Inside Sommarøy, Norway’s experiment with living beyond the clock Story by The Atlantic

According to a story by The Atlantic columnist Shayla Love, the Norwegian island of Sommarøy has become an unlikely symbol of humanity’s complicated relationship with time. Located above the Arctic Circle, the fishing village experiences extremes that challenge conventional schedules: from mid-May to late July, the sun never sets, while from November to January it barely rises.

During the summer’s “midnight sun,” Sommarøy looks more tropical than polar. Wildflowers bloom across green grass, children fish late at night, and kayakers glide across glassy water long after midnight. It was this surreal rhythm of light and dark that inspired a group of residents, in 2019, to propose making Sommarøy the world’s first “time-free zone,” a place where activities would no longer be dictated by the clock.

The idea drew global attention. As Love reports in The Atlantic, nearly 1,500 news outlets covered the petition, portraying the island as a haven from modern stress. Kjell Ove Hveding, a local resident, declared in a press release, “There’s no need to know what time it is,” even posing with a broken clock. Images of watches hanging from a bridge reinforced the message of liberation from time.

Yet the reality was more complicated. Sommarøy still runs on schedules: the grocery store and café have set hours, hotels follow standard check-in times, and smartphones tell the time as anywhere else. Investigations by Norwegian broadcaster NRK later revealed that the campaign had been supported by Innovation Norway, a state-owned tourism promoter, and amplified by public relations firms. The watches on the bridge, NRK reported, belonged to a handful of people and were removed after photographs were taken.

Despite the controversy, many residents insist the idea reflects how life already feels on the island. “The life we live is real,” said Marianne Solbakken. “How can you be inside when the sun is shining at 11 o’clock in the evening?” Olivier Pitras, who runs a bed-and-breakfast and kayak tours, said flexible timing comes naturally. Groups might hike at midnight, eat dinner at dawn and sleep during the afternoon.

Love situates Sommarøy within a broader human history of timekeeping, noting that rigid clock time is a relatively recent invention. While modern societies depend on precise coordination, Sommarøy’s environment encourages something closer to what researchers call “event time,” where activities happen when they feel right rather than at predetermined hours.

The appeal, Love suggests, lies in control and freedom. Visitors often arrive from cities defined by deadlines and schedules. “Most people who come here live in cities, and there’s a big rush,” said café owner Gjertrud Tvenning Gilberg. Sommarøy may not truly exist outside time, but as The Atlantic concludes, it offers a rare pause — a reminder that the clock is not the only way to live.

By Tamilla Hasanova