As fall settles in, Sweden's second-largest city comes alive with a vibrant mix of new restaurants, exhibitions, and performing arts premieres. Adding to the buzz, a brand-new gaming festival is set to launch. True to its reputation, Gothenburg will also play host to several upcoming hard rock concerts, further cementing its title as Sweden's hard rock capital. Check out twenty-four of the season's must-see highlights.

Hotels

Clarion Hotel Karlatornet opened on September 1. Located at Lindholmen, it is integrated with Scandinavia's tallest building, Karlatornet, complete with spa, bar, and high-altitude suites.

Events and attractions

Gothenburg Gaming Experience, 21-22 September. In mid-September, Gothenburg's largest gaming festival, GGX, will take place on Ringön. There will be live music, board games, craft-brewed beer, wrestling, and, of course, a lot of gaming.

During Halloween at Liseberg, nothing is ordinary in Sweden's number one tourist attraction Liseberg Amusement Park. Opening 4 October. This year's news:

• Fairy Tale Forest is a fun and interactive adventure where the youngest visitors can encounter kind and whimsical fairytale creatures and take part in creating the mystery by stomping and flapping. Parents of kids up to 11 years old are welcome to join.
• Horror House Nattsvart på Gasten is not for the faint of heart. Inside the hotel, a dark tale unfolds. As the lights go out, guests are invited to experience a darker, colder, and more gruesome place than ever before. Age limit 11 years.

Restaurants

Restaurant INTE opened 16 August. On Linnégatan – a street packed with restaurants – resides INTE (Swedish word for NOT). A neighborhood restaurant focusing on modern European cuisine it is a joint venture by the experienced owners of Restaurant Tizne and Koizen.

Restaurant Collage opens 26 September. Götaplatsgruppen and Park Lane's new restaurant in the Kochska building in Makaregatorna is a French brasserie, combining the vibe of Montmartre and the Meatpacking District in New York.

Studion opens on 26 September. It is Collages' baby sister around the corner, serving cocktails and French cuisine from the kitchen they share. The party goes on as the evening turns into night.

Nomi will open mid-October. It is an extension to the historic Merkurhuset and houses two restaurants: Aji, serving Japanese-Peruvian food (Nikkei), and Révolte, a pop-up restaurant with new guest chefs every month. There is also a bar with music events and an art gallery.

Restaurant Fabel opened 23 August. The team behind Ankarsmedjan Social is breathing new life into Smaka's old premises at Vasaplatsen, with a kitchen that draws on Swedish-French brasserie and an ambition to offer safe classics both in the glass, on the plate and from the speakers.

Hasselsson Drottninggatan opened 6 September. Hasselsson on Drottninggatan was created by a group of childhood friends and will be an extension of the sister restaurant in Majorna, with fast food from the sea on the menu.

Vita Duvan opening 21 september. Former Wolfgang Vincafé on Västra Hamngatan becomes Vita Duvan. The wine journey continues with new owners and a new direction regarding food and style.

Sago Izakaya opened 5 September. A relaxed pop-up restaurant that focuses on sake (Japanese rice wine) combined with casual dining and a good atmosphere.

Restaurant Nòr opened 1 September. On the ground floor of Karlatornet, the newly opened Restaurant Nòr offers Nordic cuisine in a combination with modern European cooking.

Performing arts

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, The Göteborg Opera premiere 21 September. Ola Salo pops on his top hat and conjures up golden tickets in the role of the eccentric candy manufacturer Willy Wonka in the Swedish premiere (English subtitles) of the world's most delicious musical, based on Roald Dahl's classic story.

Otello, Göteborg Opera premiere 23 November. Based on Shakespeare's tragedy, Verdi's opera is being performed in Gothenburg for the first time in 55 years. Italian Vincenzo Milletarì conducts the music.

Exhibitions

Design Stories, Röhsska museet opening 9 November. Röhsska's new permanent exhibition, which covers an entire floor, offers a journey of discovery through over 500 objects from the museum's collection, from the mid-1800s to the present.

Oceanista – Fashion and the Sea, The Maritime Museum and Aquarium opens on 16 November. For over a century, the ocean has been one of fashion's main sources of inspiration. In this touring exhibition, we get to follow how world-famous fashion houses have been influenced by maritime craftsmanship and seafaring history.

Indigo is the Colour of Grief, Göteborgs Konsthall, opens on 4 October. The Danish-Palestinian artist Larissa Sansour will present three video works that examine how memories and traumas are inherited and passed on through generations.

What's in Your Suitcase, Röda Sten konsthall opening 13 September. Five artists, fueled by the Iranian resistance movement Woman, Life, Freedom, examine themes of memory, displacement and censorship.

Ingrid Pollard, Hasselblad Center opening 11 October. British Ingrid Pollard, best known for her portrait and landscape photography, is this year's Hasselblad Award winner. The exhibition will open to the public on the same day as the award ceremony in Gothenburg. Her work explores racism and colonialism.

Concerts

Victor Leksell, World of Volvo 26-28 September. The Gothenburg native will be the first artist ever to perform at World of Volvo, and he will do so with three intimate concerts.

In Flames, Scandinavium 1 November. Three of Sweden's most iconic metal bands are coming to Scandinavium arena with the joint tour Rising from the North. On stage: In Flames, Arch Enemy and Soilwork.

Hardcore Superstar, Pustervik 31 October. The Gothenburg band promises full steam ahead and an unforgettable evening when they visit Pustervik for a Halloween gig.

Dark Tranquillity, Gothenburg Film Studios, 30 November. The band, formed in 1989, will play three Swedish gigs this autumn. They recently released their highly anticipated 13th studio album, “Endtime Signals.”

Press images to download from Göteborg & Co and Liseberg Newsroom SE

More about Gothenburg: goteborg.com and visitsweden.com