Lalandia press

December 5, 2024

A significant increase in the number of international visitors has prompted Lalandia to begin expanding the Aquadome in Billund, which is Northern Europe’s largest indoor water park.

On Wednesday, December 4th, Lalandia celebrated the topping-out ceremony for an extension to the water park in Billund. The expansion covers 900 m² and is primarily aimed at families with younger children. This development is the result of significant growth in visitor numbers in recent years.

"In recent years, we’ve experienced substantial growth in the number of guests. Particularly, we’ve seen a significant increase from Germany and England. Combined with the fact that many Danish guests return year after year, this creates a need for renewal," explains Jan Harrit, CEO of Lalandia.

The new “Kids Area” will feature a children’s pool, a warm-water pool, and a large “Fountain Park” with numerous fountains and water jets. Together with various light and sound effects, it will offer an entirely new experience for the youngest visitors to the Aquadome.

The Aquadome expansion is scheduled to open in the summer of 2025.

June 9, 2022

Lalandia was able to open its doors to the third tropical holiday and activity centre in Denmark for the first time today.

The 15,000 m2 facility is located in Søndervig, with the North Sea as its closest neighbour, and includes a large Aquadome with 14 different water slides and a WaveSurf pool, an activity centre with playland, padel courts, a Sky Rider zipline, restaurants and shops, among other attractions.

“We’ve been looking forward to this day for some time, and it’s a great pleasure to be able to open what may be described as one of the largest new tourism attractions in Denmark this year,” says Jan Harrit, CEO of Lalandia.

The opening was celebrated with a reception and a traditional Danish ‘kagemand’ cake in the company of guests who have booked for the opening weekend, neighbours and other friends.

Overwhelming interest from near and far
Lalandia can already report huge interest in the newly opened tropical holiday centre, so you’ll need to be quick if you want to be sure of a visit to the unique surroundings on the west coast of Denmark in the coming summer months.

“We’re looking at an incredibly exciting season with massive demand from Danish as well as foreign guests. The summer period in July and August in particular looks good for Søndervig.”

Lalandia expects up to 500,000 overnight stays spread over the 483 holiday homes at Lalandia in Søndervig during the first year.

April 1, 2022

Lalandia can now announce the opening date for its third tropical holiday centre in Denmark. Lalandia will open the doors to the brand new holiday centre in Søndervig on 9 June 2022. The announcement also indicates that Lalandia is now entering the final phase of the construction of the approximately 15,000 m² tropical holiday centre on the west coast of Jutland.

Now Lalandia’s guests can really start to look forward to the opening of its third holiday centre in Denmark.  Lalandia will cut the ribbon for the new centre in Søndervig on Thursday, 9 June 2022, after just over two years of construction.

“We’re close to the realisation of the third Lalandia, a project that has been in the pipeline for some time. That’s why we’re pleased to be able to reveal the official opening date for the new tropical holiday centre in Søndervig, and we’re very much looking forward to welcoming guests to the fantastic new surroundings on the west coast of Denmark,” says Jan Harrit, CEO of Lalandia.

The tropical holiday centre, which has a total floor area of approx. 15,000 m², will include activities such as the Monky Tonky Land playland, padel, the Sky Rider zipline, climbing walls and the famous Aquadome with 14 different water slides. Lalandia in Søndervig also has 483 newly built holiday homes.

“We’re currently in the process of putting the finishing touches to the exterior of the centre, with the laying of a sedum roof and sand-coloured panels on the facades, to enable the centre as a whole to blend in with the attractive landscape that is characteristic of the Danish west coast. At the same time we’re seeing the interior take shape with water in the Aquadome’s pools, the installation of the many water slides, the themed decor in the restaurants and public areas, and the final details in the other activity areas,” explains Jan Harrit.

Lalandia expects up to 500,000 people annually from both Denmark and abroad to visit the tropical holiday centre in Søndervig.

April 1, 2022

Lalandia is preparing to inaugurate its new tropical holiday centre in Søndervig, which will be the third in Denmark. As a result, the company needs to put in place a team of 300 employees to receive the many guests expected. That’s why Lalandia is now inviting all interested parties to a Job Day between 10.00 and 15.00 on Saturday, 26 March. The Job Day will be held at Holmsland Klit Golf Club in Søndervig.

