The ESC on May 11: Live program from the ORF Glass Studio at Rathausplatz & opening of the Eurofan House and EuroClub
More than 100 hours of live programming are broadcast from the ORF Glass Studio at Vienna's Rathausplatz during ESC week. After the kickoff at the „Opening Ceremony“ on Monday, May 11, 2026, the following shows, among others, will be broadcasting live from this studio in the Eurovision Village: "Vienna 2026 – The Song Contest Magazine„ (ORF 1), “kulturMONTAG„ (ORF 2), “Kultur Heute„ (ORF III), the Ö1 program from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, the “Ö3-Wecker,„ and “FM4 Sounds like Song Contest." Additional program highlights in connection with ESC will be available on all ORF channels – ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF III, Ö1, Ö3, and FM4, as well as ORF ON, ORF KiDS, and on social media. In the Wiener Stadthalle, the „Evening-Preview-Show“ of the first Semifinal (9:00 PM) will be the first of nine live shows. Furthermore, on May 11: The openings of the Eurofan House at the Wien Museum and the EuroClub at PraterDOME, as well as numerous program points in the Eurovision Village at Vienna's Rathausplatz and other side events.
Main Venue: Rehearsals at Wiener Stadthalle on May 11
Starting at 3:30 PM, a rehearsal run for all participants of the first Semifinal as well as two of the „Big Four“ countries in the ESC calendar, Italy and Germany, will be held. Participants include Moldova (Satoshi – „Viva, Moldova!“), Sweden (FELICIA – „My System“), Croatia (Lelek – „Andromeda“), Greece (Akylas – „Ferto“), Portugal (Bandidos do Cante – „Rosa“), Georgia (Bzikebi – „On Replay“), Italy (Sal Da Vinci – „Per sempre sì“), Finland (Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen – „Liekinheitin“), Montenegro (Tamara Živković – „Nova Zora“), Estonia (Vanilla Ninja – „Too Epic To Be True“), Israel (Noam Bettan – „Michelle“), Germany (Sarah Engels – „Fire“), Belgium (ESSYLA – „Dancing on the Ice“), Lithuania (Lion Ceccah – „Sólo Quiero Más“), San Marino (Senhit – „Superstar“), Poland (Alicja – „Pray“), and Serbia (Lavina – „Kraj mene“). At 9:00 PM, the „Evening-Preview-Show“ of the first Semifinal, the first of nine sold-out live shows of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, will take place.
Eurovision Village as well as the openings of Eurofan House and EuroClub: The side events on May 11
On Monday, May 11, the Eurofan House at the Wien Museum and the EuroClub at PraterDOME will open their doors. The Eurofan House will serve as a meeting place for fans, acts, and the international ESC community. On the opening day, acts from Czech Republic (Daniel Žižka, 12:00 PM), Romania (Alexandra Căpitănescu, 1:00 PM), Norway (JONAS LOVV, 2:00 PM), Austria (COSMÓ, 3:00 PM), and Australia (Delta Goodrem, 4:00 PM) will be present.
The live program starts daily with a „TANZSCHEIN“ flash mob by Radio-Wien dance expert Chris Lachmuth, who will rehearse COSMÓ's choreography with the audience. Starting May 11, current ESC acts will also be featured at Vienna's Rathausplatz. Among the first are Veronica Fusaro (Switzerland), Alexandra Căpitănescu (Romania), and Delta Goodrem (Australia). Monday in the Eurovision Village is dedicated to the winning title of 2005: „My Number One.“ Major hits are also the focus of the ORF III show „Musical meets Song Contest“ by Vereinte Bühnen Wien. Following the day's theme, musical stars of current VBW productions like Nienke Latten, Ana Milva Gomes, Vincent Bueno, and Moritz Mausser will present a specially staged musical on the large stage in the Eurovision Village. This premiere will be broadcast live at 8:15 PM on ORF III (starting in Eurovision Village at 8:00 PM). Prior at 7:00 PM, Monika Ballwein will engage the thousands of viewers to sing along with the 1st Wiener Gemeindebauchor. Select international Eurovision DJs will end the evening with lively performances from 10:00 PM onwards. At a dedicated Eurovision Quiz, up to 2,000 participants can compete against each other three times daily until Friday, May 15. Additionally, visitors will have the opportunity to feel like ESC stars on a special small „Turquoise Carpet“ until Friday, May 15. Ö3 moderator and photographer Martin Krachler will capture them in the best light in front of the Eurovision Village press wall and will crown a „Shootingstar“ daily. For the first time, Eurovision dreams can come true for everyone; those who sing in the Karaok.ai box until Thursday, May 14, can experience themselves in the original performance with the help of AI. Additional highlights throughout the week await fans, including performances by ESC stars.
The celebration continues from 10:00 PM with the Opening Night of EuroClub at the Wiener PraterDOME featuring ESC stars like Eric Papilaya, Nadine Beiler, Kaleen, Go-Jo, and Abor & Tynna. Other top entertainment will be provided by Ally Bandido, Sasha Balkan, Al Bel, DJ Ron, DJ Ohrmeister, and Schlagerprofilerna.
More ESC ambiance is offered at „Eurovision Song Contest Drinks & Music“ at Café Museum, „Eurovision Song Contest Pub Quiz“ at Crossfield's Australian Pub, and „EUROBRONSKI Song Contest“ at Volkstheater.
The ESC highlights in ORF 1, ORF 2, and ORF III on May 11
Talks, first rehearsal images, backstage insights, and highlights from ESC history: From Monday to Saturday, Fanny Stapf hosts the evening magazine "Vienna 2026 – The Song Contest Magazine„ (5:55 PM, ORF 1) live from the ORF Glass Studio at Vienna's Rathausplatz. On Monday, May 11, among others, former ESC participant Pia Maria, who represented Austria with LUM!X in 2022, will be a guest of Fanny Stapf. ORF reporter Larissa Robitschko will be at Eurovision Village at Rathausplatz capturing the atmosphere among fans from around the world. Philipp Maschl will report live from the Wiener Stadthalle, providing backstage insights from the preparations and rehearsals, and talking with the current ESC acts and delegations. ORF science editor Tobias Mayr delivers the daily “ESC-Science" segment, approaching the Song Contest from a scientific perspective, such as exploring how an earworm is created. Additionally, each day a member of the ESC core team will be a guest in the studio, providing backstage glimpses into the music mega-event.
ORF Information also dedicates itself to the musical event of the year: From Monday to Saturday, Philipp Maschl reports on ORF 1 with the „ZIB Magazine ESC“ (7:56 PM) live from the Wiener Stadthalle. The broadcast kicks off on May 11 with the question „How sustainable is the Song Contest?“
Even „Guten Morgen Österreich“ (Monday to Friday, 6:30 AM, ORF 2) is all about the ESC: Katharina Reigersberg reports from the Stadthalle, covering the logistics behind the major event. Monika Ballwein will be in the studio discussing „How to maintain your voice throughout the whole week.“ Other segments will feature Austrian participants at the ESC and the opening of the ESC fan zone.
For „Studio 2“ (Monday to Friday, 5:30 PM, ORF 2), Verena Hartlieb is backstage at the Stadthalle and Rathausplatz. She takes a look behind the scenes of the ESC, revealing what the audience doesn't see. On Monday, she shows which musical stars are warming up for the ESC. She also meets Elisabeth Engstler at Rathausplatz. