The Prize Award Ceremony, Banquet and Ball were late in the week. They were preceeded by the Nobel Lectures plus a long series of receptions and parties, luncheons and dinners, press conferences, etc. There was a formal banquet in the Royal Palace hosted by the King and Queen (Laureates only!), as well as a luncheon for Profs. Reines and Rowland and their guests hosted by the US Ambassador.
The Prize Ceremony was of course the highlight. It was attended by the King and members of the Royal Family, the Laureates, members of the Swedish Academy, various ambassadors and officials, plus hundreds of the Laureates' family members and guests. The Prizes were individually awarded by the King, and were accompanied by readings of the award's history and citation plus fanfares and other music from the Stockholm Symphony.
The following banquet and ball were elegant affairs with music by the full Stockholm Symphony, a performance by the National Ballet, plus folk and children's singing and dancing. Toasts were offered by the King and many others.
There is popular interest in the Nobel activities in Scandinavia and in the rest of Europe. Many functions were televised live. CNN and Swedish TV produced a program "Nobel Minds - Challenges of the 21st Century". All of the Laureates plus "young people from all over the world" were involved in a lively discussion.
Students from Swedish Universities were also involved in many of the activities, and had opportunities to hear and talk with the laureates. A student dinner with drinking songs and rock music as well as displays spoofing the prizes and laureates was enjoyed by late night revelers.