Fans zones, concerts and popular festival in Switzerland for Euro football – RTS.CH

After 2008 in association with Austria, Switzerland organizes a European football championship for the second time. And the 22 players of the Swedish selector Pia Sundhagus hope to succeed what men could not accomplish 17 years ago: pass the obstacle of the group phase.

A total of 31 matches in eight cities, including Geneva and Sion, will compete with the best continental teams, to the final on July 27 in Basel. The Swiss begin “their” Euro against Norway as of Wednesday at 9 p.m. in Basel in front of more than 35,000 spectators with found confidence and a conquering state of mind. If Spain, England and Germany are a favorite, the national selection wants to shine at home with Finland and Iceland in its group.

Crazy for unusual media coverage, the players entrust their pride to play at home, their desire to please the Swiss public, but also their responsibility in the face of this event which aims to be festive and unifying across the country. The challenge is also to make women’s football even more visible and draw attention to him.

An opening ceremony to the glory of football and mountains

The meetings will take place in Basel, Bern, Geneva, Zurich, Saint-Gall, Lucerne, Thoune and Sion. In each of these cities, events have been set up to maintain popular euphoria and enjoin the population to invest in public space.

An opening ceremony Wednesday evening in Basel before the first Swiss match must launch the festivities in the best of the way. Celebrating the majestic mountainous landscapes of Switzerland and the fervor of football, it illustrates the theme of the tournament: the summit of emotions. The artist Beatrice Egli, a German pop star, will interpret the national anthem, while his Norwegian colleague Astrid S will do the same for his country.

Five matches in Geneva, including Swiss-Finland

On the French side, the Geneva stadium hosts five games, including Finland-Suisse on July 10 and a semi-final on the 16th. The canton, which awaits 100,000 visitors, has put the double bites, unlocking 4 million for major renovation work within the enclosure with a capacity of 30,000 places.

A fan zone occupies the Gustave-Ador quay, very close to the water jet. All matches are broadcast and films related to the round ball are projected in the evenings when there is no meeting. The nearby sport village allows supporters and supporters to discover other activities, such as climbing, freestyle football or parkour. Before the matches, the supporters will meet in Lancy-Pont-Rouge, from where they will go to the stadium in procession.

The event is also available in a cultural way with a series of artistic events in several municipalities, highlighting the place and representation of women in sports practices. Dance, performances, photographs, giant puppets or fashion collection from recycled jerseys, the six selected projects make women’s sport resonate far beyond the land. Through these works, the body becomes a space of resistance, expression and dialogue.

Three matches and a giant fan zone in Sion

Another French-speaking city, Sion receives three games at the Tourbillon stadium, including an enticing Belgium-Italia. The city center is also transformed into a “giant fan zone in free access”, in the words of the authorities. The meetings are broadcast on the screens of public establishments and various events, including concerts and games for children.

“The female euro will be a great sport festival, uniform and festive. And for Zion, a unique opportunity to make us known in the whole of Europe thanks to the strong media coverage of the event. We want to show the best face of the city, so that everyone feels well received,” said city president Philippe Varone.

No other French -speaking city has been selected to host matches, but entertainment also takes place elsewhere, notably in Vevey, Nyon or Martigny. A fan zone has also been set up in Lausanne-Ouchy and a “Fun Zone”, located right next to it, welcomes a 3 football field against 3. Many activities and initiations are offered.

>> See the subject of sports on Sunday on preparations for Sion:

Concerts, rolling sculpture, freestyle football and Madeleine Boll jersey

Overseas, two areas fans have also been set up in Basel with public projections, concerts, a mobile soccer field, a ball course and a slide. Before each meeting, supporters starts from Münsterplatz or Messeplatz to go to the stadium. Before Switzerland-Norway and before the final, the “Klamauk” rolling sculpture by Jean Tinguely will open the procession.

In Zurich, the “Zürifanzone” on the Europaallee, near the central station, is the meeting point for football enthusiasts. The centerpiece is the public projection space which can accommodate up to 2000 people. For the past few days already, ten “Red Goals”, large red aluminum goals from the interior have been installed. This luminous artistic project is based on the concept of the Hamburgian artist Michael Batz.

Under the slogan “Berner Ballzauber”, the fan zone of the capital settled in front of the Federal Palace with there also several concerts, films and a mobile soccer field. In Lucerne, 5000 people will be able to party together on Europaplatz in front of the city’s culture and congress center. In Thoune, the fan zone broadcasts matches and offers concerts, freestyle football shows or giant darts.

Musical performances, guided tours and streetsoccer also await the crowds at the Marktgasse de Saint-Gall. The textile museum presents the exhibition “Women, Football & Textiles”. Among the 20 exhibited pieces is the Madeleine Boll jersey, the first Swiss football player to obtain a license in 1964.

400 special trains and free tickets

Transport has also been reorganized to best convey hundreds of thousands of people expected and prevent spectators from having their cars. In addition to the usual rail offer, some 400 special trains have been set up by SBB and large -scale works between Friborg and Bern have been integrated into the concept.

On the day of the match they attend, spectators can go free to the public transport stadium from any Swiss locality and come back.

The euro also intends to highlight the diversity and inclusion by meeting the needs of each supporter and each supporter, with the implementation of different accessibility measures: a wheelchair loan service, trains and accessible refreshments, audio -dioidance comments via an application, sensory bags with noise reduction helmets and assistance service with volunteers on each site.

>> All information on the website Euro in Switzerland

Frédéric Boillat with ATS