Nobel Prize Banquet Toastmaster Role Held by Student

The toastmaster at the Nobel Prize Banquet in Stockholm City Hall is a rotating student position, currently held by Kamila Marzynska, a law student at Stockholm University. In her role, Kamila Marzynska introduces the Nobel laureates during the Banquet, and she leads the toasts by both Swedish King Carl XVI Gustaf and Astrid Söderbergh Widding, the Chairman of the Nobel Foundation.

Kamila Marzynska says that serving as toastmaster at the Nobel Banquet has given her new insights and confidence: “Feeling the audience’s attention is exhilarating. If I can command the stage here, I feel like I can do anything.”

As the excitement rises in the Blue Hall, famously used for the annual Nobel Prize Banquet, the moment has arrived. After the guests have enjoyed their dessert, it is time for the laureates to give their speeches. At this point, a marshal will escort them to the podium, where toastmaster Kamila Marzynska will introduce them in three languages: Swedish, the laureate’s native language, and English.

“The Nobel Banquet speech is likely the pinnacle of the laureates’ scientific journey. This moment means a great deal to them, and they may feel nervous. My role is to foster a warm, reassuring atmosphere so they feel at ease.”

Looking back on her experience overall, Kamila Marzynska describes standing at the podium as a special moment. From the podium, she observes the gathering, taking in the people, the celebrated scientists and the Swedish royal family, and describes the experience as stressful, surreal, and magical all at once.

Kamila Marzynska’s ties to the Nobel Prize run deep, which adds a personal dimension to her role. She comes from Poland, where the Nobel Prize was a frequent topic of conversation in her family home long before she was appointed toastmaster.

“My great-grandfather was a pioneering gastroenterologist in oncology. In 1927, he became the first director of a new radium treatment institute in Łódz and worked with Marie Curie there.”

Students’ Nobel Night Cap

The secret afterparty oasis

The students’ work at the Nobel Prize Banquet in Stockholm City Hall is a memory for life. Their efforts during the Banquet are crucial to both the atmosphere of the ceremony and its practical implementation, from presentations and speeches to logistics and party arrangements.

Their work includes serving as toastmaster and performing various volunteer assignments during both the Banquet itself and the afterparty. The person selected as the toastmaster receives special training and a year of preparation for the big evening.

The toastmaster, appointed by the Stockholm Student Union (SSCO) in collaboration with the Nobel Foundation, has a central and solemn task: present the laureates, lead the ceremony and toasts, allow the laureates to speak, and guide various parts of the programme, often in multiple languages depending on the prize winners. This role requires strong language skills, public performance abilities, and the capacity to handle ceremonial moments in Swedish, English, and laureates’ native languages. The volunteers – marshals and officials – assist with practical and logistical tasks during the dinner and related events.

The selected volunteers come from Stockholm University, KTH, the Stockholm School of Economics, and Karolinska Institutet. They have responsibilities such as greeting guests, handing out programme leaflets, opening car doors, assisting the flag bearers, and introducing speakers. The marshals have rehearsed their roles throughout the autumn to ensure that the evening’s events run smoothly.

During the Banquet, marshals and volunteers support key logistics: they assist flag bearers with water and glucose tablets, monitor event technology, and facilitate communication between the master of ceremonies and the hosts.

Serving at the Nobel Prize Banquet is seen as an honorary assignment, a lifelong memory for many students, and an opportunity to practice event management, representation, and social skills. The assignments provide students with experience and networking opportunities among international elite guests and experts.

The same evening, after the Banquet, students organise the Students’ Nobel Night Cap (SNNC), an exclusive afterparty with a secret theme, involving over 300 students in volunteer and organisational roles. The first SNNC attended by Nobel laureates was held in 1978. Ever since, the event has been organised entirely by university students and run on a purely voluntary basis.

The Student’s Nobel Night Cap is often called a secret oasis. After an intense week in the public eye, at this party, the Nobel laureates and their guests can finally relax, since no journalists are invited and photographs are prohibited. Meanwhile, students have the opportunity to experience the celebrations and the legacy of Alfred Nobel.

In addition to the Nobel laureates and students, the afterparty is attended by academics, politicians, and other prominent figures. The same formal dress code as during the prestigious Banquet is required for all guests: white tie.

The Kamila Marzynska quotes were sourced from an extensive interview in the Swedish Science magazine “Curie”, October 2025.