Weather -4 °C, wind 4 m/s. 20:23

Weatherchecked 20:02, 21 min agoYr

-4 °C now, wind 4 m/s, gusts 6, dry. 21:00 -5, 00:00 -5, 03:00 -8

Flights 4 flights today, next DY391 to Oslo 16:15, departed 15:55

Flightschecked 20:02, 21 min agoAvinor

14:15 SK4490 from Oslo, landed 14:00

15:00 SK4491 to Oslo, departed 14:50

15:30 DY390 from Oslo, landed 14:58

16:15 DY391 to Oslo, departed 15:55

Ships None today or tomorrow, next Amalia 17 November; 4 at the quay, 5 in Isfjorden at 20:23

Shipschecked 20:02, 21 min agoPort Longyear, Kystverket AIS

Booked: no calls today or tomorrow. Next listed: Amalia, bulk carrier, 17 November, 12:00.

In Isfjorden at 20:23, 5 ships: Loran, fishing, at the quay in Longyearbyen since 15:40; Longyear 2, port tender, under way in Adventfjorden, 1 kn, 20:21; Advent Supplier, port tender, at the quay in Longyearbyen, 20:20; Elling Carlsen, pilot, at the quay in Longyearbyen, 20:20; Polarsyssel, law enforcement, at the quay in Longyearbyen since 14:51.

Longyearbyen · 78.22 N 15.63 E

Svalbard Wire

Est. 2026

Everything said about Svalbard, in one place

Monday 9 November 2026No. 15Updated 20:23

Daylight on 9 November: none, polar night, day 14. Polar night, day 14 of 112. The sun returns 16 February.

Polar night, day 14 of 112. The sun returns 16 February.

SpecialRussia on SvalbardPeople, coal, the treaty and the plans, in maps, numbers and archive pictures.Photo: Mozzihh, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Church

Bishop to begin Svalbard visitation, first since 2015

Bishop Stig Lægdene of the Diocese of Nord-Hålogaland will begin an official visitation of Svalbard Church and Longyearbyen on Tuesday 10 November, the Church of Norway said.

Svalbard Church, a red church with a tall spire, stands in front of a snowy hillside, with a cable tower and parked cars nearby.
Svalbard Church, with its tall spire, in front of a snowy hillside. File picture, April 2022. Photo: Bjørn Christian Tørrissen, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons.

Den norske kirke, 5 November, 02:12

The full story

Safety and preparedness

Governor must collect rescue costs on bought insurance

Justice and Preparedness Minister Astri Aas-Hansen set out that Svalbard's tourist insurance rule has imposed strict liability for rescue costs since 1991.

Rescue, Tourism, The Governor

Stortinget, 9 November, 16:22. Original title: Besvart av justis- og beredskapsministeren: Vil statsråden avklare om regelverket pålegger Sysselmesteren å kreve refusjon i alle tilfeller, eller om det fortsatt er adgang til å utøve skjønn ved innkreving, med de konsekvenser en slik praksis kan få for beredskap, sikkerhet og ansvarlig reiseliv?

In town

Meetings, culture, lectures

Numbered discs: the day's listed events.

Graphic: Svalbard Wire · Sources: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)Base map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).

Monday 9 November

  1. 111:00
  2. 217:30

    Theme evening on exclusion and bullying

    Lecture. Longyearbyen kulturhus. Register by Registration through the link on the Longyearbyen Community Council page (the link itself is not given in the page text). Registration through the link on the Longyearbyen Community Council page (the link itself is not given in the page text).

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

Ongoing

  1. 3Daily

    Kåre Tveter: An Artist's Gaze on Svalbard (exhibition)

    Daily, in opening hours. Exhibition. Nordover kunstsenter og kino. in person. Open daily in opening hours.

    Nordover kunstsenter og kino, calendar

  2. 4Daily

    Short film Cold Coasts: A Brief History of Svalbard Art & Culture

    Daily, in opening hours. Exhibition. Nordover kunstsenter og kino. Ticket included in the admission price, or can be bought separately.

    Nordover kunstsenter og kino, calendar

Coming up

  1. 10 NovTue, 11:00
  2. 10 NovTue, 18:00
  3. 10 NovTue, 19:00

    Evening mass

    Church. Svalbard kirke.

    Svalbard kirke

  4. 11 NovWed, 09:00

News

15 on 9 November, 11 on 8 November
Health

Svalbard Turn raises NOK 5,000 in moustache run

Father's Day was marked with the Blue Ribbon and a moustache run. Svalbard Turn collected 5000 kr for the Cancer Society to increase knowledge about prostate cancer. Thanks to everyone who took part May be an image of ski slope, arctic and text. May be an image of text Shared post Torbjørn Staff Fantastic initiative

Svalbard Turn on Facebook, 8 November, 19:47. Original title: Farsdagen ble markert med Blå sløyfe og barteløp. Vi samlet inn 5000 kr til kreftforeningen for å øke kunnskapen om prostatakreft. Takk til alle som deltok

Sport

Svalbard Isfjord Swim 2026 held in Longyearbyen

Svalbard Isfjord Swim 2026 is history!! Thanks to everyone who has been in action making Svalbard Isfjord Swim happen. This creates a desire to settle and stay and is an extremely important part of Longyearbyen. Thanks to everyone for being a fantastic host to our guests from the mainland and showing us at our best, you are great Well done! See less May be an image of swimming and pool Shared post

Svalbard Turn on Facebook, 8 November, 18:35. Original title: Svalbard Isfjord svøm 2026 er historie!! Takk til alle som har vært i action med gjennomføringen av Svalbard Isfjord svøm.

Earlier, from 6 November

  1. Business

    Lompensenteret gets new name and closes gift card sales

    Thon Senter, 6 November, 19:00. Original title: Lompensenteret blir Thon Senter Svalbard

  2. After coal

    Fiskaa asks if Mine 7 plant can stay as heritage

    Written question no. 528 from Ingrid Fiskaa (SV, Socialist Left Party) to the Minister of Trade and Industry. Dated 6 November 2026, sent 6 November 2026. Status: under consideration. Source: the Storting, data.stortinget.no (NLOD).

    Stortinget, 6 November, 12:48. Original title: Vil regjeringa la oppredningsverket ved gruve 7 bli ståande som eit landemerke og kulturminne etter gruvedrifta i Longyearbyen?

  3. Workers

    Minimum wage for cleaners takes effect in Longyearbyen

    Frifagbevegelse, 6 November, 06:00. Original title: Renholderne på Svalbard kan kreve minstelønn

  4. Polar bear

    Monitoring tracks bird flu in Svalbard wildlife

    Forskning.no, 6 November, 00:03. Original title: Derfor er det viktig å overvåke fugleinfluensa på Svalbard

Svalbard on screen

New videos from channels in Longyearbyen

  1. Welcome to a place you didn't know existed on Svalbard!

    Ciao It's Giulia, 9 November. Thumbnail: Ciao It's Giulia

  2. Svalbard: the hardest part

    Ciao It's Giulia, 8 November. Thumbnail: Ciao It's Giulia

  3. The First Week of Polar Night on Svalbard

    Cecilia Blomdahl, 8 November. Thumbnail: Cecilia Blomdahl

  4. What residents think of Svalbard

    Ciao It's Giulia, 7 November. Thumbnail: Ciao It's Giulia

  5. Polar Night Explained! (3 months of darkness on an island near the North Pole)

    Cecilia Blomdahl, 6 November. Thumbnail: Cecilia Blomdahl

  6. How do you sleep when the sun never sets on Svalbard?

    Ciao It's Giulia, 6 November. Thumbnail: Ciao It's Giulia

All videos and the channels

Services and deadlines

Who is affected, until when, what to do

  1. Deadline for temporary installations applications, 2026-2027 winter season

    6 days left, 24 October to 15 November. Applications are sent to firmapost@sysselmesteren.no.

    For: Those applying to set up temporary installations for camping by the general public for one week or more during the winter season.

    Governor of Svalbard

  2. Application deadline: regional cultural fund grants

    2 days left, 30 October to 11 November. Application form linked on the Longyearbyen lokalstyre page.

    For: Teams, associations, businesses and other actors registered in the Central Coordinating Register for Legal Entities (Enhetsregisteret) and active in Longyearbyen.

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

  3. Registration deadline for the UNIS, hva nå? seminar, 10 November

    1 day left, 3 November to 10 November. Register via the website of NVP (NVPs nettside).

    UNIS, news listing

  4. Water shut-off near the Customs House and Fire Station

    Today, on 9 November. Owners and businesses are asked to register contact information for the property at Varslemeg.no.

    For: Subscribers and owners of properties, commercial buildings, shops and businesses affected by the work.

    Longyearbyen lokalstyre

  5. Application portal opens for experienced Svalbard guides

    4 days left, on 13 November.

    For: Experienced guides applying for approval as a Svalbard guide.

    Governor of Svalbard

Sysselmesteren (the Governor of Svalbard)

  1. Office closed on Friday 6 November

    4 November. Governor of Svalbard

  2. Glacier inspection

    3 November. Governor of Svalbard

  3. Traffic ban lifted

    2 November. Governor of Svalbard

  4. Yellow warning for rain on Saturday

    30 October. Governor of Svalbard

Tours

Livechecked 20:16, 7 min ago1 departure still to go from 20:23.All operators

All tours

21:001 departure
  1. 21:00

    Northern Lights Photo Safari

    Svalbard Photography8 places leftVisit Svalbard booking system

    1,300 NOK per personBook

Departures, prices and places from each operator's own booking system; where an operator has none, from the Visit Svalbard booking system.

History

The island's past

This week in history, 12 November

1942

Shipwrecked crews land at Kapp Linné and Hopen

On 12 November 1942 a lifeboat from the British steamer Chulmleigh, wrecked on a reef off Sørkapp, was thrown ashore at Kapp Linné, at the mouth of Isfjorden; nine of its men were found alive there by a Norwegian patrol on 2 January 1943. On 14 November a lifeboat from the Soviet steamer Dekabrist landed on Hopen, where four of its crew lived through the winter.

History Store norske leksikon

From the timeline, The coal town

1989

The company town ends

For a long time Longyearbyen was a company town, where the mining company ran most of the activity and the infrastructure. In 1989 the typical community services were split off into their own companies.

History Store norske leksikon

The timeline by era

  1. 1596Discovery and whaling, 3 entries
  2. 1715Hunting and expeditions, 4 entries
  3. 1905The coal town, 6 entries
  4. 1920The Svalbard Treaty, 4 entries
  5. 1941War and rebuilding, 4 entries
  6. 1975The modern town, 3 entries
  7. 2015The present transition, 6 entries

Open the history of Svalbard, 30 entries in 7 eras