FESTIVAL WALKS

NIGHT LIGHT WALKS

Trying to describe the grandness of the nightwalk in words is an impossible assignment. It is out there for you to absorb, inhale, and experience. Just follow the blue light around the festival area and pathways and enjoy the walk your way. The nightwalk blue light has developed into a tradition and trademark for Island Of Light Smögen, and we are very excited to welcome you back for another festival. You will find signs along the way for all the artworks, bathrooms, the café, cinema and other facilities and you can also find what you need on our interactive map

DAYLIGHT WALKS

Taking a walk around on the sland of Smögen is always a treat. During the festival days, the island life goes on as normal...but these ten days are also spiced up with all the installations for the art. At night the installations become invisible, so checking them out in broad daylight and see what the artists created and how they have solved the fact that their art gallery out here consist of brutal rocks, all kinds of weather and strong winds. So, walk the festival walk day and night and get two experiences for the price of one...

Here's a separate map with local restaurants, shops and other facilities.
 

CINEMA ON THE ROCKS

NATURE – THE CALL FOR A RECONCILIATION

AT 22.15  –  FRIDAY, SUNDAY, TUESDAY, THURSDAY, SATURDAY

We are truly excited to have been entrusted with the screening of Yann Arthus-Bertrand's film Nature at our rock cinema this year. Showing you the message carried within his film on a million-year-old solid rock completes a circle we so dearly want to convey during our festival.

This film traces the history of life – combining poetry, science and emotion with its cosmic origins to its evolution on our planet. Mirroring the wonders of biodiversity and the contemporary challenges it faces. Through spectacular images, Yann Arthus-Bertrand questions the paradoxes of our times and urges a collective transformation to reconcile humanity with nature.

Nature is a celebration of beauty, while beneath its spectacular images it exposes questions that become increasingly urgent: aren’t we a part of nature and what happened to our relationship with the living world? As human consumption, industrialisation and the destruction of ecosystems accelerate, the film confronts the paradoxes of modern civilisation and the consequences of our distance from nature.

This film sends us a deep impulse of reconciliation. Rather than placing humanity outside nature, Arthus-Bertrand asks us to recognise that we are part of the same fragile web of life. Science, poetry and personal testimony come together to suggest that another relationship is still possible – one founded on attention, responsibility and love.

In this sense, Nature becomes more than an environmental documentary. It is an invitation to change the way we look upon the Earth – not as a resource to be consumed, but as a living, astonishing presence of which we are only one part. Nature ultimately leaves us with a simple but powerful thought: reconciliation begins when we choose to look, to care, and to act.

LENGHT: 105 minutes
DIRECTOR: Yann Arthus-Bertrand
WRITERS: Yann Arthus-Bertrand, Jean-Pierre Bibring and Lauriane Galera
PRODUCED BY: Hope Production

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Yann Arthus-Bertrand is internationally recognised for combining photography, filmmaking and environmental activism. Among his most distinguished honours is the UNEP Champions of the Earth Award (2009), recognising his exceptional contribution to environmental awareness. In France, he has been awarded the Legion of Honour, the National Order of Merit, and the Order of Arts and Letters. He was also elected to the prestigious Académie des Beaux-Arts. Internationally, he received the Royal Geographical Society’s Cherry Kearton Medal and Award (2013). These distinctions reflect his influential career and his long-standing commitment to highlighting climate change, biodiversity, humanity and the urgent need for environmental protection.

SWEDEN'S SALTIEST COAST

AT 22.15 – SATURDAY, MONDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY, SUNDAY

Join us along the Bohus Coast in this new, unique documentary about Sweden’s saltiest sea. Marvel at the magical flora and fauna of Skagerrak and the abundance of life that thrives there. Explore our richest marine diversity with 6000 species in the Koster Fjord, which is actually 250 meters deep at its deepest point. Meet researchers and fishermen who discuss the threats and hopes for the environment and biological diversity. Be inspired by people cleaning the seabed and shores, recycling materials from waste, and creating new innovative products such as steering wheel covers, facade materials, watch straps, trawls, nets, and lobster pots. Learn about exciting projects aimed at helping cod, blue mussels, corals, and eelgrass.

The film has been screened in more than 75 locations and more than 10,000 people have seen it live. But no one has yet seen it screened onto a magnificent rock on Smögen...

