The Geneva Motor Show 2025 has been canceled, and it will never be held again. Mercedes did not participate in the 2024 edition either.
In 2020, the Geneva Motor Show scheduled to take place from 5-15 March was canceled just one day before the official opening due to the escalation of the COVID-19 epidemic. The 2021 and 2022 editions were canceled due to the continuing COVID-19 epidemic, and the 2022 edition was postponed to 2023. However, the uncertain economic climate eventually led to the cancellation of 2023. In March 2024, a new edition was held after a 4-year break. But the Geneva Motor Show has lost much of its former scale and glamour.
While in the peak years, the Geneva Motor Show was attended by 120 exhibitors occupying an area of over 120,000 sqm, and the event was visited by over 600,000 people and more than 10,000 journalists, only five manufacturers were present in 2024, and only one, Renault, from Europe.
Mercedes did not participate, and no other German manufacturer was present.
The German manufacturers chose to support the Munich International Motor Show, which took place in the calendar of the Frankfurt Motor Show and was organized according to a new concept, with stands in the city.
At the same time, many manufacturers avoided coming to Geneva because of the 2020 scandal. At the time, the show was canceled just one day before the opening, and the organizers invoked force majeure and did not want to refund any money to manufacturers who had paid large sums for space rental. This situation was practically the beginning of the end.
For many years, manufacturers had chosen Geneva. It was a show held on neutral ground because it had a great tradition and was very well located, close to Geneva airport, and enjoyed perfect organization. But in recent years, car manufacturers have chosen to support shows held in their home countries, such as Paris and Munich. The show’s owners will continue to organize the Geneva International Motor Show Qatar (the name is confusing), which will be held in Doha in 2025. The first show was held on 5-14 October 2023, also in Doha, Qatar, and was attended by 180,000 visitors and 1,100 journalists.
