A major fire broke out on February 12, 2024, at Liseberg Oceana Waterworld, the new water park that Liseberg is building in Gothenburg.
The fire originated at one of the water attractions outside the building and then spread throughout the building.
At a specially convened meeting on February 16, 2024, Liseberg’s board gathered to meet with Liseberg’s crisis management team to receive status reports about the fire at Oceana. During the meeting, the board was informed that a person reported missing had been found deceased.
“It is with great sorrow that the board has received the news that the fire most likely claimed Patrik Gillholm’s life,” said Kurt Eliasson, chairman of the board. “The loss of life puts everything into perspective, and our thoughts go to Patrik’s family and close friends.”
The board also wants to take the opportunity to highlight the great effort of the emergency service and the cooperation with the other stakeholders of the Oceana project since the fire broke out on Monday.
“We have felt tremendous support from everyone involved. The love that the people of Gothenburg and all of Sweden have shown for the project and Liseberg during this difficult time has been invaluable,” said Eliasson.
At the same time, Liseberg’s board must look forward. Regarding the future of Oceana, the consensus was complete. The ambition is for Oceana to be rebuilt.
“The fire was devastating, but it will not stop the development of the destination Liseberg. Liseberg is an important part of Gothenburg’s identity, and this project is a crucial component in the recovery of the West Swedish tourism industry. Therefore, the board has unanimously decided to instruct Liseberg’s management to investigate and start planning for how a reconstruction can take place,” said Eliasson.
“Over the past week, Liseberg’s crisis management team has been fully focused on the acute phase of the crisis. Now we are slowly moving forward, and as a unified board, we want to be clear about our intentions early on,” concluded Eliasson.
