FAQs

Featuring our events programme packed full of exciting and engaging experiences, Freshers' Festival is your introduction to the Students' Union and everything we have to offer. Think of it as our welcome package to help kickstart your university experience, meet new people, and have loads of fun.d

Freshers’ Festival is the Students’ Union’s contribution to the overall Welcome Week that is organised by the University. Make sure you download the Welcome to Royal Holloway app to find out all about the events being hosted by the University.

Every student at Royal Holloway is automatically enrolled as member of the Students’ Union, granting you access to all of our amazing services. If you don’t wish to become a member, you can opt out by ticking a box during the enrolment process with the University.

You can find out about the virtual events taking place by downloading the Welcome to Royal Holloway app.

All our activities and events will be conducted in accordance with the relevant guidance published by the UK Government, with changes made to the operation of all events and venues to comply with current guidance.

If you want to attend our headline events taking place at the Union Venue and Founder’s South Quad, buying a wristband is the only way to guarantee your entry to all of our headline events. We will have a limited supply of individual tickets if you’d rather pick and choose certain events. Even if you don’t buy a wristband, there are still loads of events for you to attend at Medicine and The Packhorse, as well as our Give It A Go programme.

Restart Project (Sat 18 Sep), VK presents #WeAreCosmic (Sun 19 Sep), Ibiza Sunset ft. Karen Harding (Mon 20 Sep), Glitterbomb ft. Baga Chipz (Tues 21 Sep), Flawless ft. ArrDee (Wed 22 Sep), Smells Like Teen Spirit ft. Deaf Havana DJ Set (Thu 23 Sep), Juicy ft. 220 KID & Cuppy DJ Set (Fri 24 Sep), and Freshers’ Ball ft. ELLA HENDERSON & more (Sat 25 Sep).

Wristbands will go on sale in two phases:

• First and second-year students: Friday 27 August (10am)
• General sale: Monday 6 September (10am)

Wristbands and online tickets guarantee you entry into the event before 11pm.

£60 - a saving of £20 versus purchasing individual advance tickets.

After you have purchased a wristband, you can collect it from the Union Helpdesk (on the first floor of the Students’ Union Building) at the following times:

• Monday 13 - Thursday 16 September | 12:00 to 16:00
• Friday 17 - Saturday 25 September | 12:00 to 20:00

To collect your wristband and be admitted to our events at either the Union Venue or Founder’s South Quad, you will need to show proof of one of the below, preferably via the NHS COVID Pass:

DOUBLE VACCINATION - you received your second COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 whole days ago (or 14 whole days after one dose of the Janssen vaccine).

or

NEGATIVE TEST - a negative lateral flow or PCR test taken in the 48 hours prior to the event.

or

NATURAL IMMUNITY - evidenced by a positive PCR test result for COVID-19, lasting for 180 days from the date of the positive test and following completion of the self-isolation period.

Following the government announcement regarding the scheme for vaccine passports being scrapped, we took the decision to delay the release of individual event tickets so that we had time to review the latest update and communicate our position to you.

We will now be putting all individual tickets on general sale at 10am on Tuesday 14 September.

It's cheaper to purchase tickets in advance (and that's the only way to guarantee your entry to an event) but there will be a limited number of tickets available to purchase on the door.

Following the government announcement that the scheme for vaccine passports for entry to nightclubs and large events in England will not be going ahead, we've updated our entry requirements for events at the Union Venue and Founder’s South Quad.

Please read our Venues Entry Requirements Update for the full details.

Following the government announcement that the scheme for vaccine passports for entry to nightclubs and large events in England will not be going ahead, we've updated our entry requirements for events at the Union Venue and Founder’s South Quad.

Please read our Venues Entry Requirements Update for the full details.

If you have a medical exemption please contact the team at venues@su.rhul.ac.uk who will be able to chat to you about attending and what to expect within our venues.

To keep our events COVID-19 secure, we are only allowing Royal Holloway students to attend our Freshers’ Festival events.

As a registered charity and non-profit organisation, any surplus made from Freshers’ Festival (ticket fees, membership etc.) goes straight back into improving your experience as a student e.g. improving existing facilities or booking an awesome act for one of our events.

If you’ve already acquired your student login details but you’re still experiencing issues trying to log in, you can try and resolve them by following the steps provided by our login guide. If you’re still struggling after following the guide, please email marketing@su.rhul.ac.uk stating your student number and the error message you have encountered.

As your Students' Union, we're keen to promote equality of opportunity for people with disabilities and to take the necessary steps to meet their requirements - that's why we've ensured that everything we do is accessible to as many of you as possible. You can find out more about specific events on our accessibility page.

We understand that lots of students don’t drink for different reasons – that is totally fine and you should never have to do anything you’re not comfortable with. 

We host loads of alcohol-free events over the year for you – these will be tagged on our Events page and on the Welcome to Royal Holloway app. There will also always be alcohol-free drinks available to purchase at any of our events where alcohol is on sale.

If you feel harassed or pressured to do anything you’re not comfortable with, you can report it to a member of staff, security, or your Hall Life Duty Officer.

As a Students’ Union, we believe that we have the duty to challenge harassment and violence at any instance and encourage all students to report it. When we are silent about these issues, we become complicit in them.

When we talk about sexual harassment, it often is given a very narrow definition of what it might involve. Sexual harassment is not just about physical touching or groping, it can be applied to any unwanted and persistent behaviour of a sexual nature.

If you experience any form of sexual harassment at any of our events, you can report the incident to any member of security, bar staff or supervisor/duty manager and the situation will be investigated immediately and appropriate action taken. The staff will also advise you if you want to follow up on the complaint.

If you feel able to talk to someone about it and you'd like to, you can book an appointment with one of our advisors by visiting the Union Helpdesk - our advisors offer free and impartial advice and are happy to chat with you about any problems you are having. Alternatively, the College provides free counselling services to support you if you need a chat or you need professional and impartial advice. You can contact them by emailing counselling@royalholloway.ac.uk.

You can contact the University’s Student Wellbeing team, which can offer you support and guidance.

Our Advice Centre advisors are happy to guide and support you, as well as accompany you to any meetings. Just drop an email to advice@su.rhul.ac.uk.

We run an Advice Centre to give you all the support you need on a wide range of topics. Our advisors will signpost or refer you to the relevant service if they can’t help you themselves. No matter whether you’re studying on campus or from home, you’ll be able to access our Advice Centre support online through email and virtual appointments. This service is independent of the University, so it's the perfect place for free, confidential and impartial advice, no matter what it is you want to talk about. Just drop an email to advice@su.rhul.ac.uk.