Following the board meeting of The Whale AS on April 15, 2025, both locals and visitors to Vesterålen and the municipality of Andøy can now finally look forward to the opening of The Whale on June 3, 2027. The last major and crucial part of the attraction's overall financing is now secured in the form of loans from a bank and Innovation Norway. Over the past few weeks, the private owners have worked intensively to meet the requirements set by the bank and Innovation Norway as conditions for the loans, and have ultimately found a solution that satisfies these demands.
“I’m looking forward to seeing Sløyken transformed into a bustling construction site in the coming weeks,” says Benn Eidissen, Chairman of The Whale AS.
“With the board’s recent decision to accept the conditions for loan financing, we can finally begin the final phase of work on The Whale – the actual construction process,” continues a very pleased chairman.
In recent weeks, the private owners have worked intensively to meet the requirements set by the bank and Innovation Norway as conditions for the loans, and have ultimately found a solution that satisfies them.
“There are still a few minor formalities that need to be finalized before we can make a formal commitment to the contractor, but I want to stress that there is no significant risk of these not being confirmed,” says Eidissen.
With a construction period of just under two years, The Whale will now be completed well in time for the summer season of 2027. The Whale is set to attract both Norwegian and international visitors to Andøya and Vesterålen. In addition, the facility will serve as a meeting place and event venue for the local community.
“While we’ve been working on the final piece of financing, the development of The Whale’s content has also taken a big step forward,” Eidissen continues. “I can promise you all that a visit to The Whale will offer experiences and sensory challenges the world has never seen before. Much of the attention so far has been focused on the building and its unique architecture, but the content is, if anything, even more spectacular and exciting,” the chairman concludes.
The largest attraction-based tourism project in Norway is now being realized through a well-balanced partnership of private investment and public funding. It is no coincidence that this is happening specifically in the municipality of Andøy – in a local community that has turned decline and pessimism into creativity and belief in the future!
