Merkel and EU's Costa guests of honour at annual Hamburg banquet

Former German chancellor Angela Merkel and European Council President António Costa are expected as guests of honour at the traditional St Matthias Day Banquet hosted by the city of Hamburg at city hall on Friday evening.

The focus of the banquet is the sovereignty of the European Union at a geopolitical turning point, the city's administration said.

A total of around 400 guests from politics, business, science and culture are expected to attend.

The St Matthias Day Banquet is the world's oldest banquet still celebrated, the city of Hamburg said.

First held in 1356

The name refers to St Matthias Day, which was traditionally celebrated on February 24. It was considered the start of the business year in the Middle Ages.

The city's councillors were given new tasks, and the new mayor was chosen from among them. The city fathers are said to have first hosted the banquet in 1356. However, the tradition was interrupted for more than 200 years from 1724 onwards for unclear reasons.

Today, one foreign and one German guest of honour are always invited. Last year, EU Competition Commissioner Teresa Ribera and the economist and one of Germany's Five Sages Monika Schnitzer were the main banquet guests.