Lalandia in Søndervig expects to take on 300 employees, who will make up the new team at the soon-to-open tropical holiday centre in Søndervig. That’s why the company is inviting all interested parties to a Job Day at Holmsland Klit Golf Club. Lalandia in Søndervig has already made a number of managerial appointments, and is now looking to fill positions within the café, restaurant, kitchen, activities, cleaning, shops and the Aquadome.

“We’re pleased that we’ll soon be able to open the doors to a new holiday centre, and I look forward to putting in place the team of employees in Søndervig, who will largely help to create the culture of our new workplace. “We’ll be hiring people in all age groups for our centre in Søndervig, and we’ll need team leaders, permanent and part-time employees, and on-call shift workers for our many different facilities in the centre,” explains Centre Director Bjarne Bach Hansen, who has significant experience from Lalandia in Billund, where he has been in charge of several large teams and business areas.

At the Job Day it will be possible to meet current employees, who will offer an insight into everyday life as an employee at Lalandia, while Centre Director Bjarne Bach Hansen will give a number of presentations and talk about the various job roles.

“We’ve already experienced significant interest and have received many unsolicited applications for our new centre, and so we also have great expectations for our job day, which is usually extremely well visited in both Billund and Rødby. For many of our employees, it’s important that there are jobs available throughout the year, because our holiday centres are also open outside the high season. At the same time, our employees attach great importance to the fact that we make a lot of our shared sense of community, while younger employees have the chance to acquire hospitality skills that they can put to good use in the future,” concludes Bjarne Bach Hansen.

Anyone interested in working at the new centre, including anyone who has already submitted an unsolicited application, can attend the Job Day on Saturday, 26 March from 10.00 until 15.00 at Holmsland Klit Golf Club, Klevevej 19 in Søndervig.

1 October 2020

The first holiday homes at the new Lalandia in Søndervig are now complete and were handed over to their owners on Thursday.

- After several years of preparation, it’s great that construction is now moving full speed ahead in Søndervig. Today we have handed over the first holiday homes to their owners, and before the end of the year more than 50 holiday homes will be complete, says Jan Harrit, Managing Director of Lalandia.

A total of 440 new holiday homes will be constructed during phase 1. Subsequently a seaside hotel with up to 200 rooms/apartments will be constructed.

Construction of the new Lalandia tropical holiday centre is also well under way. During the past few months the piling and earthworks have been completed, and casting of the large pools in the Aquadome waterpark has now commenced.

- We’re now entering the exciting phase of construction work, when the buildings are springing up and starting to take shape. Construction is going to plan, and we aim to be open by summer 2022, concludes Jan Harrit.

4 June 2019

This year’s tallest, wildest new attraction at Lalandia in Billund is called Adventure Tower. The newly opened climbing tower offers everything from free falls and obstacle courses high above the ground to an impressive view from the tower’s viewing platform.

Another new attraction at Lalandia in Billund is now ready to welcome guests. The popular tropical holiday centre has just opened the Adventure Tower climbing tower, which at 16 metres high offers challenges to even the bravest adventurers.

Adventure Tower is a multi-dimensional attraction that includes obstacle courses, free falls and even the opportunity to cycle at a height of 13 metres. The youngest visitors can also enjoy the fun, as the climbing tower includes a fun obstacle course specially adapted for children aged 3-7 years, and at the top you can enjoy a well-deserved break and the impressive view from the tower’s viewing platform.

“From here you can look out over Billund and view both the airport and LEGOLAND. With Adventure Tower, we’re adding yet another outdoor activity to our tropical holiday centre. We believe that the new attraction will give our guests a brand new experience at the heights with fun, nerve-racking challenges that put butterflies in your stomach,” says Jan Harrit, Managing Director of Lalandia.

Adventure Tower is located in the middle of another relatively new attraction, the sand sculpture park Lalandia Sand Gallery, which first opened in spring 2018.

27 March 2019

Turbo Racer, the new water slide at Lalandia in Billund, is set to impress even the wildest water-lovers. Therefore, the tropical holiday centre has invited one of Denmark’s fastest racing drivers, DTC champion Kasper H. Jensen, to inaugurate the water slide. With speeds of up to 40 kph, Turbo Racer is without a doubt the waterpark’s fastest.

