Norwegian island’s plan to abolish time was a tourism campaign, despite 69 days of daylight

Sommarøy, a fishing village above the Arctic Circle, experiences the midnight sun in summer and polar nights in winter.

A small Norwegian island once proposed becoming a “time-free zone”, allowing people to break away from conventional schedules during the summer. Sommarøy, located above the Arctic Circle, experiences 69 days of continuous daylight every year, when the sun does not set.

Norway’s Sommarøy sees no sunset for 69 days. (Representative Image/Unsplash)

However, the campaign, launched in 2019, was not quite what it first appeared to be, as the BBC reported.

Why Sommarøy wanted to become time-free

Sommarøy is a fishing village about 56 km west of Tromsø in northern Norway. Its name translates to “Summer Island”, and around 300 people live there. From May 18 to July 26, the sun stays above the horizon, creating the phenomenon known as the midnight sun.

With daylight lasting through the night, people can go for walks, swim or spend time outdoors at unusual hours. Fishermen may also organise their work around their activities rather than a conventional nine-to-five schedule.

In 2019, a campaign proposed making Sommarøy the world's first time-free zone. The idea was to relax conventional schedules during summer and allow residents to make the most of the long daylight hours.

Watches were displayed on a bridge leading to the island as a symbol of the proposal.

The truth behind the time-free campaign

The campaign was orchestrated by Innovation Norway, the country's tourism promotion agency. While some islanders took part, others were reportedly unaware of the initiative. The agency issued an apology after its involvement became public, as reported by the BBC. Innovation Norway also apologised for the Sommarøy story.

The proposal was never a practical plan to eliminate time altogether. Schools, shops, hotels and other essential services would still need schedules to operate.

The campaign nevertheless brought international attention to Sommarøy and drew interest in its unusual summer daylight.

How the midnight sun changes everyday life

Sommarøy's summers bring continuous daylight, while winters offer the opposite experience. During the polar night, the sun remains below the horizon for an extended period. According to Visit Norway, northern Norway also offers opportunities to see the Northern Lights.

The long summer days allow residents and visitors to spend time outdoors well into the night, while the changing seasons shape everyday life on the island.

Despite the 2019 campaign, Sommarøy never officially abolished time. Its unusual daylight offers a glimpse into life above the Arctic Circle, where the changing seasons bring striking differences in daylight hours.