News

Ig Nobel prize ceremony set to move from ‘unsafe’ US to Europe indefinitely

By 2026-03-11T09:30:00

Marc Abrahams in his signature top hat presents the Ig Nobel prize ceremony. On stage with him is a woman in silver body paint wearing a chainmail bikini and holding a torch.

Source: © Matthew Healey/UPI/Alamy Stock Photo

Issues with visas for attendees has led to the satirical award moving from its home at Harvard University

Organisers of the satirical Ig Nobel prize have announced that this year’s prize ceremony will instead be held in Switzerland, rather than in the US, where it has been held since the prize began in 1991. Concerns about US travel visas for attendees is behind the decision, with the move coming as Donald Trump suspends visa processing from 75 countries, including those in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and eastern Europe.