Eurovision Song Contest: COSMÓ's first look at the Wiener Stadthalle and international promotional tour
The schedule for Austria’s Eurovision Song Contest entry, COSMÓ, is packed - on Friday, April 17, 2026, COSMÓ took a first look at the stage at the Wiener Stadthalle, where he will perform his song “TANZSCHEIN” during the final of the world’s biggest music event on May 16. Immediately afterward, COSMÓ headed to London, where he took the stage twice: once at the “Euro Rave Ball” and again in front of around 1,500 ESC fans at the “London Eurovision Party.”
COSMÓ is now entering the final intensive rehearsal phase to ensure everything is perfect for his first performance in the second semifinal on Thursday, May 14, 2026.
COSMÓ about his visit to the Wiener Stadthalle: „I am totally impressed, the Stadthalle and the stage are huge - and yet you can already see the love for detail. It is really made with heart, and you can feel it. The coolest thing is that the audience will be so close, which gives it something personal, a sense of togetherness. I felt right at home in the Stadthalle and am already looking forward to my time here.“
Wiener Stadthalle becomes the big Eurovision Song Contest stage
Since March 30, construction work at the Wiener Stadthalle has been in full swing to ensure everything is ready by the time rehearsals begin at the end of April. Just a few weeks before the opening ceremony at Vienna’s Rathausplatz, the spectacular stage is already taking concrete shape. Both the large LED screen - which, shaped like a curved leaf, forms the centerpiece of the production - and the sweeping, physical resonance arch, as well as the elaborate stage structure, have already taken shape. The Green Room, inspired by Viennese coffeehouse culture, is also already recognizable and serves as a symbol of the harmonious overall concept designed by stage designer Florian Wieder. An immense amount of technical effort has gone into realizing the stage design. More than 2,000 square meters of stage construction weighing approximately 210 tons are being erected in the Wiener Stadthalle, along with over 3,500 square meters of carpet and over 5,000 square meters of recyclable stage molton (acoustic material). For the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, 28 live cameras, over 2,000 lighting fixtures, and over 8,500 individually controllable LEDs (100 percent energy-efficient) will also be used. Furthermore, at peak times, nearly 300 people are involved in the setup daily, working in day and night shifts.
COSMÓ collects sympathy points on an international promo tour
After touring the Stadthalle, COSMÓ traveled to London, where he took the stage twice over the weekend in front of Eurovision fans: on Saturday at the “Euro Rave Ball,” and on Sunday at the “London Eurovision Party,” where he performed his song “TANZSCHEIN” for the fourth time as part of this year’s Eurovision pre-parties in front of around 1,500 fans. Many in the audience enthusiastically danced along with him to his “TANZSCHEIN” dance, and some fans even wore COSMÓ’s trademark blue star on their faces.
COSMÓ about his performance: “London was amazing! Lots of people danced along during our performance, and many had even painted the blue star on themselves. It’s just so much fun to perform in front of the ESC community because the fans are loving, respectful, and open - I feel very welcome there. Besides, it brings me great joy to meet the other acts! It’s amazing how talented and unique the artists are this year. At the pre-parties, the competitive spirit is put aside and we can celebrate this journey together. That was stop three of three on our international promo tour. Next stop: the Eurovision Song Contest at the Wiener Stadthalle!”
After the „Nordic Eurovision Party“ in Oslo on March 21 and „Eurovision in Concert“ in Amsterdam, the pre-parties in London marked the final stop on the promotional tour. COSMÓ is now entering the intensive rehearsal phase.
Photos from the performances in Oslo, Amsterdam, and London are available at www.picdrop.com/orf/hKCfHZq7eH.
The Eurovision Song Contest on ORF: An extensive lineup of shows on ORF 1 and more than 100 hours of live broadcasts from the glass studio on Rathausplatz
The Eurovision Song Contest on ORF: Extensive (show) program on ORF 1 and more than 100 hours of live broadcasts from the glass studio at Rathausplatz
The TV audience can look forward to major primetime shows hosted by Barbara Schöneberger starting in April. On three consecutive Fridays (24 April, 1 and 8 May), “Wir sind Song Contest” at 8.15 pm on ORF 1 will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the world’s biggest music show, looking back at its most emotional moments and its greatest hits and heroes. Andi Knoll will host three episodes of “Mr. Song Contest proudly presents” on ORF 1 (10 May at 7.00 pm, 12 and 14 May at 8.15 pm). Caroline Athanasiadis will host a special Song Contest edition of “Smart 10 Big” on Friday 15 May at 8.15 pm. And on Sunday 17 May at 8.15 pm, Fanny Stapf will take viewers from JJ’s victory in Basel right through to the grand final with the documentary “Das war der Song Contest in Österreich”.
