The 2020 Geneva Motor Show has been cancelled after the Swiss government put a ban on any gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
It’s the first time the show has been scrapped and follows on from similar cancellations elsewhere in the world – including the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and a large watch fair in Geneva.
The event was set to be the 90th edition of the show, and is one of the world’s premier automotive events, and with a whole host of models set to be unveiled and showcased at the Geneva Motor Show for the first time.
The organisers of the show have, up until now, remained sure that the show would continue to run. However, with the first reported cases of coronavirus arriving in Switzerland in recent days, and with the Swiss Federal Council banning large gatherings, the only option was to cancel the motor show, organisers have said.
Maurice Turrettini, chairman of the foundation board, said: “We regret this situation, but the health of all participants is our and our exhibitors' top priority. This is a case of force majeure and a tremendous loss for the manufacturers who have invested massively in their presence in Geneva. However, we are convinced that they will understand this decision.”
The decision comes just three days before the Geneva Motor Show was set to open.