Sævar says eclipse preparations drove him to breaking point

Sævar Helgi Bragason, known as Stjörnu-Sævar, says he broke down several times while preparing for Wednesday’s total solar eclipse, mbl.is reported. He has spent two years working intensively on preparations and public education, but says he received far less support than he had hoped for.

Sævar, who is a guest on mbl.is’s Dagmál programme, said he was nevertheless pleased to see the nation united in its interest in the natural phenomenon. The eclipse is visible over western Iceland during the sixth hour of the day. It has been 72 years since the last total solar eclipse in Iceland, and the next one will not occur for another 170 years.

Although the weather forecast for the capital area is disappointing, Sævar said the experience would still be extraordinary. He has seen total solar eclipses four times abroad and said even cloudy conditions do not necessarily prevent people from witnessing them.

During one eclipse in Indonesia, the sky was completely overcast until breaks appeared in the cloud cover, allowing the eclipse to be seen through the gaps. He said the same could happen in southwestern Iceland, where clouds have gathered.

“You do not need perfect weather. Gaps are all we need,” Sævar said.

He said people who had witnessed eclipses through cloud cover described the experience as powerful and extraordinary, like a sudden night in the middle of the day. He encouraged people to make the most of the occasion and hold parties around the eclipse. Sævar plans to toast with champagne afterwards.

Sævar said he began preparing after the partial eclipse in 2015. He subsequently urged municipalities, the authorities and tourism companies to take part in preparations for this year’s total eclipse.

Over the past two years, he and a small team have worked intensively to produce educational material, including content on the website solmyrkvi2026.is. He said he had expected many people to join him in making the most of the event, but found the lack of support deeply disappointing.

He described the project as a private initiative of which he was proud, saying it had nevertheless succeeded in sparking the interest of an entire nation. He also referred to an educational project about the eclipse for children and said he had applied for numerous grants.