The 55th edition of the Biel International Chess Festival, which begins this weekend, could be the last. The city authorities announced on Wednesday that they wanted to abolish the subsidy granted to the event from 2023.
The City of Biel donates 125,000 francs to the International Chess Festival, an amount which represents one third of the event’s budget. The abolition of this subsidy is part of a vast savings program presented on Wednesday.
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“An event a bit behind closed doors”
“This is a very large amount compared to the total budget of the event”, underlined the mayor Eric Fehr of Biel Thursday in La Matinale de la RTS.
“Our reflection was to know if it was really for the benefit of the population”, specified the elected official. “We are talking about a very interesting and quite traditional event for Biel, but still a bit behind closed doors, unlike other large events which always attract a lot of people”.
“I don’t see how to continue”
The chairman of the organizing committee, Peter Bohnenblust, therefore believes that the future of the chess festival is compromised. “Currently, we do not know how we will be able to survive,” he lamented. “Without the city of Biel, I don’t see how we can continue”.
The organizers will decide on the rest of the procedure once the 2022 edition is over.
cb/oang