Credit: IIHF.
For the first time since 2009, Switzerland is hosting the Men's Ice Hockey World Championship until May 31. Fribourg and Zurich are the two host cities for the tournament, which brings together the 16 best national teams. Eleven of the twelve nations represented at the Olympic tournament are participating, including Switzerland, the 2024 and 2025 World Championship silver medalists. This is the perfect opportunity to capitalize on the enthusiasm seen during the Milan-Cortina Olympic and Paralympic Games.
A successful ticketing system and full broadcast on RTS
The public is responding enthusiastically. According to Christian Hofstetter, secretary general of the organizing committee, approximately 75% of the spectators will come from Switzerland. We've reached 400.000 tickets sold, so we're very happy with this ticketing campaign. " he confided to TV May 9, including " approximately 150.000 tickets sold in Fribourg ", the smaller of the two venues, with a capacity of 7.500 seats (compared to approximately 10.000 in Zurich). During the Olympic Games, the Switzerland-Czech Republic match was the most-watched event on RTS websites and apps.
The interest is clear and strong. It's no coincidence that RTS has decided to broadcast all 64 matches to be played between now and the end of the month on its channel, website, and app. The tournament can also be experienced in fan zones, open to everyone. In Zurich, the public can even try ice hockey on two synthetic rinks and attend a game featuring former players on May 23. Zurich, which is also featured on the map of sites proposed by Switzerland 2038 as one of the three cities that would host ice hockey. There is no doubt that a successful tournament would allow the Swiss bid to gain additional points in the eyes of the IOC.
"To generate enthusiasm"
In this promising context, the Federal Office of Sport contributed 5,65 million francs to the event to support its organization and ensure its legacy. The 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships must have long-term effects and allow for the sustainable development and strengthening of ice hockey in Switzerland. " writes the OFSPO, which has specifically committed more than 2 million francs for " to promote ice hockey in a targeted way among children, girls and women " and " to professionalize the training of referees and coaches ».
The organizing committee has also set up a program with school classes. We will be welcoming approximately 20.000 students across the two venues, for whom we have been able to offer attractive deals on certain matches. The response has been very positive. There will be more school classes attending the tournament than we initially targeted. », assures Christian Hofstetter to View that holds the top spot. " For many, this will be their first experience with ice hockey, and we naturally hope the children have a wonderful time. We'll see later if it leads to many new players. But our goal is to spark their enthusiasm for ice hockey and make this first experience very positive. »
