Join us in celebration of outstanding research in the humanities, social sciences, law and theology. The 2026 Holberg Week takes place 1–4 June in Bergen.
The annual Holberg Week takes place in the beginning of June as a celebration of the Holberg Prize Laureate, the Nils Klim Prize Laureate, and the Holberg School Programme finalists.
The 2026 Holberg Prize is awarded to Lyndal Roper, Regius Chair of History at the University of Oxford. The Nils Klim Prize is awarded to Majse Lind, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Aalborg.
The Award Ceremony for the prizes will be held in the University Aula in Bergen on 4 June 2026. In addition to the open events, we have several events that are by invitation only. Please see the overview below. Details on each event will be made available on the respective event pages.
PROGRAMME
Tuesday 2 June
The Holberg Symposim: ‘Where is History Moving? New Directions in Writing the Past’
Date: Tuesday, 2 June
Time: 09:00–12:00
Venue: The University Aula in Bergen
Livestream: YouTube
Academic symposium held in honour of the 2026 Holberg Laureate, Lyndal Roper. The Laureate introduces the topic, followed by presentations by invited guests, a panel discussion and in the end an open Q&A session.
Speakers:
- Lyndal Roper, 2026 Holberg Laureate, and Regius Chair of History Emeritus at the University of Oxford
- Annette Kehnel, Professor and Chair of Medieval History, University of Mannheim
- Barbara D. Savage, Professor Emerita of Africana Studies, University of Pennsylvania
- Sunil Amrith, Renu and Anand Dhawan Professor of History, Yale University
The event will be moderated by Bjørn Enge Bertelsen, Professor of Anthropology, University of Bergen, and Academic Director of the Holberg Prize.
The Nils Klim Symposium: ‘Storying the Person in a Mental Health Crisis’
Date: Tuesday, 2 June
Time: 13:00–15:00
Venue: The University Aula in Bergen
Livestream YouTube
This event is held in honour of the 2026 Nils Klim Laureate Majse Lind. The Laureate’s lecture is followed by presentations by invited guests, a panel discussion and a Q&A session.
Speakers:
- Majse Lind, 2026 Nils Klim Prize Laureate, and Associate Professor of Psychology, University of Aalborg
- Elisabeth de Moor, Assistant Professor of Developmental Psychology, Tilburg University
- Rikke Amalie Agergaard Jensen, Assistant Professor of Psychology, University of Southern Denmark
- Annabel Bogaerts, Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Developmental Psychology University of Amsterdam
An Evening with the Holberg Prize
Date: Tuesday, 2 June
Time: 18:00–19:15
Venue: House of Literature in Bergen
Livestream: YouTube
This event will feature the 2026 Holberg Laureate Lyndal Roper and the 2026 Nils Klim Laureate Majse Lind in conversation about their background, their research and their experiences from academia.
Wednesday 3 June
The Holberg Masterclass: ‘Bodies, Gender, Psyche, Movement’
Date: Wednesday, 3 June
Time: 10:00–12:00
Venue: The University Aula in Bergen
Livestream: YouTube
The Holberg Prize offers scholarships for five PhD candidates in the Nordic countries to participate in a masterclass with the Holberg Laureate, Lyndal Roper. Each participant will be asked to prepare a 5-minute presentation related to the theme chosen by the Laureate. After the presentations there will be a panel discussion. A list of the participants will be published soon.
The Holberg Lecture
Date: Wednesday, 3 June
Time: 14:00–15:00
Venue: The University Aula in Bergen
Livestream: YouTube
Lecture by the 2026 Holberg Laureate, Lyndal Roper. This is the Laureate’s academic statement during the Holberg Week.
Award Ceremony for the Holberg School Programme
Date: Wednesday, 3 June
Time: 18:00–19:00
Venue: Bergen Cathedral School
20 upper secondary schools and around 1000 students from all over Norway participate in the Holberg School Programme each year. During the ceremony the first, second and third Student Prize are announced, as well as the Teacher’s Prize. The Award Ceremony is open to anyone who is interested. The event will be conducted in English.
Thursday 4 June
Award Ceremony for the 2026 Holberg Prize and Nils Klim Prize
Date: Thursday 4 June
Time: 14:00–15:00
Venue: The University Aula in Bergen
Livestream: YouTube
The Official Award Ceremony for the Holberg Prize and the Nils Klim Prize. The ceremony will be followed by a short reception. This event is open to all but requires registration, and it will be livestreamed.
Minister of Research and Higher Education Sigrun Aasland will confer the Holberg Prize and the Nils Klim Prize upon the 2026 Laureates, Lyndal Roper and Majse Lind.
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CLOSED PROGRAMME
In addition to the main Holberg Week programme, there are a number of closed events for invited guests only. Please register via the link in your personal invitation (email sent from Holbergprisen / The Holberg Prize).
Please note that the invitation to the Government Banquet is sent separately.
If you have not received a personal invitation or suspect you are missing some options in the registration form, please contact the Holberg Prize Secretariat at info@holbergprisen.no.
Reception at Schøtstuene
Date: Monday, 1 June
Time: 18:00–19:00
Venue: Schøtstuene
This reception is hosted by the City of Bergen and will take place at Schøtstuene, where Hanseatic merchants based in Bergen met to share meals and hold meetings. Light refreshments will be served. By invitation only.
Dinner at the House of Literature
Date: Tuesday, 2 June
Time: 19:30
Venue: The House of Literature in Bergen
Rector at the University of Bergen hosts a dinner for the Holberg Prize at the House of Literature, room Fossestova. The Holberg School Programme participants will enjoy an informal dinner at restaurant Colonialen in the House of Literature. By invitation only.
Seminar for the Holberg School Programme
Date: Wednesday, 3 June
Time: 09:00–14:00
Venue: Tårnsalen, Bergen University Museum – Natural History.
This is a closed seminar where the Holberg School Programme finalists and the Teacher Prize recipient discuss their respective research projects. The students’ teachers and Research Contacts also participate. The Nils Klim Laureate traditionally also visit the students. By invitation only.
Celebratory Dinner for the Holberg School Programme
Date: Wednesday, 3 June
Time: 19:15
Venue: Bergen Kunsthall and Landmark Café
The recipients of the student and teacher’s prizes and selected guests are invited to a reception at Bergen Kunsthall, followed by a celebratory dinner at Landmark Café. There will be a musical performance and speeches during the dinner. The event will be conducted in English. By invitation only.
The Holberg Prize Banquet
Date: Thursday, 4 June
Time: 18:15–22:30
Venue: Haakon’s Hall, Bergen
Banquet in honour of the Holberg Laureate and Nils Klim Laureate, hosted by the Norwegian Government. Please note that there will be sent a separate invitation to this event. By invitation only.