Bern: New festival hall can be built
The voters of the city of Berne have approved both the building regulations and the investment contribution of CHF 15 million to Messepark Bern AG. This means that the new festival hall can be built on the Bernexpo site.
In the vote on 7 March 2021, around 64% of voters approved the Mingerstrasse-Papiermühlestrasse development plan, while the vote in favour of the CHF 15 million investment contribution was much narrower at 51%. Both proposals create the conditions for replacing the Festhalle on the Bernexpo site, which is in need of renovation, with a new building.
A zoning ordinance is needed because the planned new building has a larger volume than the existing festival hall. It also makes it possible to relocate 350 above-ground parking spaces that currently encroach on the Grosse Allmend to the underground Expo parking area. The new venue will have a maximum capacity of around 9,000 people - a scale not previously seen in Bern. The new building is scheduled to open in 2024. (ah)