 LENGTH: 72 minutes
SCRIPT AND NARRATOR: Stefan Edman
FOOTAGE AND PRODUCTION: Peter Muld
FOOTAGE: Lisa Sihlberg
UNDER WATER FOOTAGE: Tobias Dahlin, Elias Neuman

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Stefan Edman is a Swedish biologist, author, environmental educator and filmmaker, widely respected for his lifelong work communicating the importance of nature and biodiversity. He holds an honorary doctorate in technology from Chalmers University of Technology and has written more than 40 books. Since 2019, he has collaborated with Peter Muld on several acclaimed films, including Sweden’s Saltiest Coast.

Peter Muld is a Swedish filmmaker, photographer and producer whose work focuses strongly on nature, the sea and environmental issues. Through his own production company, Peter Muld Productions, he has created several documentaries with Stefan Edman, including Sweden’s Saltiest Coast. The film was selected for Germany’s Green Screen International Nature Film Festival, one of Europe’s leading nature-film festivals.

HIDDEN COLOURS OF SMÖGEN 

AT 21.00  –  EVERY NIGHT

Beneath the surface off Smögen lies a world of colours, shapes and life that most people never get to see. Join us on a gentle journey through the hidden beauty of the sea and discover why it is a world worth marvelling at – and protecting.

The film is a co-production by the Smögen-based diving club Dykarklubben Kleven and the Voice of the Ocean Foundation. At Voice of the Ocean, we are dedicated to advancing ocean science and promoting ocean literacy. Bridging science and storytelling, we conduct and support vital marine science and bring the ocean to life through inspiring creative work. Learn more at voiceoftheocean.org.

LENGTH: 12 minutes
PRODUCED BY: Voice Of The Ocean and Dykarklubben Kleven. Photo above by Johan Björklund.

ARCTIC CELLO

AT 21.15  –  EVERY NIGHT

Improvised cello performance by Sarah Smout as part of The Arctic Circle Residency, April 2025. Filmed at Lilliehöökbreen, Svalbard, in minus 11 degrees centigrades. Unusually warm.

The glacier used to be 22km wide and now she is only 11, split across three, due to climate change.

Sarah Smout improvised until her fingers froze and she could no longer feel them. It is not a perfect performance, but more a conversation with the drifting ice from recent calvings, and the waves that followed. The day was a gift, a way to acknowledge what is really held in this ice.

All glaciers need us – and we need them.

LENGTH: 8 minutes
PRODUCED BY: Ryan Sobkovich and Hope Byrd 

HIDDEN WORLDS

AT 21.25  –  EVERY NIGHT

Join us below the surface with award-winning underwater photographer and filmmaker Alex Dawson. He will take us on a journey through some of the world’s hidden underwater environments, from deep shipwrecks and sunken forests to caves, marine ecosystems and rarely seen underwater landscapes.

Alex is a former military diver and now an experienced technical diver, cave diver and rebreather diver. He travels the world documenting places that few people ever get the chance to experience. His work combines exploration, photography and film, capturing the beauty, scale and atmosphere of the hidden worlds below the surface.

Alex was named Underwater Photographer of the Year 2024 and works internationally as a Nikon Creator.

LENGTH: 8 minutes
PRODUCED BY: Alex Dawson
PHOTO: Alex Dawson

OH, HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS TO FLY 

AT 21.35  –  EVERY NIGHT

Original title: "¡Ay, qué bonito es volar!" – a famous refrain from "La Bruja," a traditional "son jarocho" folk song from Veracruz, Mexico. 

Delgado’s work reflects on movement, memory, and place, asking what it means to arrive somewhere new and how we might come into kinship with the land and one another. Her offering to the Arctic is both intimate and expansive, connecting global sounds with the specificity of the Northern landscape.

Join us for a magical experience that centers story, sound, and shared humanity.

LENGTH: 13 minutes
PRODUCED BY: Indra Arriaga Delgado

PLANKTON BY NATURE

AT 21.50  –  EVERY NIGHT

Enjoy the stunning and colorful close-up images of plankton from Erik Selander’s scientific missions on plankton, zooplankton, invasive species, and chemical and pelagic ecology. Erik is a member of the scientific community Sailing4Science – a concept where sailors, students, and scientists inspire, engage, and motivate people to connect with our ocean. A global network with a mission to share ocean insights and inspire people to adopt new ocean-friendly lifestyles. We also support building capacity with low-income countries by a frugal approach to ocean observations in their waters.

LENGTH: 8 minutes
PRODUCED BY: Sailing4Science with images by researcher Erik Selander.

