Information for those 
attending the Grand Festival

FESTIVAL TICKETS 

When you booked your ticket you received an email confirmation.  Please either print this and bring it with you on the day, or store it on your mobile or electronic devices as a guarantee of entry. 

On your arrival at Guildhall's Courtyard, Stewards and Marshals will be on hand to assist you, and if required, direct you to the registration table. 

Dining at the Grand Festival is by invitation only and therefore, with regret, guests cannot be accommodated at Guildhall—please see details about a Parallel Dinner below.

TIMINGS 

The Grand Festival will be held immediately following the conclusion of the Investiture. 

Guildhall's doors will be opened from 5.45 PM. A Champagne Reception is scheduled to commence from 5.45 PM in the Old Library. The Call to Dinner is expected at approximately 6.45 PM, and dinner is to be served at 7.00 PM in the Great Hall. 

Toasts and formal proceedings will end at approximately 9.30 PM. 

(Please note that these timings are indicative and subject to minor change).

All guests MUST be clear of the building, including the cloakroom, by 10.00PM.

PARALLEL DINNER

A parallel dinner has been arranged by Grand Stewards’ Lodge for those recipients with invited guests attending the Annual Investiture. 

This dinner will be held at the Grand Connaught Rooms, 61 Great Queen Street, WC2B 5DA, in proximity to Freemasons' Hall.

If you would like to book places for your guests at the Parallel Dinner, then please click here:

Once you have successfully booked and paid by STRIPE - then you will receive email confirmation of your successful booking and payment.

Booking for the Parallel Dinner Opens on Sunday 1st March and Closes on Wednesday 8th April 2026

If you have any questions in relation to the parallel dinner please contact the Assistant Secretary of Grand Stewards’ Lodge, WBro Philip Chapman-Sheath, at paralleldinner@gmail.com.

SECURITY

Guildhall has a strict security policy—bags or luggage are required to be checked before entering the building.

All bags and cases will go through the Rapiscanner (airport security) before guests are directed to the cloakroom, situated on the lower ground floor. 

Coats and bags should be left in the cloakroom and you are reminded not to leave any belongings unattended elsewhere. 

Coin-return lockers are available for use by guests for convenience, but please note any guests using these lockers remain responsible for their valuables stored therein, and if the locker key is lost or misplaced, items may not be retrievable that evening.

CHAMPAGNE RECEPTION

The Champagne Reception for all guests will be held in the Old Library. Please note that, during the reception, access to the Old Print Room is restricted. 

Tasting notes for the Board’s custom labelled Champagne - M. Brismontier Reserve (and other wine selections on the menu) will be available here.

SEATING PLAN AND MENU 

Having gone through security and used the cloakroom facilities, each guest on their way to the reception will be given a table plan booklet by a duty Steward near the registration table. 

You will also receive a printed copy of the Brochure, including the menu, on your table at dinner. The menu can be downloaded by clicking here, before the event. 

Please check, in good time, your table number, and identify the most suitable entrance for your table allocation when called to dinner. Stewards and sign posts will be in place to direct you if required. 

Two large table and floor plans are situated at both ends of the Old Library, which you may review at your leisure during the reception.

MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENT 

Musical entertainment will be provided by the Band of the Irish Guards.

ACCESSIBILITY

All rooms (including the cloakroom) at Guildhall are accessible via a lift or ramp. 

The accessible toilet, for any guests requiring wheelchairs, is situated in the West Wing 

Should you require mobility assistance, please speak to a member of staff, or one of the Stewards on duty, and they will be able to assist you. 

If you have accessibility requirements but have not informed us in the online booking form, please let us know as soon as possible, so any required arrangements can be made beforehand.