Guided tours for CommOCEAN 2026 delegates
CommOCEAN 2026 has secured three guided tours as part of the additional and voluntary activities at the conference. All these tours take place Tuesday 1 September at 16:00 and last for about an hour, leaving plenty of time to get to the icebreaker reception.
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NOTE! You must book a slot with the tours in advance, so that they can plan based on the number of attendees. We hope these three special guided tours will add to your CommOCEAN 2026 experience.
>>> CommOCEAN x Bergen Aquarium
Tuesday 01 September, 16:00-17:00, Bergen Aquarium (location)
Ahead of the icebreaker, delegates are invited to a viewing of The Changing Ocean, the permanent immersive installation at Bergen Aquarium (Akvariet i Bergen) and an official endorsed UN Ocean Decade Activity. The viewing is hosted by curator and project manager Sølve Jozeph Westli, who will introduce the project before delegates step into the 360° immersive experience, with time for questions afterwards. The viewing lasts a maximum of one hour, finishing in good time for the icebreaker at Håkonshallen at 18:00. Sølve is also one of the speakers in the opening plenary, where he will present The Changing Ocean.
Booking required: places must be booked in advance, so we know the number of attendees. Send an e-mail directly to Sølve Jozeph Westli.
Tickets: delegates pay at the aquarium and receive a 25% discount (NOK 285, regular price NOK 380). Please arrive by 15:45 to collect the discounted ticket to attend this special guided tour.
Bonus for delegates: on presentation of the conference delegate pass, delegates are welcome to visit Akvariet i Bergen on any day from 1 to 6 September, open daily 09:00-18:00, at the discounted price of NOK 285.
>>> CommOCEAN x Bye Bye Bryggen
Tuesday 01 September, 16:00-17:00, Fish Market in Bergen Harbour (location)
Bye Bye Bryggen is an immersive soundwalk set along Bergen Harbour and the UNESCO World Heritage site Bryggen, where listeners experience a fictional future shaped by rising seas and increasingly severe storms. The story follows a family in Bergen as extreme weather threatens their lives and livelihoods, highlighting how climate change and our choices today will affect coastal communities. By situating the narrative by the sea, it vividly connects Bergen’s harbour heritage with the risks posed by a changing climate.
- NOTE! Meeting points are the benches at the fish market, behind the tourist information building, Look for the people in the yellow rain hats!
Booking required: Please express your interest directly to communications adviser Judith Dalsgård from UiB’s Centre for Climate and Energy Transformation (CET) as places are limited. The city walk is free and open to all conference delegates. Judith is co-organising the workshop ‘Build Back Better: Communicating coastal communities and sustainable tourism’ at CommOCEAN 2026.
More information on the Bye Bye Bryggen webpage.
You may also download the Bye Bye Bryggen app to do the city tour at your convenience.
>>> CommOCEAN x VilVite Science Centre
Tuesday 01 September, 16:00-16:45, VilVite Science Centre, Thormøhlens gate 51 (location)
Visit Planet Ocean at VilVite Science Centre
Join us for a guided visit to Planet Ocean, VilVite Science Centre's interactive exhibition exploring the importance of the ocean through hands-on experiences, immersive storytelling and playful learning. Developed in close collaboration with researchers, designers and game developers, the exhibition demonstrates how complex marine science can be transformed into engaging experiences for children and families. The Planet Ocean exhibition is an opportunity to explore how interactivity can strengthen ocean literacy and public engagement. The exhibition is an endorsed UN Ocean Decade Activity.
Booking required: Send an email directly to exhibition developer and curator Marte Mjånes Torkildsen at VilVite Science Centre to express your interest as there are a limited number of places. This special guided tour is free for conference delegates. Marte is also co-organising the workshop ‘Building ocean connections from childhood to young adulthood’ at CommOCEAN 2026.
Bonus for delegates: on presentation of the conference delegate pass, delegates are welcome to visit VilVite Science Centre on any day from 1 to 6 September, open Tuesday-Friday 09:00-15:00 and Saturday-Sunday 10:00-17:00 at a 25% discount of the regular rates. Note that on the weekend of 5-6 September there is a special ‘Ocean Weekend’ with a particular spotlight on underwater noises, in collaboration with researchers from the University of Bergen.