Nobel Week is a series of events held in early December to honour Nobel Prize laureates, culminating in prize award ceremonies on December 10, in Stockholm, Sweden, and in Oslo, Norway. The week also features other events, including the Nobel Prize lectures by the laureates, the grand Banquet at Stockholm City Hall, the Nobel Prize Concert, light art, and the Nobel Week Dialogue. Many of the events can be accessed through live streams.
The formal ceremonies, where laureates receive their Nobel Prizes, medals, and diplomas, take place on December 10, known as Nobel Day, and the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death. Prizes for Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature, and the prize in Economic Sciences are awarded in Stockholm. The Nobel Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo.
Nobel Week also includes the public light art festival, Nobel Week Lights, which showcases installations inspired by the laureates’ work and takes place in Stockholm during December. The laureate-focused events during Nobel Week are:
Nobel Day award ceremonies The official prize-giving ceremonies take place on December 10 in Stockholm and Oslo. The official award ceremony culminates the week’s events and takes place on the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.
Nobel Prize Banquet The grand formal Banquet held on December 10 in Stockholm City Hall is sometimes called “The feast of feasts.” According to tradition, the laureates are seated with members of the royal family. The guest list, with many prominent names, has grown significantly since the first Banquet in 1901. The event features different décor and menus each year, and attracts approximately 1,300 guests.
Nobel Prize Lectures The laureates share the background and significance of their prize-winning work through public lectures held at various institutions.
Public and dialogue events
Nobel Week Dialogue The Nobel Week Dialogue 2025 is a one-day event in Gothenburg, Sweden, on December 9, with the theme “Health for All.” It will bring together Nobel Prize laureates, scientists, policymakers, and innovators to discuss how to achieve equitable, effective, and sustainable healthcare in the 21st century.
Nobel Calling Stockholm A ten-day public event in Stockholm that celebrates the Nobel Prizes with a programme of lectures, lab visits, concerts, and guided tours. The Nobel Prize Museum organises the event in collaboration with institutions such as Stockholm University and the Stockholm School of Economics, and it takes place each October, around the time the Nobel Prizes are announced. The events highlight scientific research, promote dialogue, and offer opportunities to make the world of science and research more accessible to the public.
Nobel Week Lights The art festival is lighting up Stockholm during the darkest time of the year – a free cultural experience for all. The light festival invites international and local artists, designers, and students to create public light artworks inspired by the Nobel Prizes and the laureates’ work. The installations illuminate various buildings and public spaces in the city.
“The public light art festival, Nobel Week Lights … showcases installations inspired by the laureates’ work”
Music during Nobel Week
Music holds a deep and multifaceted importance in Swedish culture, playing a key role in national identity, social life, education, and even the country’s global reputation. Unsurprisingly, Nobel Week reflects this.
The Nobel Prize Concert An annual classical music event on December 8 is held as part of the festivities and to honour the Nobel Prize recipients. The concert at the Stockholm Concert Hall is part of the official Nobel Week programme and features world-leading musicians and conductors performing works by various composers.
Nobel Prize Banquet The Divertissement at the Nobel Prize Banquet is a series of artistic performances, including music and dance, held during the annual Nobel Banquet in Stockholm City Hall. The purpose of the divertissement is to provide artistic entertainment between courses of the meal. These performances are a key part of the Banquet’s entertainment. And just like the menu, the details and performers of the divertissement are kept secret until the event itself.
Each year’s divertissement follows a specific theme that connects the performances and the floral arrangements. The performing artists are Swedish and may include musicians, dancers, singers, and theatrical performers, and the music can be classical, contemporary, or themed. After the formal dinner and performances conclude, guests traditionally move to the dance floor in the Golden Hall.
Silent Disco Walks During this free event, which is part of the Nobel Week Lights initiative, participants dance to live-mixed music through their headphones as they walk to view light installations around Stockholm.
Other events
Nobel Prize Museum On Nobel Day, the museum is filled with festive activities, and you can follow the live broadcast of the Nobel Prize ceremony from the Stockholm Concert Hall.
Exhibition: These things changed the world For the first time, the Nobel Prize Museum is displaying a large selection of artefacts from its collection of Nobel Prize laureates. These objects tell stories of remarkable discoveries and life achievements. Over 250 artefacts bear witness to revolutionary inventions, courageous peace efforts, groundbreaking ideas and innovative literature.
