPup via the university’s commencement page. Northeastern Global News also has details on all of Northeastern’s commencement ceremonies and speakers, including how to get to the venue of other commencement activities this year, the Leader Bank Pavilion.