“In addition to the striking go-faster stripes, you immediately notice the height of the new water slide. The height and especially the slope, at 88%, are crucial to the speed of the new water slide,” says Jan Harrit, Managing, Director of Lalandia, who continues:

“The water slide has been constructed with an impressive slope that guarantees a great feeling of free fall, after which you continue to glide on at full speed. I am in no doubt that the Turbo Racer will arouse great enthusiasm among our many speed-loving guests with a penchant for wild water experiences,” concludes Jan Harrit.

In general, a free fall is characterised by incredible speed, and the slide at Lalandia is no exception. Turbo Racer’s construction makes it possible to achieve speeds of up to 40 kph, and so a speedometer and timer have been set up so the bravest members of the family can compete for records. At the inauguration Kasper H. Jensen managed to complete the Turbo Racer in 1.89 seconds with an impressive speed of 38 kph.

22 February 2019

A new survey shows that Lalandia attracts an international audience to a large degree. Guests from more than 70 nations visited Lalandia during 2018, when the main tropical holiday centre in Billund received many guests from countries outside Scandinavia.

You would need an exceptionally good ear for languages to understand all the international guests visiting Lalandia during the course of a year.

During 2018, more than 70 different nationalities had a holiday in one of the country’s two Lalandia centres. It is mainly the tropical holiday centre in Billund that attracts visitors from countries other than our nearest neighbours, according to Jan Harrit, Managing Director of Lalandia:

“Lalandia in Billund alone saw visitors from more than 70 nationalities during the year, whereas Lalandia in Rødby – due to its location – caters more to local markets, such as Sweden, Norway and Germany. As a result, there is a remarkable difference between our two centres, and that is something really exciting to work on,” he says.

According to Harrit, there are a number of reasons for the difference between the two centres. In addition to geography, local cooperation and intensified efforts internationally also are a factor.

“The location is naturally a key factor in which visitors are attracted to which centres. For example, it is not far from Sweden to Rødby. In Billund, we benefit from the synergies we enjoy with the other attractions in the area thanks to the LEGOLAND Billund Resort partnership, which helps draw tourists from far and wide to the Billund area. Thanks to the partnership, we have also intensified marketing internationally in recent years, and that is a significant reason for us seeing so many different nationalities,” explains Harrit.

19 December 2018

With the announcement from the government and its conciliation partners regarding permission to establish new summer cottage areas, a third Lalandia in Denmark may very soon become a reality. The home of the new Lalandia will be in Søndervig on the west coast of Jutland, and it will be established in partnership with businessman Keld Hansen.

“Today we have come a huge step closer to Lalandia 3, which we have been wanting for a long time now,” says Managing Director of Lalandia Jan Harrit.

The permission to designate the summer cottage area was the most important permission that needed to be put in place. After this, work can begin on the national planning directive and on local planning. If all goes according to plan, Lalandia in Søndervig will be able to open in 2021.

“Lalandia in Søndervig will have many of the activities familiar to visitors from our existing centres in Rødby and Billund. A large Aquadome and a Monky Tonky playland, but we also want to introduce some new features. Also, almost 500 ultramodern holiday homes and a beach hotel will be built.

“We are looking forward massively to working together with Keld Hansen on this project, in which Lalandia can help to make holidays on the west coast less dependent on the weather. The combination of the sometimes harsh natural surroundings – and the cold North Sea – and our warm and calm waters, is completely ideal for the many families who visit the area each year. Similarly, we are looking forward to helping to create many new jobs,” concludes Jan Harrit.

10 December 2018

Motala Municipality has today approved the local plans, which are the basis for the establishment of a Lalandia in the city of Motala in Sweden. This brings the realisation of the first Lalandia outside Denmark a step closer.

“For a few years now we have been exploring the possibility of establishing in Sweden. The studies have been positive, and with today’s approval, we can now really get on with our work on the project in Sweden,” explains Jan Harrit, the Managing Director of Lalandia.

Motala is situated on Lake Vättern (approx. 2½ times hours’ drive southwest of Stockholm and about 4½ hours’ drive northeast of Malmö).

“Motala is the perfect location for us. The city is located in a very scenic area by Lake Vättern and it is also within driving distance of the major cities,” continues Jan.

