1958 Nobel Banquet in Stockholm City Hall's Golden Hall
The first banquet, for 113 male guests, was held in 1901[6] and until 1923 it was known as the Nobel Dinner (Swedish: Nobelmiddagen).[7] Until 1930 the banquet was held in Vinterträdgården at Stockholm's Grand Hôtel Royal,[8] and it has also been held in the Golden Hall of the Swedish Academy (Svenska Akademien).[9]
During the dinner (usually four hours long) each Nobel Prize recipient makes a speech, often lighthearted in character.[7] There are two ceremonial toasts: the Loyal toast to the Swedish monarch and the other, made by the monarch, in memory of Alfred Nobel.[10] The speeches and toasts are presented by the banquet's toastmaster, traditionally a Swedish student who holds the job for four years.[11][12]
Service during the banquet is provided by waiting staff, chefs, and others who are trained for several weeks.[9] Since the 1970s, flowers for the banquet have been provided by the Italian city of Sanremo (where Nobel lived during his final years).[13] They are grown in the province of Imperia in the Liguria region of Italy.[14]
In late July 2020, it was revealed that the banquet would be cancelled for that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15][16] This was the first time the banquet was cancelled since 1956.[15]
In September 2021, it was announced that the banquet of 2021 will also be postponed, again due to the pandemic.[17] In 2022, the banquet will return after a two-year break.[18] For 2022, the ambassadors to Sweden from Belarus, Russia and Iran would not be invited to join the banquet.[19]
