Client Information

On-Campus Client Booking

• To temporarily hold a date at the Auditorium, contact Auditorium Manager at 214-768-6400 and inquire about available dates. No dates may be assumed on a year-to-year basis or "rolled over."
• Dates put on a temporary hold will be assigned a "release" date, within which time the Student Facility Use Application (for Student Groups) or a written request (for on-campus users) must be received. If the application is not received by the assigned "release" date, the hold will be deleted without further notification to the booker.
• Upon receipt of the application or written request, written date confirmation will be sent. At this time, the Technical Requirements Form, Technical Information Packet, and Front of House Requirements Form will be sent.
• The Technical Requirements Form and Front of House Requirements Form must be returned by the date indicated on the confirmation letter. Failure to return the forms will result in event cancellation.
• The Manager will contact the Client regarding specific event details in order to produce a Letter of Agreement.
• Upon receipt of the signed Letter of Agreement from the Client the event is confirmed.

Student Productions vs. Student Sponsored Productions

• A Student Production is a program that is produced and mainly attended by SMU students. The performer(s) are also SMU students. Some examples of student shows are: Family Weekend Talent Show or Sing Song. Shows of this type would fall under the Student-Admission or Student-No Admission fee categories.
• A Student Sponsored Production means that sponsorship has been received from a student organization and that the performer(s) are from off campus. The production crew and most of the production is handled by an off campus entity.
• The majority of the audience would be off campus patrons. Shows of this type would fall under the Profit or Non-Profit fee categories and all applicable polices.
• Both a Student Sponsored Production and Student Production will require an event meeting between McFarlin Management, staff advisor, student contact (for student shows), and off campus production personnel if applicable. The primary contact between McFarlin and the student organization must the SMU staff advisor who signed the Student Usage Application form.
• It is at the discretion of the Management to determine in which category a production belongs.

Booking Policy

• No events will be scheduled with less than 30 days lead-time prior to the event.
• Dates will be held for a period of two weeks, within which time Auditorium Management must receive the Student Facility Use Application or a written request.

Mandatory Requirements

• Evidence of commercial general liability insurance naming SMU as an additional insured is required to use the facility. Specific limits/requirements are attached.
• The Auditorium Technical Director, Assistant Technical Director, and Stage Hands are required for all events utilizing the stage, house sound and/or house lighting systems. Stage Hand minimums are: Three Stage Hands for speeches; five Stage Hands for ballets and/or concerts. Depending upon event complexity, additional Stage Hands may be required.
• A minimum of two SMU Police Department officers are required when audiences occupy the Auditorium. This staffing level is required as a minimum when the Homeland Security Advisory System indicates that the country is in Low Condition- (Green), Guarded Condition- (Blue), and Elevated Condition- (Yellow). During High Condition-(Orange) or Severe Condition-(Red), a determination will be made by University Officials to cancel events at McFarlin or to provide added security. During these increased threat levels the SMU Police Department will evaluate each event and determine required police staffing levels.
• Usher Staff must be on site anytime there is an audience. Usher Staff will be provided on site one and a half hours prior to the performance. One usher is required at every patron entrance or exit door at the conclusion of each performance. The number of ushers required will be determined by Auditorium Management.
• The client must designate ONE person as the contact for the event. All information, questions, etc. for the event must be channeled through this liaison