A Lalandia in Motala will feature many of the activities that guests are familiar with from Denmark. This includes a large indoor Aquadome, a Monky Tonky playland, activities, restaurants, cafés, etc. In addition, Motala Municipality is planning to build a state-of-the-art swimming pool with, among other things, a 50-metre Olympic pool in connection with the new Lalandia.

“We are very much looking forward to continuing our work on the project in Sweden. In addition to the Aquadome and centre facilities, the surrounding holiday rentals will also be very attractive. We have the opportunity to build 550 holiday rentals. These will be a combination of holiday homes and apartments, some of which will have a great view over Lake Vättern,” concludes Jan.

5 December 2018

Bookings for the Christmas period at Lalandia are pouring into both Rødby and Billund, with the number exceeding bookings for the same period both last year and the previous year.

More Danes are choosing to celebrate Christmas somewhere other than at home – and many of them are booking a holiday home at Lalandia. In recent years, interest in enjoying the Christmas holidays at Lalandia has only increased.

“We are seeing a growing interest in celebrating Christmas here with us. I think many people are attracted by the opportunity to relax and enjoy themselves with their family without having to worry about all the domestic arrangements. At the same time, there are plenty of activities to prevent the children from getting bored. We also make the effort to decorate the centres and can cook Christmas meals so that our guests get even more time to swim in the Aquadome,” says Jan Harrit, Managing Director of Lalandia, who continues:

“Another factor is probably the fact that this year we have a real workers’ Christmas, with Christmas Eve falling on a Monday. That means that most people will be off work from 21 December to 26 December, and so it only takes a handful of extra days off work to extend the holiday until 2 January.”

December’s other big day also attracts visitors to Lalandia. New Year bookings are also flooding in, according to Jan Harrit:

“For many people it is essential to celebrate their New Year’s Eve in safety, with children able to move around and have fun, and that’s what makes celebrating the New Year at Lalandia so appealing.”

26 October 2018

When the new season of ‘X Factor’ starts in early 2019, Lalandia will be marching into living rooms across Denmark. This is because Lalandia is to be the main sponsor of the programme, which in the New Year will go out for the first time on TV 2.

Over the past 11 years, ‘X Factor’ has brought Danish families together around the TV Friday after Friday, and again in 2019 there will be a search for the winner of the popular singing contest.

Well-known ‘X Factor’ personalities such as Thomas Blachman and Sofie Linde will again set their stamp on the programme, but not everything will be the way it used to be. This season, for the first time, it will be broadcast on TV 2, since the channel bought the rights, and in this connection a new partnership has been entered into with Lalandia, which will be one of two main sponsors for the programme in the new setup.

TV 2 has presented us with a really exciting setup in terms of both exposure and rights, not to mention the quality of the programme. It’s a powerful mix of people with experience from previous seasons; new, talented judges; and new approaches. And we believe very much that the programme will be able to continue its huge success,” says sales and marketing director at Lalandia, Thomas Bahn Jespersen. He continues:

‘X Factor’ is really interesting for us, because we can see a number of things the two brands have in common. Our primary target group is families with children, which of course ‘X Factor’ also caters to in many respects. At the same time, ‘X Factor’ is more than just a TV programme. It is something families gather round and enjoy together, providing a welcome break in a busy life. Just as a trip to Lalandia offers time and space for families to spend time together and enjoy each other’s company,” explains Thomas Bahn Jespersen.

The first episode of the new season will be screened early in the New Year. The judges will be Thomas Blachman, Oh Land and Ankerstjerne.

May 3, 2018

Today, for the first time, guests were given the opportunity to see the works of art in the new sand sculpture park in Billund – “Lalandia Sand Gallery”. The red ribbon was cut by the Mayor of Billund Municipality Ib Kristensen, after which the curtain was lifted on the impressive sand sculptures which international artists have been working on over the past few months.

Lalandia Sand Gallery is the size of a football pitch, and this year’s theme is wild animals. The sand sculpture park therefore offers art works representing lions, elephants, hyenas, rhinoceros, and much more.

“It is impressive what artists can make from a pile of sand,” says Lalandia’s CEO Jan Harrit with a smile on his lips. “The sand sculptures are very life-like, and besides being true world-class art, we’d like to show that art can also be presented at child height.”

For some of the sand sculptures, it will be possible to add sound to them. For example, customers can turn a handle to get the lions and elephants to roar. Guests will also get the chance to try their hand at making small sand figures themselves.

