UT-Austin's commencement is Saturday. See road closures, parking and prohibited items

Hannah Ortega, Austin American-Statesman
Updated ·2 min read

The UT-Austin class of 2024 is celebrating its graduation this weekend.

This year will mark the university's 141st commencement and will feature Jeannie Leavitt as its speaker. Leavitt, a retired major general who was the first female fighter pilot in the U.S. Air Force, graduated from UT in 1990 with a degree in aerospace engineering.

UT President Jay Hartzell said in a news release that Leavitt’s persistence and determination resemble the resilience of the 2024 graduates, many of whom enrolled in the university in the fall of 2020 after the COVID-19 pandemic prevented normal high school graduation ceremonies and celebrations.

Here's everything you need to know this weekend:

When is UT-Austin's graduation in 2024?

The university-wide commencement ceremony will take place at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11, at Royal-Memorial Stadium. The stadium will open at 6 p.m. for guests, and graduates must be seated by 7:10 p.m. Graduates must present a ticket to access the seating area.

Individual ceremonies for each of UT's colleges and schools will take place between Thursday, May 9 and Saturday, May 11. Check out the convocation schedule at commencement.utexas.edu.

A fireworks display lights up Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium at the end of the 2023 University of Texas at Austin Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 6, 2023 in Austin.
A fireworks display lights up Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium at the end of the 2023 University of Texas at Austin Commencement Ceremony on Saturday, May 6, 2023 in Austin.

Road closures and parking for UT's graduation

According to a ceremony parking and shuttle map, here are the roads that will experience closures:

  • Intersection of East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and Robert Dedman Drive

  • Clyde Littlefield Drive

  • San Jacinto Boulevard

  • Intersection of East Dean Keeton Street and Robert Dedman Drive

Several parking garages and lots are available across campus and are free to graduates and guests. However, the university warns that many frequently reach capacity during commencement events, and guests are encouraged to have backup parking plans in other garages.

Shuttles from East Campus Garage to Royal-Memorial Stadium

Shuttles will run East Campus Garage to the football stadium between 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

ADA and wheelchair seating at Royal-Memorial Stadium

Accessible seats are available at gates 7, 14 and 27.

What's not allowed at UT's graduation

  • Non-clear bags bigger than 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches

  • Clear bags bigger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches

  • Food

  • GoPros, video cameras, selfie sticks and tripods

  • Banners, flags and signs

  • Umbrellas

  • Any drinks other than one sealed soft plastic water bottle

  • Strollers

  • Coolers

  • Flower vases

  • Artificial noisemakers

To read more on prohibited items and the clear bag policy, visit the ceremony's security information website.

— Statesman education reporter Lily Kepner contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: UT-Austin graduation 2024: Road closures, parking and prohibited items