The Alumni Festival is a unique opportunity to experience the magic the University has to offer in an inclusive and family-friendly atmosphere. Explore behind the scenes, connect with old classmates, and discover our world leading research through hands on experiences.

There will be musical performers, talks from everyone from Olympians to astronauts, and interactive research with displays from across the university, plus so much more! Make sure you check out the full program here.

The Alumni Festival will be held on Saturday 30 November 2024 at the University of Sydney, Camperdown campus.

The Alumni Festival will kick off at 1pm with an unforgettable opening celebration, including a Smoking Ceremony, Welcome to Country, and official opening speech by Guest of Honour, Lord Mayor Clover Moore AO (BA ’69).

Then you, our esteemed guests, are invited to join in a group choir performance celebrating the culture and vibrant legacy of our alma mater. Take part in this not to be missed Opening Celebration in the Great Hall or on the Front Lawns.

However, if you’re keen to start your morning off earlier, faculty and college tours, masterclasses and experiences start at 10 am. Music around the Quadrangle, and a Fisher Library rooftop yoga experience start at 10:30 am.

The program continues into the night with CarolFest in the Great Hall and front lawns from 6:30-8:15 pm followed by fireworks.

Everyone! While we’re keen to celebrate our alumni, the Alumni Festival is also a chance for us to show off what makes the University of Sydney so special to our community. Everyone is welcome – friends, family, students, staff, and the community. The more the merrier!

Yes! This is a chance for you to show your littlest future alumni all the sites on campus. We have everything from lawn games and roaming entertainment to magical tours and interactive research displays.

Check out the ‘family friendly’ filter on the activity page for more session details.

Your furry friends are welcome on the grounds, provided they are on a leash. Unfortunately, they will not be able to join you inside the buildings.

Of course! All our activities and sessions are free, and our alumni are always welcome on campus.

Many sessions have capacity restrictions, so make sure you register and add them to your agenda to secure your spot!

There will be a range of food and beverage options available on the day including food trucks and on-campus cafes. There will plenty of vegan and vegetarian options as well. You can find more information on the food page.

Absolutely! You are welcome to bring your own food and have a picnic on the lawns. There will also be water refill stations available around the Quadrangle.

Definitely! We encourage you to share the fun and memories with your friends and family on social media. We love to see the memories you made on the day, so please don’t forget to tag us and use #USYDAlumni.

There will also be event photography and filming from Festival staff and contractors occurring throughout the day. Any footage or photos may be used to promote the festival and University events in the future. If you have any concerns about this following the event, please contact alumni.office@sydney.edu.au.

Rain will not ruin the Alumni Festival!

All talks and many activities are inside or under cover. The Chau Chak Wing Museum has a full program of activities, the research alley is under the cover of the historic cloisters and there will be plenty of space at the alumni marquee to catch up with friends.

We will email all registrants if a tour is cancelled because of weather conditions, so please keep an eye on your emails in the event of rain.

Whatever makes you comfortable! Check the weather before the day and come prepared to have some fun. A few suggestions include hat, sunnies, warm clothes for the evening, walking shoes for any tours.

Due to health and safety restrictions, long trousers and enclosed toe shoes are required for the tours in the Engineering Building.

We are committed to minimising the environmental impact of all University events.

All food packaging will be recyclable or compostable. Edible (or compostable) cups will be provided for the free tea and coffee. Water refill stations are available on campus with additional units brought in for the festival. Recycling bins will be available throughout the festival with compost bins available on Eastern Avenue.

Register for the sustainability tour to find out more about sustainability initiatives on campus!

We’re so happy to hear you’re keen to help!

There are several volunteering opportunities available, including greeting patrons, providing festival information, assisting with event enquiries, and ticketing.

To volunteer you must be over 18 years old and available to attend a volunteer briefing session.

Benefits of volunteering include:

• Meeting like-minded people including University of Sydney staff, students, guests, and fellow volunteers
• Gaining behind-the-scenes insights into the workings of a large-scale Festival

Plus, receive a festival volunteer t-shirt and other perks during your time at the festival!

You can register your interest by filling out this form.

This year we are hosting milestone reunions for graduating classes from 1984, 1994, 2004 and 2014. You can register for these in the Alumni Festival registration form.

If you are interested in reunions for other years, visit the reunions page for upcoming reunions and for information on how to organise one.

Yes, a prayer room is available on campus, please email alumni.office@sydney.edu.au if you would like more information before the day, otherwise, please speak to a friendly staff member. They will be happy to assist you.

Some performances, talks and tours have a limited capacity. Registration will secure your place and allow us to create a waitlist for sessions that are at capacity.

Plus, we have special program announcements coming throughout the rest of the year. By registering, you make sure you're the first to know!

To register for the festival, visit the sign up page.

Of course! Once you have registered yourself and selected the sessions you would like to attend, you will have the opportunity to add a guest. Your guest will have the same sessions pre-selected, but you can select different sessions for them if you like.

You can log back in at any time to edit your session attendance or details. One week before the event you will receive an email with a link to a summary of your agenda, and the agenda of your guests for reference.

The more the merrier! We encourage you to spread the word and bring your family and friends.

No! The Alumni Festival is for alumni, their family and friends and the wider community. We are open for everyone.

There is no minimum age for guests – anyone and everyone is welcome.

Some tours activations may not be suitable for young children - if you would like further information, please email alumni.office@sydney.edu.au. If you're unsure on the day, please speak to a friendly staff member. They will be happy to assist you.

The Alumni Festival home page has tiles grouping event types. You may find what you are looking for here. Alternatively, you can select the “All Events” tile, and use the filters. You can search by activity name, event type (such as family friendly, music, research, tours etc.), start time and by faculty/school. Use the magnifying glass on the right-hand side to see more information about the session.

To modify your registration simply login to your account and add or remove items from your agenda or to amend your details.

To cancel your registrations please email alumni.office@sydney.edu.au

To receive a refund for Alumni Festival merchandise, please email alumni.office@sydney.edu.au.

To receive a refund for the milestone reunions, your cancellation must be received in writing to alumni.office@sydney.edu.au before 16 November 2024.

You can update the contact information on your registration by logging into your account and updating the relevant details using the "Actions" button next to your name.

Unfortunately, our events will not be livestreamed. However, talks and some performances will be recorded and available on demand following the event. If you have been registered for the festival, or signed up for the on-demand content, you will receive an email notifying you when these are available.

As some performances, talks and tours have a limited capacity and require you to register your attendance, you will not be able to register for events which clash. Events which require registration will have this noted on the event page.

Once a session has reach capacity you will not be able to add this to your agenda. You will be able to join a waitlist. Empty seats at talks will be filled by stand by guests on the day 2 minutes before the session is scheduled to commence.

If you feel there is another issue, please email alumni.office@sydney.edu.au for assistance.

If you have changed your mind, you can remove the item from your agenda and add in a different event.

Absolutely. The University is dedicated to ensuring that all visitors have equal access to all the experiences we offer.

Please note, the Carillon tour involves steps and tight spaces, and the Sustainability tours require approximately 1.5km of easy walking.

If you have any accessibility requirements, or if you require further information or assistance to participate and engage in the full program of activities, please don’t hesitate to contact the Alumni Office: alumni.office@sydney.edu.au.