ORF RadioKulturhaus celebrates 70 years of the Eurovision Song Contest
Several events at the ORF RadioKulturhaus in April will be dedicated to the 70th Eurovision Song Contest: “Aus dem Archiv” (April 17), “gehört.gewusst. The Ö1 Quiz” (April 19), and two already sold-out concerts featuring the ORF RSO Vienna (April 23 & 24). The concert recording will air on Sunday, May 10, starting at 9:50 p.m. on ORF 1 and on ORF ON.
„From the Archive: 70 Years of Eurovision Song Contest“ will take place on Friday, April 17th from 8:00 PM at the ORF RadioKulturhaus and can also be viewed via live video stream. The recording will be broadcast on ORF III on Monday, May 11th from 9:50 PM. In the Great Broadcasting Hall, Christian Reichhold and Regina Nassiri, along with Marianne Mendt, Gary Lux, Timna Brauer, and Cesár Sampson, will highlight Austria's Eurovision Song Contest entries from past decades. Marianne Mendt, the „mother of Austropop,“ reached 16th place in 1971 with the song „Musik.“ Gary Lux has represented Austria at the ESC several times: His most notable ESC participations were in 1983 (with Westend), 1985, and 1987. Timna Brauer represented Austria in 1986 with the song „Die Zeit ist einsam,“ while Cesár Sampson reached third place at the 2018 ESC with „Nobody But You.“ The admission for the event is EUR 27; with the ORF RadioKulturhaus card, a 50% discount on tickets is available; Ö1 Club members receive a 15% discount.
A quiz competition will take place on Sunday, April 19, on “gehört.gewusst. The Ö1 Quiz on the Eurovision Song Contest.” The event in Studio 3 begins at 12:45 p.m., with Ö1 broadcasting live starting at 1:10 p.m. Judith Hoffmann and Bernhard Fellinger will pose tricky questions and look for original answers from singers Elisabeth Engstler (contestant with Duo Mess, ESC 1982) and Beatrix Neundlinger (contestant in ESC 1972 with Milestones, 1977 with the Schmetterlinge), FM4 host Philipp Emberger—who serves as editorial supervisor for the podcast “Bussi Blabla” with hosts Tom Neuwirth aka Conchita Wurst and JJ—and Florian Wagner (curator of the exhibition “Unstoppable! Eurovision Song Contest Highlights at the Museum” at the Haus der Geschichte Österreich). Admission is free, but due to limited seating, registration through the ticket office is required.
"70 Years Eurovision Song Contest – The Concert" on ORF 1
Both performances of “70 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest – The Concert” featuring the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra are already sold out; the concert recording will air on Sunday, May 10, at 9:50 p.m. on ORF 1 and ORF ON. The ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra invites you on a rich and dazzling musical journey through the moving and eventful history of the Eurovision Song Contest. The lineup features top-tier artistic acts: ESC legends such as Johnny Logan, Nicole, and Nino de Angelo, as well as local stage stars Juliette Khalil and Drew Sarich. Teresa Vogl and Lilian Klebow will host the glamorous concert evening. Christian Kolonovits takes the musical helm and crafts a program that brings the history of the Eurovision Song Contest to life as a vibrant soundscape. The conductor and arranger, known for his ability to break down genre boundaries, transforms iconic songs into symphonic narratives. His arrangements reveal emotional layers: the hopes of the early contest years, the social energy of the ’70s, the glittering showmanship of the ’80s, and the stylistic diversity and modernity of recent decades. The concert is accompanied by a narrative layer that opens up the historical and cultural context of the music: how the Eurovision Song Contest has shaped generations, which social movements are reflected in it, and why certain moments have become collective memories. Television moments that once united Europe take on new depth in the concert hall—and reveal how closely sound and image are interwoven. “70 Years of the Eurovision Song Contest – The Concert” is a musical journey through time that connects the past and the present and brings them to life. An evening that combines the sonic power of a great symphony orchestra with the emotional history of a European media event—and that makes it palpable why the Eurovision Song Contest continues to touch people across Europe to this day.
Further information on the ORF RadioKulturhaus program is available on the website radiokulturhaus.ORF.at or through the box office (Tel. 01/501 70-377).
(April 15, 2026)