The Geneva Motor Show is dead, forever

The organizers will continue to host the show in Qatar.

After 119 years, the Geneva Motor Show is dead. The organizers of the event announced in a Facebook post on Friday that they are ending the show in Switzerland “due to ongoing challenges and competition in the industry.”

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic over four years ago, the event has faced fierce headwinds. The show was canceled in 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 because of the coronavirus. When it returned in 2024, only a handful of automakers participated. Organizers launched a companion show in Qatar in 2023, which will continue. It returns in November 2025.

Geneva hosted its first motor show in 1905. This historic event saw some of the industry’s most iconic cars unveiled on the show floor. The Jaguar E-Type, Porsche 917 and Audi Quattro were just some of the legendary cars that made their debut in Geneva. Lamborghini previewed the Countach with the unveiling of the LP500 concept car and over a decade ago it hosted the launch of the Ferrari LaFerrari.

Auto shows have struggled to attract automakers, and the coronavirus pandemic hasn’t helped. Declining interest and attendance have forced organizers to reevaluate the show experience and try new things.

The North American International Auto Show tried to reverse course by moving the event from Detroit’s unpredictable January to the summer to attract more people. Earlier this year, however, NAIAS organizers announced they would move the show back to January starting in 2025, putting it back in competition with CES.

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