OCEAN ARTIVISM 

AT 22.00  –  EVERY NIGHT

Who paints art on the hull of a sailboat down to the keel where only fish and divers can see it? 

The crew of the climate statement project 100% SunWindWater donated the sailboat’s hull as a canvas to Mexican graffiti artist Julia Maldonado, born in a diving family on the island of Cuzamel in the Gulf of Mexico., Julia took the challenge to her heart, using toxic-free coating in the only three colors provided.

Julia: "I was born and raised in a diving family and have seen my childhood coral reefs disappear, so it was very emotional to me."

The project sailed with 45 young crew members from five continents, focusing on six missions along the voyages: 100% fossil fuel-free, toxic-free, zero waste, solar food, gender equality and ocean artivism.

LENGTH: 8 minutes
PRODUCED BY: Bjorn Bertoft, Julia Maldonado and Guri Bigham. Underwater images by Alex Dawson. Diver Linn Månsson.

SPECIAL EVENTS

KAJAK LIGHT PARADE

FRIDAY 4TH,  STARTING AT 20.00  (FREE)

Enthusiasts from the Tjörn Kajak Club treat us generously every year with a spectacular kajak light parade through the bay of Smögen and out to the sea. Get in position to see them from 8 PM along their route in the middle of the festival area.

Location
Along the Smögenbryggan and canal.

BOAT RIDES – SEE ART FROM SEA

EVERY NIGHT: 20.30, 21.30 AND 22.30 

The local small-size passenger boat Calypso and its crew will take you out on a ride around Smögen for great views of the festival artworks. 12 guests can join on each ride and each ride lasts for approximately 50 minutes. First come first served so be ready to wait for the next one if it turns out full when you arrives. 

Tickets are sold onboard
Price children: 100 SEK
Price adults: 150 SEK

OPEN YACHT – SAILING4SCIENCE 

FRIDAY 4th, BETWEEN 10.00-18.00 (FREE)

The iconic sail racing 67ft yacht Hrimfare has been upcycled into a scientific ocean lab and visits our festival from Thursday to Saturday (3-5 Sept). They are on a scientific expedition and makes a special stop for the festival. On Friday  the 4th you are welcome meet the scientists from 7 countries and check out what their scientific mission – changes in plankton development and other biodiversity data collecting along the Swedish and Norwegian coast.

Location
On Smögenbryggan by Restaurant Skäret

OPEN HOUSE – MARINE RECYCLING CENTER

WEDNESDAY 9TH, BETWEEN 10.00-17.00 (FREE)

Old fishing gear gets a second chance and life
Sotenäs Marina Recycling Center develops sustainable solutions for marine waste and fishing equipment collected from all over the country. The work contributes to cleaner seas and coastal areas and creates local and important jobs. In addition to sorting processes and material recycling, new selective fishing gear with low environmental impact is developed in parallel with a number of different innovation projects – with the goal of achieving increased circularity.

The facility annually collects approximately 300 tons of fishing gear and other material from various cleanup projects.

A visit to the facility and its exhibition area is considered a useful eye-opener for all ages, where it is possible to see both the seriousness of the littering and the hopeful opportunities that actually exist among us, if we only take care of them.

The operation is part of the local innovation initiative "Sotenäs Symbioscentrum", whose goal is to be a leading player in maritime development where human encounters form the basis for the transition to a circular economy.

Location and accessibility
(Address and bus info)

OPEN HOUSE "FISHERMAN'S CABIN" 

SATURDAY 5th BETWEEN 13.00-16.00

Welcome to visit our authentic fisherman's cabin from the 1850s, which is now a museum run by the Smögens Hembygdsföreningen. There is also a photo exhibition "Bathing guest at Smögen".

In the fisherman's cabin, we show how a fishing family lived in the late 19th century. The fisherman Lars Johan Stranne built the cabin in 1850. It is a double house with a kitchen, cabin "stövva", kitchen pantry and a living room "stövvekammaren". On the second floor there is an attic, a summer room and two scrubs.

Guide:
Bengt

VISIT THE SMÖGEN PILOT'S LOOKOUT

FRI 4TH, SAT 5TH, FRI 11TH, SAT12TH – 13.00-15.00

Meet up with our locals Urban or Lars for a guided tour at the Smögen Pilot Lookout station and mini-museum. You will experience great views, hear peculiar stories and learn about the pilot's everyday challenges.

Information
Urban Larsson +46 70 633 18 37
Lars Bredin +46 70 731 53 85

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