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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 Spa Business magazine
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 Spa Business magazine
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
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
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.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
