Fastsittning

Fastsittning is a Swedish term referring to a seating arrangement at events where participants are assigned specific seats and are expected to remain seated for the duration of the event. The word combines fast, meaning fixed, with sittning, meaning sitting or seating. In practice, fastsittning is commonly used at formal banquets, ceremonies, and other occasions where order and timing are important.

In many contexts, fastsittning is part of a broader tradition of structured seating arrangements during a festivity or official gathering. Seats may be assigned according to rank, function, or group membership, and the flow of service, speeches, and courses is planned to align with the fixed seating. The practice often accompanies ritual elements, toasts, and coordinated courses, helping organizers manage crowd movement and interaction.

Benefits of fastsittning include improved service efficiency, clearer sightlines for speakers, and reinforced social order or hierarchy as appropriate to the event. Potential drawbacks are reduced opportunities for mingling and interaction, and the need to accommodate guests with accessibility requirements or late arrivals without disrupting the arrangement.

Variations exist depending on tradition and setting. Some events use numbered cards or color-coded indicators to denote seats, while others rely on a host or steward to assign positions upon entry. Although closely related to festsittning, the more common term for a formal banquet is festsittning, with fastsittning referring specifically to the fixed seating aspect within such occasions.

See also: seating arrangement, banquet, ceremony, protocol.