► Geneva’s International Motor Show cancelled for 2025
► ‘Too many uncertainties’ for 2025 show to go ahead
► Unlikely to be a future show as Foundation set to be dissolved
The next Geneva International Motor Show in Switzerland, originally planned for the first few months of 2025, has been cancelled. In a statement, the organisers of the show say the Comité Permanent du Salon International de l’Automobile (CPSIA) Foundation has decided not to organise the 2025 show.
Organisers have cited that ‘too many uncertainties linked to the automotive industry and the eroded attractiveness of major European shows’ influenced the decision to cancel the 2025 edition, which would have been its 92nd. The statement adds that the organisers were ‘unable to achieve [their] statutory aim,’ and that the board have formally requested authorisation to dissolve the Foundation, ending any chance under the current structure to arrange a future show in Geneva.
‘This extremely regrettable decision should not detract from the efforts and determination with which we have tried to regain our success. However, it has to be said that 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 favoured by their domestic industry, and the investment levels required to maintain such a show, sound the final blow for a future edition,’ stated Alexandre de Senarclens, President of the CPSIA Foundation.
At its height, the Geneva International Motor Show had been one of the most prestigious annual car shows on the calendar once pulled in 600,000 visitors and 10,000 of the world’s media at its peak and, for years, was the place to unveil a new car. The 2024 show (advertised below) had been its first in four years after a pandemic-influenced shutdown.
However, attitudes to motor shows had been shifting for years – even before the Covid-19 pandemic struck in 2020. Car makers began to see motor shows as vastly expensive and arguably not quite as worth attending as they used to be given all of the noise focused on a few concentrated days. Then the pandemic hit, forcing the 2020 Geneva show to close at the eleventh hour.
When it returned in 2024, the show was a lot smaller than it once was, as many manufacturers decided not to attend. The 2024 show’s floor plan illustrated the lack of scale compared before, using just one of the halls at the Palexpo centre in Geneva instead of all seven as per previous years. The full list of confirmed manufacturers mostly comprised of small start-ups and niche European car makers, with the only major players being Renault (pictured above), Dacia, MG, Lucid and BYD. In order to fill space, the Geneva show planners introduced curated areas designed by their own team rather than a manufacturer. These areas included the ‘adrenaline zone’, the ‘design district’ and ‘mobility lab,’ which featured cars and interactive exhibits.
Despite the news, organisers of the Geneva show are continuing with their partnership in Doha, Qatar, with the next show there planned for November 2025. ‘It’s satisfying to realise 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,’ says GIMS CEO Sandro Mesquita.