Seniors whose ceremony is taking place at the Alaska Airlines Center will receive a minimum of six tickets to distribute to family and friends.  Tickets are determined by capacity and number in graduating class.

Tickets will be handed out during graduation practice, which typically take place the week prior to the graduation ceremony.  Please check with your school for the date and time of their graduation practice.

While the overall seating capacity of the Alaska Airlines Center is listed as 5,000 online, the seating capacity for ASD graduations will be closer to 2,200.  The capacity and the number of seniors in the graduating class were used to determine the number of tickets each senior would receive.

In order to provide adequate floor space for the graduates, faculty, and the band/orchestra, the first tier of seating will be retracted, which reduces the seating capacity in the arena by about half. The seating behind the stage on the second and third level will also be closed off because it does not offer a view of the ceremony.

Flowers and leis may be given to graduates after the ceremony in the lobby. Balloons, noisemakers, large signs (larger than a standard sheet of paper), and popular “Giant Heads” are not permitted inside the Alaska Airlines Center. Please plan to celebrate off-site—tailgating is not allowed, and the parking lot must be cleared quickly to accommodate multiple ceremonies each day. To help protect the environment, please avoid using confetti or plastic streamers in the parking lot, as these materials are harmful and difficult to clean up.

The district will provide live streaming for all of the graduation ceremonies at the Alaska Airlines Center. The link will be available on the district’s graduation webpage. An archived video of the ceremony will also be available on the district graduation webpage in the days following the ceremony.

Yes. The district encourages families who do not plan to use all of their tickets to find other families who may want additional tickets. 

No. Tickets will be clearly labeled with the school, date, and time of the graduation ceremony.  Tickets from one school cannot be used at another school’s ceremony.

While the district cannot provide extra tickets to all families who may want them because of the limited seating capacity at AAC, we understand some families may have special circumstances that need to be considered. Principals will receive a limited number of additional tickets they can distribute to address unique family needs.  Please contact your school if you have a hardship request you want the principal to consider.

The Municipality of Anchorage began using the Sullivan Arena as a mass shelter for the city’s unhoused population in 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic, requiring the District to pivot from its usual graduation location. While the Sullivan Arena plans to re-open for public events, the District is in a multi-year agreement with the Alaska Airlines Center to host our graduations that is competitively priced and has met or exceeded our expectations as a vendor partner.