Midnight sun is when the sun lays over the horizon around the clock. At North Cape the sun is up to 1800 hours without setting, but midnight sun is so much more than just sunny nights. The fact that the day never ends does affect the mindset of our beloved northerners. The locals wake up to life, many festivals are being held, and the people no longer have vision of time and place. Life just is, and pretty good.

Why do we have midnight sun?

The midnight sun is affected by how the earth and the sun move in relation to each other. You´ve probably heard that earth is slightly sloping? This means Northern Norway is facing the sun in the summer. In the winter it is the opposite, then the earth is turned away from the sun – which indicates a darker season which is called polar night.

For how long does the midnight sun occur?

The duration of the midnight sun in the summer increases with the distance from the polar circles in the direction of the pole points. North Cape is the northernmost point on mainland Europe and will therefore have longer summer days with midnight sun than southern destinations.

At North Cape, there is midnight sun from 12th of May till 31th of July.

There is no secret that the population on Magerøya wakes up to life when the most breathtaking summer nights brighten up the island. Did you know that sun around the clock suppress the production of Melatonin? No? Melatonin is the hormone which makes us tired and is a part of preparing our bodies to rest and fall into deep sleep. In other words, more sun makes us happier when the days get longer and nights bright up. The population on Magerøya likes a good party, and when the sun never sets it is difficult to know when get back home within a descent time. Do not despair, we are able to sleep through sunny nights, just upgrade with a solid curtain, then everyone makes it through the night.

The ultimate midnight sun experience

Experiencing midnight sun is not common for the most of us. There is something so unique with sunbathing in the middle of the night. With good weather and calculations, you will have the opportunity experience on of the island´s many prides, the midnight sun.

Tips for the ultimate midnight sun experience

• Always check out the weather forecast here
• Dress according to the conditions, the weather can change rapidly and be quite windy on top of the world.
• Interact with the tourist information or the locals for the best places to spot the midnight sun. We can recommend the fishing village Gjesvær or the North Cape Plateau for the most epic midnight sun experiences.
• At least, remember to calculate enough time on our beautiful island. Perhaps the weather is bad, but will be a clearing during the evening or the day after?
• Life is best on vacation, and for those who awaits something good, don’t wait forever