diff --git a/src/components/ActivityTicker.astro b/src/components/ActivityTicker.astro
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..1e6edfd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/ActivityTicker.astro
@@ -0,0 +1,88 @@
+---
+import type { TickerItem } from '../lib/format';
+
+interface Props {
+  items: TickerItem[];
+}
+
+const { items } = Astro.props;
+// Duplicate the list so the keyframe translateX(-50%) lands at the start of
+// the second copy, giving a seamless wrap. If empty, render nothing — the
+// page hides the strip entirely rather than showing "no activity".
+const doubled = items.length > 0 ? [...items, ...items] : [];
+---
+{items.length > 0 && (
+  <div class="ticker" aria-label="Recent council activity">
+    <div class="ticker-track">
+      {doubled.map((it) => (
+        <span class="ticker-item">
+          <span class="ticker-dot" style={`background:${it.dotColor}`} aria-hidden="true"></span>
+          <span class="ticker-name">{it.name}</span>
+          <span class="ticker-phrase">{it.phrase}</span>
+          <span class="ticker-time label-sm">{it.relative}</span>
+        </span>
+      ))}
+    </div>
+  </div>
+)}
+
+<style>
+  .ticker {
+    position: relative;
+    overflow: hidden;
+    padding: var(--space-3) 0;
+    -webkit-mask-image: linear-gradient(90deg, transparent, black 6%, black 94%, transparent);
+            mask-image: linear-gradient(90deg, transparent, black 6%, black 94%, transparent);
+  }
+
+  .ticker-track {
+    display: inline-flex;
+    gap: var(--space-6);
+    white-space: nowrap;
+    animation: ticker-scroll 38s linear infinite;
+    will-change: transform;
+  }
+
+  .ticker:hover .ticker-track {
+    animation-play-state: paused;
+  }
+
+  @keyframes ticker-scroll {
+    from { transform: translateX(0);    }
+    to   { transform: translateX(-50%); }
+  }
+
+  .ticker-item {
+    display: inline-flex;
+    align-items: baseline;
+    gap: var(--space-2);
+    font-size: var(--text-body-sm);
+    color: var(--on-surface-variant);
+  }
+
+  .ticker-dot {
+    align-self: center;
+    width: 6px;
+    height: 6px;
+    border-radius: var(--radius-full);
+    flex-shrink: 0;
+  }
+
+  .ticker-name {
+    font-weight: 600;
+    color: var(--on-surface);
+  }
+
+  .ticker-phrase {
+    color: var(--on-surface-variant);
+  }
+
+  .ticker-time {
+    color: var(--on-surface-muted);
+    letter-spacing: var(--tracking-wide);
+  }
+
+  @media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
+    .ticker-track { animation: none; }
+  }
+</style>
diff --git a/src/lib/format.ts b/src/lib/format.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3e2c4b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/format.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,87 @@
+import type { ActivityKind, ActivityRow, Role } from './db.js';
+
+/** "2m ago" / "3h ago" / "5d ago" / "just now". */
+export function relativeTime(iso: string, now: Date = new Date()): string {
+  const ms = now.getTime() - new Date(iso).getTime();
+  const m = Math.round(ms / 60_000);
+  if (m < 1) return 'just now';
+  if (m < 60) return `${m}m ago`;
+  const h = Math.round(m / 60);
+  if (h < 24) return `${h}h ago`;
+  const d = Math.round(h / 24);
+  return `${d}d ago`;
+}
+
+/** "Maya Rasmussen" → "Maya R." (single-word names unchanged). */
+export function redactName(fullName: string): string {
+  const parts = fullName.trim().split(/\s+/);
+  if (parts.length === 1) return parts[0];
+  const last = parts[parts.length - 1][0] ?? '';
+  return `${parts[0]} ${last}.`;
+}
+
+/** Tenure as "2 years, 4 months" / "8 months" / "12 days". */
+export function tenureSince(iso: string, now: Date = new Date()): string {
+  const start = new Date(iso);
+  const ms = now.getTime() - start.getTime();
+  const days = Math.floor(ms / (24 * 60 * 60 * 1000));
+  if (days < 31) return `${days} day${days === 1 ? '' : 's'}`;
+  const months = Math.floor(days / 30.44);
+  if (months < 12) return `${months} month${months === 1 ? '' : 's'}`;
+  const years = Math.floor(months / 12);
+  const remMonths = months % 12;
+  if (remMonths === 0) return `${years} year${years === 1 ? '' : 's'}`;
+  return `${years} year${years === 1 ? '' : 's'}, ${remMonths} month${remMonths === 1 ? '' : 's'}`;
+}
+
+/** "MONDAY · 11 MAY" — uppercase day-of-week + day + short month. */
+export function pulseDateLabel(now: Date = new Date()): string {
+  const day = new Intl.DateTimeFormat('en-GB', { weekday: 'long', timeZone: 'Europe/Copenhagen' }).format(now);
+  const date = new Intl.DateTimeFormat('en-GB', { day: 'numeric', month: 'short', timeZone: 'Europe/Copenhagen' }).format(now);
+  return `${day.toUpperCase()} · ${date.toUpperCase()}`;
+}
+
+/** Morning / afternoon / evening greeting based on Europe/Copenhagen hour. */
+export function timeOfDay(now: Date = new Date()): 'morning' | 'afternoon' | 'evening' {
+  const hour = Number(new Intl.DateTimeFormat('en-GB', {
+    hour: 'numeric', hour12: false, timeZone: 'Europe/Copenhagen',
+  }).format(now));
+  if (hour < 12) return 'morning';
+  if (hour < 18) return 'afternoon';
+  return 'evening';
+}
+
+// ── Activity ticker mapping ────────────────────────────────────────
+
+const ROLE_DOT: Record<Role, string> = {
+  pilot: 'var(--pigment-copper)',
+  cab:   'var(--pigment-terracotta)',
+  fenja: 'var(--pigment-indigo)',
+};
+
+export function dotForRole(role: Role): string {
+  return ROLE_DOT[role];
+}
+
+export interface TickerItem {
+  dotColor: string;
+  name: string;
+  phrase: string;
+  relative: string;
+}
+
+export function tickerItem(row: ActivityRow, subjectLabel: string | null): TickerItem {
+  const phrases: Record<ActivityKind, string> = {
+    voted:               subjectLabel ? `weighed in on “${subjectLabel}”` : 'cast a pulse vote',
+    rsvped:              subjectLabel ? `is coming to ${subjectLabel}`    : 'RSVP’d to an event',
+    booked_office_hours: 'booked office hours',
+    roadmap_shipped:    subjectLabel ? `shipped ${subjectLabel}`          : 'shipped a roadmap item',
+    pulse_opened:       subjectLabel ? `opened: “${subjectLabel}”`        : 'opened a new pulse',
+  };
+  return {
+    dotColor: dotForRole(row.actor_role),
+    name: redactName(row.actor_name),
+    phrase: phrases[row.kind],
+    relative: relativeTime(row.created_at),
+  };
+}