Lalandia Sand Gallery will be open every day until around 1 November, after which it will be open at weekends.

January 9, 2018

A building permit has just been secured for a new sand sculpture park at Lalandia in Billund, and the new attraction is expected to open its doors to guests in May this year.

The thousands of tourists who visit Lalandia in Billund every year can look forward to another new attraction which opens this spring. Lalandia has just been given the building permit for a sand sculpture park to be built on the green area in front of Lalandia.

“It is with great pleasure that we can unveil our new attraction, which will add a new and exciting feature to Lalandia. The sand sculpture park will be located next to our new Espresso House, which opened last year, and so we will be adding a new feature to our outdoor area,” explains Managing Director Jan Harrit.

Work on the new attraction commences soon, and over the coming months a number of European artists will come to Billund to construct the impressive sculptures. The theme for sand sculptures will vary from year to year, and in 2018 visitors can look forward to an exhibition in which the sand is transformed into wild animals.

July 4, 2017

Our Kids Area is this summer’s brand new attraction for our very youngest bathing guests at Lalandia in Rødby. From July, 0-5 year-olds will have their very own area in the Aquadome – and naturally mum and dad are also welcome to join in the fun.

Jan Harrit, Managing Director of Lalandia, is very pleased with the expansion.

“We are naturally very pleased that we can now offer a much better space for very young children in the Aquadome in Rødby. We have long wanted to make it even easier to visit Lalandia with small children, and with our Kids Area – and our Baby Lounge we opened last year – the options for families with young children are now really excellent,” says Jan.

About Kids Area
In Kids Area the youngest bathers can enjoy splashing about in the water and playing in their very own lovely oasis in the Aquadome. The kid’s area consists of a baby and hot water pool, heated to a comfortable 32 and 34 degrees respectively. In the pools, the little ones can move water around in the fun tree trunks, which can also be found at Lalandia in Billund, where they are a big hit among the youngest visitors to the Aquadome. They can also try out a small water slide, which is guaranteed to bring out big smiles and butterflies in the stomach. The Kids Area is equipped with a changing area with bath, so that little ones can quickly get back into the water after a swim nappy change. Large glass panels ensure that natural light flows in and contributes to a pleasant atmosphere.

6 June 2017

Lalandia has now entered into a conditional agreement with Resolution BIDO ApS, which is 100% owned by Resolution Property IM LLP, for the construction of Billund Designer Outlet.

The agreement means that Lalandia and Resolution will form a joint company (Billund Designer Outlet ApS) to manage the leasing and subsequent construction of an international outlet centre in Billund – with Lalandia, LEGOLAND and Billund Airport as its nearest neighbours. The company will be 10 % owned by Lalandia and 90 % by Resolution.

Resolution is a London-based real estate investment company with a focus on investment properties in Europe, and has specialist expertise in shopping malls and outlet centres.

“Today we are moving a significant step closer to Billund Designer Outlet. Resolution is a strong partner with extensive experience of the construction and operation of outlet centres in Europe,” says Jan Harrit, Managing Director of Lalandia.

“Billund Designer Outlet is well positioned strategically, in an area of Denmark undergoing rapid development. There is a large catchment area, and together with Lalandia and the other partners in LEGOLAND Billund Resort, we can help to attract even more visitors to the area,” explains Mark Owen, Head of Development at Resolution Property

Billund Designer Outlet is expected to be ready to open in 2019.

31 March 2017

With the establishment of an Espresso House in Billund, Lalandia and Scandinavia’s largest chain of coffee bars, Espresso House, are expanding their partnership, which started with the establishment of a Baresso coffee bar at Lalandia in Rødby in 2014. A Baresso coffee bar was subsequently opened at Lalandia in Billund in 2016. The partners have thus now opened their third coffee bar.

“With the new Espresso House, we have a high-quality, tried-and-tested coffee concept. It is also positive for us that the brand will be well known by all of our guests who visit us each year from Norway and Sweden,” comments Jan Harrit, Managing Director of Lalandia.

Nickolas Krabbe Bjerg, CEO of Espresso House, is also equally enthusiastic about the expanded partnership. “The coffee bar will be the first Espresso House in Jutland. The location is unique and the coffee bar is being established in cooperation with a professional partner – so it is sure to be a success,” says Nickolas Krabbe Bjerg.

