Cultural center Interim use of the Basel Sommercasino agreed

Basel's Sommercasino youth cultural center is to continue to operate as an interim use. An association called Château Solaire will provide space for a wide range of activities such as theater, dance, music, literature, art, media and performance from January 2025, as announced by the Basel Department of Finance on Monday.

The association Château Solaire is backed by the Basel-based music agency Sixteentimes Music. With a wide-ranging program, the association aims to enable young people to get actively involved, among other things.

According to the communiqué, both national and international artists and young talents will be given a platform to present their creative works to a wide audience. The first events are set to take place in January 2025.

At the same time, the canton wants to evaluate the definitive subsequent use of the building. As soon as this has been determined, the renovation of the building will be initiated and adapted to the new use.

The Sommercasino youth cultural center ceased operations in August. Despite intensive efforts to find a viable concept, the sponsoring association Junge Kultur Basel saw no future for the Sommercasino, as it announced in May. One of the reasons for the closure was a structural deficit at the youth cultural center, it said.