On most days, the harbour, fishing boats and the road along Súgandafjörður set the pace in Suðureyri. For three days in August, actors’ voices, music, dance and the bustle of family events added a different rhythm. Act Alone came to the village from 6 to 8 August 2026, and all events were free to attend.
Act Alone is not confined to a single hall. Its main venue is Félagsheimili Súgfirðinga, the local community hall listed as FSÚ in the programme. Some events also take place outside the building and elsewhere in Suðureyri. The festival brings performers, residents and visitors together — inside the hall, outside FSÚ and around the village.
Act Alone, the organiser’s website
A festival centred on one performer
Act Alone was founded in 2004 by actor Elfar Logi Hannesson. The first festival was held in Ísafjörður. In 2012, it moved to Suðureyri, which has remained its main home ever since.
The festival began with solo theatre and one-person performances. Over time, the programme expanded to include concerts, dance, poetry, storytelling, magic, exhibitions and events for children. One principle has remained unchanged: all events are free. Visitors can attend a single event, stay for the evening or plan a full day in Suðureyri around the festival.
What the 2026 programme contained
The official timetable listed more than 20 programme items across three days. Rather than reproduce it in full, we selected a few moments that show the character of the festival.
Thursday: a shared meal and a Polish-language solo performance
The festival opened on Thursday, 6 August, outside FSÚ. After a concert and an exhibition opening, the programme moved to a fish feast and the official opening of Act Alone at 18:16. The festival started around a shared table before the performances moved on stage.
At 20:51, the programme listed Clean Girl, a 61-minute solo performance in Polish. It was a particularly important part of the programme for the Polish community in the Westfjords and for Polish-speaking visitors to the region. Later that evening came dance, a concert by Ásta and a midnight film screening.
Friday: theatre in different forms
Friday’s programme opened at 18:31 with Sálmurinn um blómið, a 120-minute performance including an interval. At 21:01 the programme listed the Norwegian solo performance STAR XVI, followed later by Gamall, a concert by Halldór Smárason and a stand-up set by Eyþór Bjarna.
The evening showed that “solo” does not mean a single tone or style. Text, movement, music, humour and object theatre can all find a place within the same form.
Saturday: family events and the festival finale
Saturday opened at 9:01 with Vestfirski fornminjadagurinn, the Westfjords Archaeology Day, at Skáli Hallvarðs Súganda. The programme also included events for children and families, such as a magic show by Jón Víðis Jakobsson at 15:41 in FSÚ.
Later in the day the programme turned to jazz, poetry, theatre and concerts. DEAD AIR was listed at 21:41, and the final concert with Ragnhildur Gísladóttir and Halldór Gunnar was scheduled for 23:11.
The free festival bus
The organiser provided a free bus between Ísafjörður and Suðureyri. In Ísafjörður, the bus departed from the Nettó car park. In Suðureyri, it departed from Fisherman.
| Date | Ísafjörður → Suðureyri | Suðureyri → Ísafjörður |
|---|---|---|
| 6 August | 17:46 | 00:41 |
| 7 August | 17:51 | 00:41 |
| 8 August | 12:31 and 18:31 | 18:01 and 00:21 |
The timetable was checked on 2 August 2026 and is kept here as a historical record. The organiser’s information about the free bus.
What the programme offered visitors
All events were free to attend. Some were in Icelandic, Clean Girl was performed in Polish, and the programme also included a Norwegian production. Saturday offered the widest selection of events for children and families.
The character of Act Alone is clearest in the way the festival blends into everyday life in Suðureyri. It does not stand apart from the village; for three days, it becomes part of it.
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