The new Espresso House in Billund opens in June.

About Espresso House
Espresso House is Scandinavia’s leading and fastest growing chain of coffee bars, with over 300 branches spread over four countries: Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark. Espresso House serves top-quality coffee from its own roasting house, cakes and bread baked in its own bakery and freshly-prepared salads and sandwiches. Espresso House has over 2000 passionate baristas, who all share our enthusiasm for coffee and the same vision: To give the world’s best coffee experience to the world’s best guests!

10 March 2017

2016 was a fantastic year for Lalandia in Billund and Rødby. A record number of guests enjoyed the Aquadome and the many other activities offered by the two tropical holiday centres. The many guests who visit Billund in the future can now also look forward to a brand new attraction following the opening of the huge indoor “Twister” water slide today.

CEO Jan Harrit comments:
“We are really pleased about the excellent visitor numbers in 2016, and we look forward to 2017 being just as good, if not better. We are therefore also pleased to now be able to offer our guests in Billund a brand new attraction in the form of the “Twister” water slide. The 102-metre trip starts high up in the Aquadome, from where you rush down at high speed into a huge bowl for a few spins before your trip ends safely back down in a catch pool,” says Jan Harrit.

3 September 2015

Lalandia has had an incredible summer. Never before have so many guests visited the tropical holiday centres in Rødby and Billund as was the case in July and August.

“Large investments in new activities have ensured both Rødby and Billund were busy throughout the summer. Overall, we have had over 332,000 bathers in our Aquadomes during July and August, which is a record and 25,000 more than in 2014. This corresponds to an increase of 8 %,” explains Jan Harrit, Managing Director of Lalandia.

It is the new Wild River water slide in Billund – the longest in Europe – and a huge Aqua Splash Playground in Rødby that have helped to attract so many visitors.

“It has been fantastic to see so many guests enjoying themselves with us in the water throughout the summer, where the weather does not have such a decisive impact on the holiday experience as it does elsewhere,” says Harrit.

28 May 2015

Denmark’s swimming queen, Jeanette Ottesen, set a new European record at Lalandia in Billund on Thursday. It happened under slightly different conditions than normal – although still with water and speed as the focus – as Ottesen was the first person to go down Europe’s longest Wild River water slide. Wild River measures no less than 168 metres, and Ottesen’s trip took exactly 49.63 seconds to complete.

“We think it is wonderful that Jeannette Ottesen wanted to come here and try our new Wild River water slide. Although the Lalandia gold medal she received for her performance might not get a place in her trophy cabinet, we still hope it will be a European record she will remember. We will certainly remember it here at Lalandia, and we are also pleased that we can now offer our guests even more fun activities and more room to enjoy themselves. Wild River is a very popular water slide, and the fact that we now have the longest slide of its type in Europe is something to be proud of. We have also opened a new large outdoor swimming pool and a spa pool. We are sure that many people will take advantage of the new outdoor facilities as the summer gradually returns to Denmark,” says Jan Harrit, Managing Director of Lalandia.

26 March 2015

On Thursday 26 March, Lalandia in Rødby will open its doors to this year’s best new water attraction. The huge new Aqua Splash Playground will be inaugurated, and anyone with a taste for water, games and speed can look forward to lots of fun bathing sessions.

Managing Director of Lalandia, Jan Harrit, is pleased to welcome everyone to the new facilities. 

“We have long had a desire to be able to offer our guests an area within the Aquadome where games and fun water activities would be the focus. We now have that with our Aqua Splash Playground, where a large number of activities offer hours of play. There will be water cannons and lots of surprises, for example, when the large water bucket at the top suddenly empties out many litres of water over those who ”dare” to stand underneath it,” says Harrit, who continues:

“The Aqua Splash Playground has been a huge investment, and we hope, of course, that it will help us to maintain our strong position in the industry. In addition to the many fun water activities, the expansion will also bring brand new water slides. The ”Black Hole” water slide is the longest, where speed and butterflies in the stomach are guaranteed all the way down its 71 metres. Two bodyslide water slides, 69 and 47 metres, will also provide lots of speed and fun times. We haven’t forgotten the little ones either – they can try out the gentle pace of our two smaller slides,” concludes Harrit.