Shortly after 19 o'clock, the guests of honor entered to the sound of organ and trumpet. The remaining 1,250 guests had already taken their seats at the tables in the Blue Hall of Stockholm City Hall.
The King, the Queen, the Crown Princess, Prince Daniel, Prince Carl Philip, Princess Sofia, Princess Madeleine, and her husband Chris O'Neill are all in attendance.
The Crown Princess Victoria is seated next to chemistry prize winner David Baker, and the permanent secretary of the Royal Academy of Sciences, Hans Ellengren, has the Queen at his table. The King has the chairperson of the Nobel Foundation, Astrid Söderbergh Widding, as his dinner companion.
This year's Nobel chef, Jessie Sommarström, has composed a menu together with pastry chef Frida Bräcke, featuring, among other things, goat cheese, quenelle of chicken, Swedish apples – and porridge.
The latter ingredient has attracted attention and is described as a "modern cultural porridge made from clipped grain, wild and cultivated mushrooms".
During the evening, there will also be entertainment, or divertissement, as it is called in Nobel contexts. This year, the power of inspiration is being celebrated through dance and music in four acts. Laleh will perform new music together with dancers from Base23 and solo musicians. Bo Wastesson has also contributed new music.
The prize winners' speeches will begin at 22.35, if the schedule is kept. At 23 o'clock, the dinner will be broken, after which the guests will move from the Blue Hall to the Golden Hall, where there will be dancing.
