With the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, Basel once again takes center stage in an international major event this summer. Five matches, including the opening and final games, will be held at St. Jakob-Park. Concurrently, two large fan zones at Barfüsserplatz and Messeplatz will highlight urban life. Sabine Horvath, project lead for UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 in Basel, discusses the strategic importance of fan offerings, the role of MCH Group, lessons from the Eurovision Song Contest, and the opportunities for the city and its stakeholders.
You are leading the overall project for UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 in Basel. What significance do the fan zones hold, and how does MCH Group position itself in this context?
In Basel, five matches will be played, including the prestigious opening and final games. Basel expects around 170,000 visitors at the stadium. However, it’s also important to provide a great football experience for the population and guests without match tickets. For this purpose, we have set up two fan zones at Barfüsserplatz and Messeplatz, and we are grateful to have engaged Messe Basel for planning and operating the fan zones.
What strategic goals does the city of Basel pursue with the fan zones? Are leisure activities primarily in focus, or do aspects such as tourism promotion and economic value creation also play a role?
The UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 is Europe’s largest women’s sports event, and it was important for us to create a program that offers something for everyone throughout the entire holiday month of July. There’s a lot of football, but not only that. In addition to public viewings, we have seven concert nights, five cinema nights, a ball course for the whole family, and a giant slide of 10 meters high for the brave ones.
What does this major event mean for Basel as a venue for events and business, especially in terms of international visibility?
In recent years, Basel has hosted a variety of major events in sports, culture, congresses, and recently with the ESC, a music event, and important prerequisites are the good infrastructure and know-how in organization. Thus, every major event is also a business card for the next major event and contributes to the visibility and positive change in image.
The city has already gained experience with major events, such as the recent Eurovision Song Contest 2025. What lessons have you learned from previous events, and what will be different this time?
It is premature to draw lessons during the event. For this, we need to wait for the evaluation of the event in terms of sustainability. This evaluation is conducted jointly by the ESC and UEFA Women’s Euro, and I am convinced that we will gain valuable insights for future major events.
What role does the Messe and Congress Center Basel play as a venue in the overall concept of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025?
Messe Basel was responsible for both the event planning of the ESC and the two fan zones of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, thus playing an important role in both major events. Basel has an extraordinarily good event infrastructure with the Messe and Congress Center, St. Jakob-Park, and St. Jakobshalle. This infrastructure was integrated into a comprehensive concept for both the ESC and the Women’s Euro, creating something really big. I am firmly convinced that through the collaboration of all infrastructure providers, Basel can strengthen its profile and create the best conditions for further mega-events.
Major events bring many people to the city. How do you ensure that the fan zones are sustainable, inclusive, and integrated into urban life?
This can only be achieved through the involvement of various interest groups. We invited a roundtable discussion with the various stakeholders and addressed their needs. And we remained in exchange with stakeholders throughout the tournament. I have the impression that this has led to a greater understanding of concerns and circumstances for all involved.
What opportunities arise for local businesses, gastronomy, or cultural creators around the fan zones?
Local businesses, gastronomy, and hotels were invited by Basel Tourism to participate in the hospitality campaign. For this purpose, we financed a toolkit with various products from project funds, which was made available to the industry. The offer was highly appreciated and led to very high participation.
What are you personally looking forward to the most at UEFA Women’s Euro 2025, and what do you wish for Basel?
This question is not easy to answer, as this event pursues multifaceted goals. This includes legacy and creating a showcase for women’s and girls’ sports. I think this window has opened wide, and it is hoped that it will remain open beyond the event. On an organizational level, it is the collaboration between various entities in the canton and external partners such as Messe Basel or Basel Tourism or cultural institutions. Through this collaboration, Basel can make a difference and score in the location competition.