House Policy Notice

• Tractor/trailer & bus movement into or out of the McFarlin Memorial Auditorium loading dock and adjacent parking lot is forbidden between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm on weekdays without written permission from Auditorium management. Multiple day use of McFarlin Memorial Auditorium may require remote parking of tractor/trailers and buses. Any deviation from this policy notice will result in a fine of $500.00 and group is subject to lose eligibility for future Auditorium usage. The use of theatrical smoke, dry ice, fog, strobe lights or lightning effects must be approved by the auditorium stage manager and communicated in writing to the Director no later than 72 hours prior to curtain time.
• Candles, open flames, flammable substances, pyrotechnics, etc., are not allowed at McFarlin Memorial Auditorium. Balloon releases/drops are forbidden.
• No banners of any kind allowed.
• No food or drinks are allowed inside the Auditorium.
• McFarlin Auditorium is a smoke-free, non-alcoholic venue.
• No tape, adhesives or fasteners of any kind may used on surfaces in audience or public areas of the building; this includes the lobby areas. Any deviation from this policy must be in writing from the Manager of the Auditorium.
• Promotion and ticketing are the sole responsibility of the event promoter/presenter.
• The client must designate ONE person as the contact for the event. All information, questions, etc. for the event must be channeled through this liaison.
• No food (including bake sale items) is allowed to be served to the general public without approval from the Manager of the Auditorium. All food must be pre-packaged. A written request for approval must be submitted at least thirty working days prior to the event. McFarlin Auditorium reserves the right to charge an additional cleaning fee to restore the house if necessary.
• The organ will not be removed from the orchestra pit unless an orchestra will be part of a performance. Special permission for removal may be granted at the discretion of the Director.
• Usage and/or the running of video, lighting, or sound cables as well as electrical cords in the Auditorium must be approved by Management of the Auditorium to ensure compliance with safety measures as well as Fire Code.
• McFarlin Memorial Auditorium to receive 10 complimentary tickets per performance, to be used at the discretion of the Auditorium Management. These tickets are to be in a preferred location and delivered to McFarlin Memorial Auditorium no later than one week prior to event. Should said tickets not be used, the management reserves the right to return them to the box office.
• Due to the exclusive contract between the University and Coca-Cola of North Texas, products brought onto the campus, i.e. McFarlin Auditorium must be Coke or Coke related products, Dasani water or Minute Maid juices.
• Food and drink sales are not allowed in the main lobby. Concessions may be sold in the lower lobby only. All concessions must be approved by Auditorium Management. Merchandise sales are permitted in the main lobby.
• No adhesive materials are allowed on building surfaces.
• University policy states SMU reserves the right to charge for on-campus parking at special events. If charged, the fee will be $15.00 - $20.00 per car. A managed parking flat fee option may also be available. Any parking questions or concerns can be addressed to SMU Parking and ID Services at 214-768-7275.
• Any items left at McFarlin Auditorium longer than three days following a performance become Auditorium property and clients are subject to a $50.00 storage fee added to the building invoice.
• It is the sole responsibility of the client to make any vendor brought on site aware of all building practices and polices.
• No vendor (photographer/videographer, etc.) will be allowed access to the Auditorium or stage without the stage crew present.
• The Manager must be notified by the client of any vendors scheduled to use lobby areas. Notification must be provided of vendor's schedule prior to arrival/set-up. Any set-up needs for vendor must be included in the Front of House requirements form and any fees associated will be charged to the client. Unless proper notification and approval is received, Management reserves the right to refuse access to vendors.

Off-Campus Client Booking

• To temporarily hold a date at the Auditorium, contact the Auditorium Manager at 214-768-6400 and inquire about available dates. *First time facility users will be asked to fill out an application for usage. After review and approval, the following additional steps will apply.
• Dates put on a temporary hold will be assigned a "release" date, within which time the following must be done in order to finalize a reservation: 1) deliver to the Administrative Office the non-refundable deposit for each performance (check made payable to SMU or ACH) and 2) a written request detailing who, what, when, how and why about the event. If the deposit check and written request are not received by the assigned "release" date, the hold will be deleted without further notification to the requester.
• Upon receipt of the written request and deposit, a written event confirmation letter will be sent. At this time, the Technical Requirements Form, Technical Information Packet, Front of House Requirements Form and Sponsorship Form will also be sent.
• The Sponsorship Form must be returned by the date indicated on the event confirmation letter. Failure to obtain appropriate sponsorship by required date will void any and all agreements and result in event cancellation. Securing sponsorship is solely the responsibility of the client.
• The Technical Requirements Form, Front of House Requirements Form, and a 5013c certificate to qualify for non-profit rates, must be returned by the date indicated on the confirmation letter. Failure to return the forms will result in event cancellation.
• The Manager will contact the client regarding specific event details in order to produce a Letter of Agreement.
• Upon receipt of the signed Letter of Agreement from the client the event is confirmed.

*(High School Commencements are booked under separate policies. All other policies are applicable.)

Booking Policy

• No events will be scheduled with less than 30 days lead time prior to the event.
• Dates will be held for a period of two weeks, within which time Auditorium Management must receive a written request detailing who, what, when, why and how about the event; along with the non-refundable deposit. Auditorium Management reserves the right to verify the credit references of presenters/promoters/individuals with whom it has had no prior business dealings and to refuse scheduling if references prove to be suspect.
• Organizations must furnish a Federal Employer Identification Number; Individuals must furnish their Social Security Number.
• The Auditorium will only accept reservations for the academic year(s) for which it has received approved University calendars. Notification will be sent to all clients upon receipt of the upcoming year(s) calendars.
• All dates will be booked on a first-come, first-served basis. No dates may be "rolled" over or considered to be guaranteed from one year to the next. This policy does not apply to University Academic Ceremonies.

