Summer at Liseberg: Attendance, Incidents and a Cautious Comeback
The summer season at Sweden’s largest amusement park, Liseberg, drew a strong crowd into Gothenburg, with just over 1.4 million visitors by August. After two challenging years marked by the Oceana water-park fire and ensuing debt, the once-communally owned operator is showing signs of improvement, even if the path remains bumpy in places.
More Ejections and Safety Enforcement
One notable trend this summer was the rise in visitors being refused entry or removed under police regulations. From week 16 through week 36 last year, 458 incidents were logged. In the same period this year, the figure rose to 862. While the numbers have increased, Liseberg’s communications chief, Clara Rosendahl, cautions against reading a clear trend from a single season. “Siffrorna för avvisningar har gått upp men det är fortfarande på väldigt låga nivåer sett till antalet gäster. Vi har en nolltolerans mot de som bryter mot våra regelverk och då syns det i statistiken,” she says, underscoring the park’s emphasis on rule enforcement and data collection.
Other Incident Categories and Shifts in the Pattern
In other categories, incidents involving abuse of ride bands or stubs stayed roughly level with last year—83 versus 85. However, the tally of people reported for pushing ahead in queues increased, from 127 to 181. Reports of threats, violence or nuisance between guests or toward staff also edged up slightly, while the number of people who managed to enter without paying dropped a bit. Taken together, the patterns illustrate a focus on safety and orderly operations during a season that carried extra operational risk due to ongoing construction and the Oceana project.
Oceana Aftermath, Grand Curiosa and the Turn in Finances
Financially, Liseberg has faced headwinds in recent years, posting deficits in 2023 and the prior year largely due to depreciation tied to the Oceana fire. This year tells a different story. The interim report through August shows revenue beating budget, even though attendance was slightly below last year’s level. The year-to-date result stands at 109 million kronor, about 72 million above budget, driven by stronger sales and a leaner staff complement compared with the previous year.
Strategically, occupancy at the new Grand Curiosa hotel has held up remarkably well—around 99 percent on average from midsummer until mid-August—despite Oceana still being under construction after the February fire. The strong hotel performance is a bright spot amid the broader project’s lingering insurance and structural questions.
Insurance, Legal Matters and Leadership Outlook
In the wake of the fire’s fallout, Liseberg has taken legal action, suing Trygg-Hansa in court and seeking to recover just over a billion kronor that the insurer has so far rejected. As Liseberg’s chief executive, Andreas Andersen, told DN, the year has been “shaken,” but there is a sense of forward momentum: “We are on the right path with both the business and Oceana. We are closing in on a positive bottom line in our projections.”
Looking Ahead for a Tourism-Driven Summer
Industry observations linked to the broader tourism season suggest a recovery driven by foreign visitors, with Norwegians and Germans contributing to the upturn. For Liseberg, the challenge remains to sustain the improving financial trajectory while continuing to balance safety, guest experience and the complex legal and insurance landscape shaped by the Oceana episode.
