Andreas Andersen joined Liseberg as chief executive in 2011 / Photo: Anna-Lena Lundqvist
Construction work is currently taking place on a new indoor waterpark at Swedish theme park Liseberg in the city of Gothenburg.
Designed by Swedish architects Wingårdhs, the €110m park – called Oceana – will operate all year round and will cover an indoor area of 13,600sq m and a further 4,000sq m outdoors.
Due to open in Q1 2024, Oceana will complete the second phase of Liseberg’s planned expansion, marking the park’s centennial in 2023. Work began in 2019 on the first phase, the park-integrated Liseberg Grand Curiosa Hotel.
Oceana will feature 14 separate attractions designed and manufactured by WhiteWater, including “the first six-person raft rides in Europe, and the highest mega-drop Master Blaster in the World,” according to Thomas Sjöstrand, CPO of Liseberg’s Expansion Project.
Liseberg opened in June after 14 months of closure due to the pandemic. Here Andreas Andersen, CEO of Liseberg, tells Attractions Management more about the project.
What will the opening of the Oceana waterpark and the Liseberg Grand Curiosa Hotel mean for Liseberg? It will first and foremost turn Liseberg into a full-year destination. We operate hotels and campsites today, and we have also extended the park opening hours to include Halloween and Christmas, but with the expansion project Liseberg will be able to draw guests 365 days a year. This is positive for the business – and also for the city of Gothenburg.
What will be special about the waterpark? How would you sum up what it will offer visitors? Can you highlight a couple of the most exciting features? It is one of the most ambitious indoor waterpark developments build in Scandinavia. We have prioritised world class rides – of which some are a first in Europe – but we also aim at creating a relaxing atmosphere for the whole family. The park is not themed per se but will feature a green oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city.
The design of the waterpark and hotel is inspired by the history of Gothenburg and the Swedish East India Company. How will that be seen in the design? Apart from greenery, rockwork and natural light, there will a lot of visual elements and storytelling inspired by the trade-history of Gothenburg. From a design perspective, it will be the east meeting west, and history meeting the present.
How has Liseberg been impacted by the pandemic? What do you expect the next couple of years to bring? Liseberg has been highly impacted by the pandemic. We have been closed down since January 2020, due to a legal glitch in the Swedish pandemic legislation. Fortunately we have a strong balance sheet, but the losses so far have been substantial.
What are you most excited about over the coming few years? We’ve been very excited about reopening; it’s been devastating being closed for so long. We’re also very much looking forward to opening the new hotel and waterpark in a few years’ time. We believe in the future of our industry – and these investments are a testament to that faith.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2021 issue 2
Museums: Museum of everything
At Depot Van Beuningen, a new kind of museum is taking shape, with the whole collection on show
Interview: Joe Pine
From mass customised itineraries to hybrid experiences, the pandemic is influencing attractions trends, says thought leader, Joe Pine
Disney: The Art of Marvel
Disneyland Paris has opened its new Marvel-inspired hotel. Art director Caroline May tells us what made it such a special project to work on
Interview: Nicolas de Villiers
As Puy du Fou opens its first park outside France, its president tells Attractions Management about his ambitious global plans and why China is next on his radar
Research: All creatures great and small
Large, charismatic animals drive footfall to zoos, but there are more unusual ways of boosting attendance, says Yvonne Buckley
Research: Power of youth
Teenage volunteers can help tween visitors get more out of their visits to science centres, new research shows
Disney: Reach for the stars
Dreamed up by Star Wars fans and brought to life by Disney Imagineers – a sneak peek at the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel experience
Research: Animal magic
A national study in Japan has shown how partnering with entertainment companies can help drive visits and donations to zoos
Museums: The way we live
London’s Museum of the Home has reopened after a major refurbishment. We hear from the architects and museum director
Andreas Andersen joined Liseberg as chief executive in 2011 / Photo: Anna-Lena Lundqvist
Construction work is currently taking place on a new indoor waterpark at Swedish theme park Liseberg in the city of Gothenburg.