Mandatory Requirements

• All events held on the SMU campus require sponsorship by an officially recognized campus organization. Sponsorship must be acquired by the client.
• Evidence of commercial general liability insurance naming SMU as an additional insured is required to use the facility. Specific limits/requirements are attached.
• The Auditorium Technical Director, Assistant Technical Director, and Stage Hands are required for all events utilizing the stage, house sound and/or house lighting systems. Stage Hand minimums are: three Stage Hands for speeches; five Stage Hands for ballets and/or concerts. Depending upon event complexity, additional Stage Hands may be required.
• A minimum of two SMU Police Department officers are required when audiences occupy the Auditorium. During increased threat levels the SMU Police Department will evaluate each event and determine required police staffing levels.
• Usher Staff must be on site anytime there is an audience. Usher Staff will be provided on site one and a half hour prior to the performance. One usher is required at every patron entrance or exit door at the conclusion of each performance. The total number of ushers required will be determined by Auditorium Management.
• The client must designate ONE person as the contact for the event. All information, questions, etc. for the event must be channeled through this liaison.

House Policy Notice

Tractor/trailer & bus movement into or out of the McFarlin Memorial Auditorium loading dock and adjacent parking lot is forbidden between the hours of 8:00am and 5:00pm on weekdays without written permission from Auditorium management. Multiple day use of McFarlin Memorial Auditorium may require remote parking of tractor/trailers and buses. Any deviation from this policy notice will result in a fine of $500.00 and group is subject to lose eligibility for future Auditorium usage.
• The use of theatrical smoke, dry ice, fog, strobe lights or lightning effects must be approved by the Auditorium Technical Director and communicated to the Manager no later than 72 hours prior to curtain time.
• Candles, open flames, flammable substances, pyrotechnics, etc., are not allowed at McFarlin Memorial Auditorium. Balloon releases/drops are forbidden.
• No food or drinks are allowed inside the Auditorium.
• No banners are allowed either inside or outside of the building without the express written consent of the manager.
• McFarlin Auditorium is a smoke-free, non-alcoholic venue.
• No tape, adhesives or fasteners of any kind may used on surfaces in audience or public areas of the building, this includes the lobby areas. Any deviation from this policy must be in writing from the Manager of the Auditorium.
• Promotion and ticketing are the sole responsibility of the event promoter/presenter.
• No food (including bake sale items) is allowed to be served to the general public without approval from the Manager of the Auditorium. A written request for approval must be submitted to the Manager at least thirty working days in advance of the event. All food must be pre-packaged.
• The Auditorium must have on file, thirty days prior to the event, a Certificate of Insurance with $1,000,000 General Liability, $500,000 Workers Compensation and SMU named as Additional Insured.
• The Management of the Auditorium reserves the right to bill the client for any damages that occur to the Auditorium. This may include additional cleaning fees to restore the house.
• The organ will not be removed from the orchestra pit unless an orchestra will be part of a performance. Special permission for removal may be granted at the discretion of the Director.
• Usage and/or the running of video, lighting, or sound cables as well as electrical cords in the Auditorium must be approved by the Manager of the Auditorium to ensure compliance with safety measures as well as Fire Code.
• McFarlin Memorial Auditorium to receive 10 complimentary tickets per performance, to be used at the discretion of the Auditorium Management. These tickets are to be in a preferred location and delivered to McFarlin Memorial Auditorium no later than one week prior to event. Should said tickets not be used, the management reserves the right to return them to the box office.
• Due to the exclusive contract between the University and Coca-Cola of North Texas, products brought on to the campus, i.e. McFarlin Auditorium must be Coke or Coke related products, Dasani water or Minute Maid juices.
• Food and drink sales are not allowed in the main lobby. Concessions may be sold in the lower lobby only. All concessions must be pre-packaged approved by Auditorium Management. Merchandise sales are permitted in the main lobby.
• No adhesive materials are allowed on building surfaces.
• University policy states SMU reserves the right to charge for on-campus parking at special events. The fee is $15.00 - $20.00 per car. Any parking questions or concerns can be addressed to SMU Parking and ID Services at 214-768-7275.
• Any items left at McFarlin Auditorium longer than three days following a performance become Auditorium property and clients are subject to a $50.00 storage fee added to the building invoice.
• It is the sole responsibility of the client to make any vendor brought on site aware of all the building practices and polices.
• No vendor (photographer/videographer, etc.) will be allowed access to the Auditorium or stage without the stage crew present.
• The Manager must be notified by the client of any vendors scheduled to use lobby areas. Notification must be provided of vendor's schedule prior to arrival/set-up. Any set-up needs for vendor must be included in the Front of House requirements form and any fees associated will be charged to the client. Unless proper notification and approval is received, Management reserves the right to refuse access to vendors.

These are the McFarlin Memorial Auditorium rental rates for the August 2024 - June 2025 season. Please reach out to McFarlin Management for specific event inquiries.

McFarlin Memorial Auditorium Rental Rates