The Geneva Auto Show, one of the oldest automotive exhibitions dating back to 1905, will not take place in 2025. The organizing committee announced the decision on Friday, attributing it to "uncertainties linked to the automotive industry and the eroded attractiveness of the major European shows."
After a four-year hiatus due to COVID-19, the show returned this year with limited participation, featuring only Renault Group, Lucid, and several Chinese automakers. The event's future was jeopardized when Swiss authorities made a last-minute decision to cancel the 2020 show to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Historically, the Geneva Auto Show attracted over 500,000 visitors annually and served as neutral territory for European automakers amid other significant shows in France and Germany. However, interest has waned in recent years.
Despite canceling the Geneva event, the organizing committee remains committed to planning a Qatar auto show in November 2025. This Middle Eastern event, first held in 2023 under the title Geneva International Motor Show Qatar, aims to attract a new audience outside Europe. "It's satisfying to realize that motor shows continue to appeal to brands in different parts of the world, and that the Geneva International Motor Show has reinforced its appeal in the Middle East," said Geneva Auto Show CEO Sandro Mesquita in a statement.
Nevertheless, the Swiss show will not be revived. "The lack of interest shown by manufacturers in the Geneva Salon in a difficult industry context, the competition from the Paris and Munich shows which are favored by their domestic industry, and the investment levels required to maintain such a show, sound the final blow for a future edition," said Alexandre de Senarclens, president of the foundation that organized the show. Consequently, the foundation will also be dissolved.
In an attempt to revive interest for the 2024 event, organizers had reduced costs to attract more automakers. Despite these efforts, only nine brands participated: Renault, Dacia, BYD and its subbrands Denza and Yangwang, Lucid, MG, new SAIC brand IM, and Italian design house Pininfarina.