A co-production by SRF, SWR, and ORF accompanies the audience on May 16 starting at 8.15 pm until the Grand Final. Barbara Schöneberger and Cesár Sampson will present a pre-show from the Museumsquartier, featuring the final interviews and reports on the atmosphere ahead of the big show. From about 12.30 am, Barbara Schöneberger will then return with “ESC die Aftershow” on ORF 1. “Promis, Punkte, Partys” will offer a “side view” of the celebrity scene in Vienna on Sunday, May 17, at 9.10 pm on ORF 1.
The center of the current multimedia ORF coverage around the Song Contest is the ORF glass studio at Rathausplatz. The „Opening Ceremony“ on Sunday, May 10th, at 5.00 pm live on ORF 1, marks the start of the Eurovision Song Contest week and the beginning of more than 100 hours of live programming from the ORF glass studio. From Monday to Saturday at 5:55 pm, "Vienna 2026 – The Song Contest Magazine„ is on the schedule of ORF 1, and on the semifinal days, May 12th and 14th, starting at 6.50 pm, “Vienna 2026 – The Songs" will be broadcast. In addition, the “ZIB Magazin Song Contest” will air daily through Saturday from the Wiener Stadthalle, along with live special editions of “Wien heute” and “Kultur Heute” on ORF III from the glass studio on Rathausplatz.
“70 Years of ESC – The Concert” will be presented on the day of the opening ceremony, on Sunday, May 10th, at 9.50 pm on ORF 1 featuring the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna conducted by Christian Kolonovits, with performances by Johnny Logan, Nicole, Nino de Angelo, Juliette Khalil, Drew Sarich, and others. Teresa Vogl and Lilian Klebow will host this glamorous concert evening. „Musical meets Song Contest“ can be seen on ORF III on May 11 at 8.15 pm.
All ORF radio stations with live broadcasts from Rathausplatz
All national radio stations—Ö1, Ö3, and FM4—as well as Radio Wien and Radio Niederösterreich will broadcast special live programs from the glass studio at the Rathausplatz, including the “Ö3-Wecker,” the “FM4 Sounds like Song Contest,” and numerous other shows featuring background information on the world’s biggest music event and, of course, plenty of Song Contest hits.
All ORF platforms are focusing on the Eurovision Song Contest
ORF ON and ORF SOUND bring the Eurovision Song Contest to where the fans are: live, up close, and available anytime. In addition to live streamed shows, all performances available in real time via catch-up, and an extensive ESC video collection (on.orf.at/sammlung/13870556), the ORF ON streaming platform is expanding its offerings with exclusive content, personal insights, and special retrospectives on the history of the Song Contest. The format „Backstage Diary“ will follow ESC hosts Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski behind the scenes starting May 9. Starting May 1, “ESC Vintage Feelings” invites viewers on a journey through Austria’s Song Contest history. Furthermore, in their own must-see lanes, Song Contest winners JJ (from May 5), this year's Austrian participant COSMÓ (from May 8), as well as the host duo Victoria Swarovski & Michael Ostrowski (from May 11), will present their personal streaming tips and highlights on ORF ON.
Around the ESC, more Song Contest highlights await fans: The complete „ESC Show 2015“ is available for streaming as well as a best-of of the „Ö3 Cover Song Contest,“ extended versions of „ESC meets Science,“ all Austrian ESC performances since 1957 exclusively from the ON archive, as well as the documentary „JJ - My Dream Comes True.“
More content about the Eurovision Song Contest is also available on the ORF social media brand channels on TikTok and Instagram. Furthermore, extensive online coverage including a live ticker during the opening ceremony and the shows, as well as a „Social Wall“ can be accessed via the website soncontest.ORF.at.
ORF TELETEXT also offers ongoing Song Contest news—found under “ESC 2026” (page 450) as well as in “Culture and Entertainment” (pages 107, 110, and starting at 190)—and the special “TXT meets ESC” service featuring fan comments on the TV screen.
(April 20, 2026)