The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony
The scenery in the Main Hall undergoes a major transformation for the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony, with special textiles and extravagant floral arrangements including flowers from San Remo.
The Nobel Prize has been presented at Konserthuset on 10 December every year since 1926, apart from during World War II, when the awards ceremony was cancelled for two years due to the conflict.
The scenery in the Main Hall is extensively overhauled for the Nobel Prize Award Ceremony, with special textiles and extravagant floral arrangements including flowers imported directly from San Remo, just as Alfred Nobel wished.
During the ceremony, the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra performs from a specially constructed stage in the choir loft, beneath the organ. The podium is covered by the signature blue Nobel carpet, to accommodate members of the Swedish Academy, Nobel Prize recipients and the Royal family. A statue of Alfred Nobel forms the focal point on stage, and the great organ is decorated with a grand cockade in the colours of Sweden and Norway. At the time when Alfred Nobel passed away, Sweden and Norway formed a union (which would dissolve in 1905), which is why the Peace Prize is presented in Oslo.
Prizes are awarded at Konserthuset in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine and literature, in addition to the Swedish National Bank Award in memory of Alfred Nobel, that is, the Nobel Prize in Economics, which was added in 1969.
Each recipient is given a Nobel medal as well as a personal, hand-painted certificate, by His Royal Majesty Carl XVI Gustaf. The laureates are given the opportunity to rehearse ahead of the big day, although without the King himself in attendance.
The Nobel Prize Award Ceremony is broadcast on many TV channels around the world, and the event generates considerable global interest. Regular Nobel Tours are held at Konserthuset in English to meet this interest.
Nobel Prize Concert
The Nobel Prize Concert is a classical music concert of the highest international standard, arranged every year by Nobel Media in cooperation with Konserthuset Stockholm. The concert is part of the official Nobel Week program and held in honor of the current year's Nobel Laureates.
Information about the Nobel Prize Concert (opens in new window)