Under the title ‘Berner Ballzauber’ (Bern Ball Magic), the city of Bern was transformed into a football stage full of emotion for 27 days – with unforgettable images, a peaceful atmosphere and tens of thousands of happy faces. A total of over 511,000 visitors flocked to Bundesplatz, Bärenplatz and Waisenhausplatz for public viewings, concerts, theatre, DJ sets or simply to cheer on their teams and enjoy being together. At the same time, four sold-out matches took place at the Wankdorf Stadium, attracting around 120,000 spectators.
History was also made on the streets: the fan walks before the Swiss women's matches attracted over 40,000 people and made Bern the vociferous heart of the European Championship – on Friday, 18 July, 20,000 people marched through Bern for the Swiss national team alone: a world record!
The Berner Ballzauber in numbers
- Welcome to the teams from Switzerland, Spain, Italy, Portugal and Iceland
- 24 free concerts, DJ sessions, theatre, fitness & football on the mobile pitch
- 12,000 admissions for the immersive cinema experience UNSTOPPABLE with 560 screenings
- 100 volunteers, 10,000 hours of service – plus 300 stadium volunteers
- 475 social media posts, reaching around 1.5 million individuals
Peaceful coexistence
Hannah Sutter, co-project manager, says in retrospect:
'Our expectations were exceeded. What we experienced here in the host city of Bern will remain a fond memory for me and the entire team for a long time to come. I am convinced that many will continue to rave about EURO 2025 for a long time to come.'
And Marc Heeb, co-project manager, adds:
'The fact that the city of Bern was able to present itself in such a showcase for four weeks and that the atmosphere was peaceful at all times are my personal highlights.'
The Ferris wheel goes into extra time
The fact that the event was peaceful throughout was thanks in no small part to the tried-and-tested access system on peak days.
In addition, the ‘Bern Ball Magic’ was present far beyond the country's borders – media from Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, Iceland, Great Britain, Germany and even Australia reported directly from the federal capital
A world-class game – and Bern right in the middle of it. Or as we say: Thank you, Bern!
And the Ferris wheel? It will do one last extra rotation – it will remain on the Bundesplatz until 2 August. One last moment for everyone who wants to see Bern from above one more time.