Designed by Swedish architects Wingårdhs, the €110m park – called Oceana – will operate all year round and will cover an indoor area of 13,600sq m and a further 4,000sq m outdoors.
Due to open in Q1 2024, Oceana will complete the second phase of Liseberg’s planned expansion, marking the park’s centennial in 2023. Work began in 2019 on the first phase, the park-integrated Liseberg Grand Curiosa Hotel.
Oceana will feature 14 separate attractions designed and manufactured by WhiteWater, including “the first six-person raft rides in Europe, and the highest mega-drop Master Blaster in the World,” according to Thomas Sjöstrand, CPO of Liseberg’s Expansion Project.
Liseberg opened in June after 14 months of closure due to the pandemic. Here Andreas Andersen, CEO of Liseberg, tells Attractions Management more about the project.
What will the opening of the Oceana waterpark and the Liseberg Grand Curiosa Hotel mean for Liseberg? It will first and foremost turn Liseberg into a full-year destination. We operate hotels and campsites today, and we have also extended the park opening hours to include Halloween and Christmas, but with the expansion project Liseberg will be able to draw guests 365 days a year. This is positive for the business – and also for the city of Gothenburg.
What will be special about the waterpark? How would you sum up what it will offer visitors? Can you highlight a couple of the most exciting features? It is one of the most ambitious indoor waterpark developments build in Scandinavia. We have prioritised world class rides – of which some are a first in Europe – but we also aim at creating a relaxing atmosphere for the whole family. The park is not themed per se but will feature a green oasis in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city.
The design of the waterpark and hotel is inspired by the history of Gothenburg and the Swedish East India Company. How will that be seen in the design? Apart from greenery, rockwork and natural light, there will a lot of visual elements and storytelling inspired by the trade-history of Gothenburg. From a design perspective, it will be the east meeting west, and history meeting the present.
How has Liseberg been impacted by the pandemic? What do you expect the next couple of years to bring? Liseberg has been highly impacted by the pandemic. We have been closed down since January 2020, due to a legal glitch in the Swedish pandemic legislation. Fortunately we have a strong balance sheet, but the losses so far have been substantial.
What are you most excited about over the coming few years? We’ve been very excited about reopening; it’s been devastating being closed for so long. We’re also very much looking forward to opening the new hotel and waterpark in a few years’ time. We believe in the future of our industry – and these investments are a testament to that faith.
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2021 issue 2
Museums: Museum of everything
At Depot Van Beuningen, a new kind of museum is taking shape, with the whole collection on show
Interview: Joe Pine
From mass customised itineraries to hybrid experiences, the pandemic is influencing attractions trends, says thought leader, Joe Pine
Disney: The Art of Marvel
Disneyland Paris has opened its new Marvel-inspired hotel. Art director Caroline May tells us what made it such a special project to work on
Interview: Nicolas de Villiers
As Puy du Fou opens its first park outside France, its president tells Attractions Management about his ambitious global plans and why China is next on his radar
Research: All creatures great and small
Large, charismatic animals drive footfall to zoos, but there are more unusual ways of boosting attendance, says Yvonne Buckley
Research: Power of youth
Teenage volunteers can help tween visitors get more out of their visits to science centres, new research shows
Disney: Reach for the stars
Dreamed up by Star Wars fans and brought to life by Disney Imagineers – a sneak peek at the Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser hotel experience
Research: Animal magic
A national study in Japan has shown how partnering with entertainment companies can help drive visits and donations to zoos
Museums: The way we live
London’s Museum of the Home has reopened after a major refurbishment. We hear from the architects and museum director
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Disney has reaffirmed its commitment to investing US$30 billion in its US parks and cruise
business by 2033, using new America250 celebrations to underline the role its attractions play
in supporting jobs, tourism and economic growth.
Expo 2030 Riyadh is being planned as a permanent visitor destination, with organisers
confirming the six-million-square-metre site will become a Global Village after the event closes.
The owner of one of Australia's best-known waterparks has acquired a major competitor,
creating a new attractions business spanning two of the country's largest visitor destinations.
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
