Gothenburg – The world’s most sustainable destination
For the sixth year in a row, Gothenburg ranks at the top as the most sustainable destination. On Wednesday, the results of the Global Destination Sustainability Index 2022 were revealed, in which 70 cities in the world participate. The Global Destination Sustainability Index (GDSI), a comparative ranking, was started in 2016 by the organization Global Destination Sustainability Movement. Since the start, Gothenburg has been placed at the top every time. Read more about Gothenburg – the world’s most sustainable destination.
2. Sweden’s Most Imaginative Family Hotel Opens in April: Liseberg Grand Curiosa
There’s a pony carousel in the restaurant, a slide right down into the lobby and a speakeasy cocktail bar at the new Liseberg Grand Curiosa hotel. This is a unique family hotel right next to Scandinavia’s biggest amusement park. At nine floors high and over 300,000 square feet in size, the star-shaped building has 457 rooms – all with at least five beds. Some rooms have six or seven beds, and there are connecting rooms for even larger groups. The theme park itself will also unveil a number of new features in 2023, when the park celebrates its 100th anniversary. Liseberg was originally a gift to the people of Gothenburg when the city turned 300.
3. Celebrate Gothenburg’s 400th anniversary
Gothenburg’s birthday is on June 4, and a major festival was held on June 2–5 this year.
With Gothenburg’s Anniversary Festival as the starting point, the 400 years celebrations continue all summer culminating with the Anniversary Final August 31 – September 3. The grande finale weekend consisted of several major events such as Gothenburg Culture Festival, Frihamnsdagarna, Gothenburg Jubilee Parade and the Göteborgsvarvet Marathon. Read more in our guide to the events.
3. The Maritime Museum and Aquarium
The Maritime Museum and Aquarium has been closed since 2018 to undergo its largest renovation and extension ever, and in December 2022 the gates were opened again to visitors. The museum opened with no less than six new exhibitions and a brand-new underground aquarium with ten times the volume of water than before, a living coral reef and the new exhibition The Ocean Planet. In the two children’s exhibitions Big blue and Knattegatt, children and their adults can discover and explore the sea together in imaginative environments. In addition, visitors are also welcomed by a new entrance, a museum park with larger green areas and a new bistro with outdoor seating.
5. Exciting space experiences at the new Wisdome
Wisdome is a dome theatre with world-leading visualization technology. The spherical wooden building on the roof of Universeum, Sweden’s national science centre, had already become a landmark in Gothenburg before its opening in July 2023. At Wisdome, we get to experience space and time travel, bombastic film effects and zoom in on the smallest of our components on a 360-degree screen. In addition to Wisdome, Universeum also features aquariums, a large indoor rainforest, and experiment rooms.
6. New open-air public pools in the harbour
The long-awaited public swimming area in the popular park Jubileumsparken will open in June 2023. The three pools floating in the river Göta älvare all bottomless and the water is purified using technical solutions that will allow visitors to swim in both fresh and salt water year-round. The pools are free of charge and have a capacity of 500 persons. The iconic public sauna is currently being renovated and will be open to the public, as well as the newly built large playground that opened in 2022.
7. Gothenburg’s highest located sky bar opens at the new Clarion Hotel Draken
The movie theatre that hosted Göteborg Film Festival for many years, The Draken Cinema, is not only being restored but will also feature a brand-new hotel. The 33-storey landmark will be topped with a sky bar and a rooftop terrace boasting views that stretch for miles and will be completed in fall 2023. Clarion Hotel Draken will be Gothenburg’s tallest hotel building, with 474 hotel rooms, 13 meeting rooms, a gym, spa and two restaurants. Read more at strawberryhotels.com.
8. Exciting new exhibitions
It isn’t only Liseberg that celebrates 100 years in 2023, many more of the city’s most famous museums and attractions were inaugurated when the city celebrated its anniversary in 1923 and thus turns 100 this year. At the Gothenburg Museum of Art, you can see a collection of works by the famous Gothenburg Colourists. The Gothenburg Botanical Garden is celebrating with a new garden, and the Natural History Museum, together with the Hasselblad Foundation, is creating an anniversary exhibition where photography is used to learn new things about nature.
9, Run the first Göteborgsvarvet Marathon in 2023
On September 3, the world’s biggest half marathon will become twice as long. The Göteborgsvarvet Marathon will be a unique and historic running event as Gothenburg’s anniversary celebrations come to an end. For those who are up for the challenge, the marathon will offer fantastic views of Gothenburg, taking in both sides of the river Göta älv.
10. Summer concert nights
In 2023, Gothenburg once again offers an unforgettable line-up of big shows. At Scandinavia’s largest out-door stadium Ullevi, there will be concerts with international artists all summer: Metallica, June 16 and 18, Bruce Springsteen June 24, 26 and 28 and Coldplay July 8–9, 11–12.
The music festival Way Out West is held in the city park Slottsskogen, August 10-12. The programme includes the biggest music stars, the hottest newcomers, film premieres, challenging conversations, great vegetarian food and a robust club programme called “Stay Out West”.
11. Three World Championships
Championships at home ground create unforgettable moments for both the players and the crowd. In 2023, no less than three world championships will be played in Gothenburg. 11–29 January 2023, the Men’s Handball World Championship will be played, with Gothenburg hosting Sweden’s group and main round between 12-22 January.
November 30–December 17, 2023, the Women’s Handball World Championship will be played at the same arena, Scandinavium in Gothenburg. The Swedish national team will play group games and the main round in Gothenburg with matches in Gothenburg between December 1–11.
2023 ends with the world’s future ice hockey stars. During the Christmas holidays 2023/2024, World Junior Ice Hockey Championships 2024 will be played in Gothenburg. Expect a big hockey party in town when the stars of tomorrow meet to fight for the gold!
12. Brew news in the beer city
A lot is happening in the craft beer scene in Gothenburg! The city hosts plenty of breweries, tap rooms and pubs with local beer. In 2023, Stigberget’s brewery will open a new tap room at Ringön, with room for concerts as well as food and beer directly from the tap. In addition, the small-scale brewery Barlind Beer on the island Björkö in the Gothenburg archipelago, will open its first tap room in an old ice warehouse during the spring.
13. The King of Sweden celebrates 50 years as monarch and visits Gothenburg on June 4.
There will be more than one significant anniversary in 2023—Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustav also celebrates 50 years as monarch. This anniversary will be marked in Gothenburg as the city celebrates its own anniversary. On Gothenburg’s birthday, June 4, the King will give a public address and then walk in procession through the city center together with the Queen. Read more at goteborg2023.com.
14. Prototyping Gothenburg: The city as an exhibition
When Gothenburg celebrates 400 years this summer, parts of the city will become an exhibition that is open to everyone. Prototyping Gothenburg is a unique opportunity to learn more about how we change and build a modern and sustainable city. Experience new solutions, be inspired by the innovations of the future and take part in construction workshops, talks and discussions. Or go on a guided tour and test one of the many prototypes. For example, bake your own seaweed bread and taste the food of the future at the marine allotment! Prototyping Gothenburg runs June 2 June–September 3.
