María Corina Machado is reportedly heading to Oslo to receive the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, a trip drawing intense attention after months in hiding inside Venezuela. On Wednesday the 10th, about a thousand guests are expected at the ceremony, including King Harald and Queen Sonja, Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit, senior political and diplomatic figures, and Machado’s closest relatives. The program will also feature Venezuelan cultural tributes, with pianist Gabriela Montero performing “Mi Querencia” by Simón Díaz at Machado’s request, and singer Danny Ocean taking part as well.
© Anders BograadA high-risk trip to Oslo
The official events leading up to the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize ceremony start this Tuesday in Oslo. The prize will go to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who has confirmed she will travel from Venezuela even though she has been living in hiding.
Nobel officials see her trip as high risk. The Nobel Institute told EFE that Machado confirmed her attendance by phone after committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes warned the journey could be dangerous because of possible retaliation from Nicolás Maduro’s government. He also stressed the need to ensure she can return safely to Venezuela.
© AFP via Getty ImagesTuesday, December 9: Exhibition preview
The Nobel Peace Center has already initiated the three-day program. On Tuesday, December 9, the center will give the press a preview of its annual exhibition honoring the laureate, from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Oslo time, or 3:00 to 5:00 a.m. New York time. This year’s exhibition highlights Machado’s fight, and the broader Venezuelan opposition’s— for democracy, framed as part of a wider global slide toward authoritarian rule. The official opening is set for December 11, and it opens to the public on December 12.
© AFP via Getty ImagesTuesday, December 9: Press conference (currently delayed) and Nobel Committee dinner
At 1:00 p.m. in Oslo, or 7:00 a.m. in New York, Machado was expected to lead the traditional press conference at the Nobel Institute, a roughly 45-minute session where laureates share their initial reactions before the award ceremony, followed by a private meeting with the Norwegian Nobel Committee, a signing of the guest book, and a tribute dinner at the Grand Hotel hosted in her honor. The event was later delayed; organizers said, “The press conference with Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, scheduled for 13:00 CET today at the Norwegian Nobel Institute, will be postponed,” and added that they were “working under the assumption” that Machado “will be present at the press conference.”
Wednesday, December 10: Children’s Peace Prize
Wednesday, December 10, begins with the Children’s Peace Prize event run by Save the Children, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in Oslo, or 5:00 to 6:00 a.m. in New York. For the first time, it will be held outdoors in front of the Nobel Peace Center. Seventh grade students from Oslo will take part, and Princess Ingrid Alexandra will attend. Machado is included in the program.
Wednesday, December 10: People’s Peace Prize celebration
The afternoon brings the first public edition of the People’s Peace Prize celebration, from 12:30 to 5:45 p.m. Oslo time, or 6:30 to 11:45 a.m. New York time. City Hall Square will host concerts, talks, screenings, and a large outdoor broadcast of the main ceremony.
Wednesday, December 10: Nobel Peace Prize ceremony
At 1:00 p.m. in Oslo, or 7:00 a.m. in New York, the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony will take place at Oslo City Hall, the long standing venue for the award. Machado is expected to receive the diploma, medal, and monetary prize before about a thousand invited guests, including the royal family, senior officials, diplomats, and her close relatives.
Wednesday, December 10: Torchlight procession
That evening, a torchlight procession will run from 5:45 to 7:00 p.m. Oslo time, or 11:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. New York time, with the march itself starting at 6:15 p.m. in Oslo, or 12:15 p.m. in New York. It will go from the Nobel Peace Center to the Grand Hotel, where the laureate traditionally greets the crowd from the balcony. This year the event is organized by the Norwegian Venezuelan Justice Alliance after the resignation of the historic Norwegian Peace Council.
Wednesday, December 10: Gala dinner
The day ends with the Nobel Peace Prize gala dinner, an official banquet for more than 200 guests, hosted by Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette-Marit together with the prime minister and the president of parliament. It will take place in the evening in Oslo, which is late afternoon into evening in New York.
Thursday, December 11: Final activities
Final activities are scheduled for Thursday, December 11. Machado will visit the Norwegian parliament at a time still to be confirmed, meet with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and attend the official opening of the Nobel Peace Center’s annual exhibition dedicated to her life and work.
