As a result of the corona pandemic, the main summer events in the Saanenland have been cancelled. Even events in late summer are affected.

The Hublot Polo Gold Cup Gstaad was the first major event in Gstaad to be cancelled due to the corona pandemic. As early as March, the organisers made their decision: “In the current situation and under the existing conditions, it is impossible for us to hold the event in the best possible conditions and at the same time guarantee the safety of everyone.” Postponing the event was not an option due to the many activities at Gstaad Airport in Saanen.

In April the news about the cancellation of the beachvolleyball tournament Swatch Major Gstaad followed: “Together with the International Volleyball Federation FIVB, we have decided to cancel the 5-star tournament in Gstaad from 7 to 12 July 2020,” read the official statement. For the Swatch Major Gstaad, which celebrated its 20th anniversary and needed to apply for additional funding from the public in order to save its precarious finances in 2019, this year’s cancellation is so much the worse.

For the Gstaad Menuhin Festival & Academy 2020 marks the first cancellation of a complete season in its 64-year history. The ban for events with more than 1000 visitors until the end of August 2020 meant no concerts in the festival tent in Gstaad. While other concerts were still possible in theory, the development of the corona situation was too insecure and thus planning time was running out quickly. In mid April alternative options were still considered but by the beginning of May the board of directors and the festival management informed that the festival summer will not take place.

Eventually the tennis tournament, scheduled for the second half of July, was also cancelled in mid May. The decision was made by the ATP, the Association of Tennis Professionals, which cancelled all ATP tournaments scheduled until 31 July. The tournament management of the Swiss Open Gstaad regreted that Swiss tennis fans would have to do without the ATP stars in Gstaad this summer but fully understood and backed the ATP’s decision.

BASED ON AVS