diff --git a/web/src/app/sok/page.tsx b/web/src/app/sok/page.tsx
index 90e5b03..fa0e6d3 100644
--- a/web/src/app/sok/page.tsx
+++ b/web/src/app/sok/page.tsx
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import { Suspense } from "react";
 import { connection } from "next/server";
 import { getClient } from "@/app/client";
 import { uncached } from "@/lib/revalidation";
@@ -10,17 +11,27 @@ import { graphql } from "@/gql";
 
 // TODO: seo metadata?
 
-// Results depend on the query in the URL, so the route renders per request
-// and is allowed to block
-export const instant = false;
+// The results depend on the query in the URL and render per request; the
+// heading and the search field around them are prerendered
+export const ensureStatic = "shell";
 
-export default async function Page({
+type SearchParams = Promise<{ q?: string }>;
+
+export default function Page({
   searchParams,
 }: {
-  searchParams?: Promise<{
-    q?: string;
-  }>;
+  searchParams?: SearchParams;
 }) {
+  return (
+    <main className="site-main" id="main">
+      <Suspense fallback={<SearchShell initialQuery="">{null}</SearchShell>}>
+        <Search searchParams={searchParams} />
+      </Suspense>
+    </main>
+  );
+}
+
+async function Search({ searchParams }: { searchParams?: SearchParams }) {
   const { q: query } = (await searchParams) ?? {};
   // search always runs at request time
   await connection();
@@ -80,16 +91,14 @@ export default async function Page({
   }
 
   return (
-    <main className="site-main" id="main">
-      <SearchShell initialQuery={query ?? ""}>
-        {query ? (
-          <SearchResults
-            results={results}
-            totalCount={totalCount}
-            query={query}
-          />
-        ) : null}
-      </SearchShell>
-    </main>
+    <SearchShell initialQuery={query ?? ""}>
+      {query ? (
+        <SearchResults
+          results={results}
+          totalCount={totalCount}
+          query={query}
+        />
+      ) : null}
+    </SearchShell>
   );
 }
diff --git a/web/src/components/events/EventIndexView.tsx b/web/src/components/events/EventIndexView.tsx
index ec731cc..91757da 100644
--- a/web/src/components/events/EventIndexView.tsx
+++ b/web/src/components/events/EventIndexView.tsx
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { connection } from "next/server";
 import { VenueFragment } from "@/gql/graphql";
 import { cmsQueryForToday } from "@/app/client";
 import { EventContainer } from "@/components/events/EventContainer";
+import { EventListSkeleton } from "@/components/events/EventListSkeleton";
 import { PageHeader } from "@/components/general/PageHeader";
 import {
   EventCategory,
@@ -49,8 +50,7 @@ export function EventIndexView(props: EventIndexViewProps) {
   return (
     <main className="site-main" id="main">
       <PageHeader heading="Dette skjer på Chateau Neuf" align="left" />
-      {/* the fallback reserves the list's height to keep the footer in place */}
-      <Suspense fallback={<div style={{ minHeight: "100vh" }} />}>
+      <Suspense fallback={<EventListSkeleton />}>
         <RequestTimeEventContainer {...props} />
       </Suspense>
     </main>
diff --git a/web/src/components/events/EventListSkeleton.tsx b/web/src/components/events/EventListSkeleton.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..d083cb7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/web/src/components/events/EventListSkeleton.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import { Icon } from "../general/Icon";
+import styles from "./eventContainer.module.scss";
+
+// Stands in for the event list while it streams in. The toolbar is the real
+// markup, so the cards start at exactly the height they will end up at; the
+// cards have the real image ratio and room for a typical title and date
+export function EventListSkeleton() {
+  return (
+    <div className={styles.events} inert>
+      <div className={styles.eventWrapper}>
+        <div className={styles.displayOptions}>
+          <div className={styles.displayButtons}>
+            <button className="button toggler hasIcon" data-active>
+              <span>Vis liste</span>
+              <Icon type="list" />
+            </button>
+            <button className="button toggler hasIcon" data-active={false}>
+              <span>Vis kalender</span>
+              <Icon type="calendar" />
+            </button>
+          </div>
+          <div className={styles.filterButtons}>
+            <button className="button tertiary">
+              <span>Filter</span>
+              <Icon type="filter" />
+            </button>
+          </div>
+        </div>
+        <ul className={styles.eventList}>
+          {Array.from({ length: 6 }, (_, i) => (
+            <li key={i} className={styles.skeletonItem}>
+              <div className={styles.skeletonImage} />
+              <div className={styles.skeletonText} />
+            </li>
+          ))}
+        </ul>
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/web/src/components/events/eventContainer.module.scss b/web/src/components/events/eventContainer.module.scss
index df3a8dd..4894789 100644
--- a/web/src/components/events/eventContainer.module.scss
+++ b/web/src/components/events/eventContainer.module.scss
@@ -20,6 +20,35 @@
   padding-bottom: var(--spacing-section-bottom);
 }
 
+// mirrors a large EventItem (eventItem.module.scss): image, then text
+.skeletonItem {
+  list-style: none;
+  margin-bottom: 1rem;
+}
+
+.skeletonImage {
+  padding-top: 60%;
+  margin-bottom: var(--spacing-xs);
+  background-color: var(--color-background-secondary);
+}
+
+.skeletonText {
+  // a two-line title and a date; real cards vary with the title's length
+  height: 5rem;
+  background:
+    linear-gradient(var(--color-background-secondary) 0 0) 0 0.4rem / 80% 1.2rem,
+    linear-gradient(var(--color-background-secondary) 0 0) 0 2.2rem / 55% 1.2rem,
+    linear-gradient(var(--color-background-secondary) 0 0) 0 4rem / 30% 0.8rem;
+  background-repeat: no-repeat;
+}
+
+@media (max-width: 1200px) {
+  .skeletonText {
+    // titles wrap less in the wider one- and two-column cards
+    height: 4.4rem;
+  }
+}
+
 .displayOptions {
   display: flex;
   flex-wrap: wrap;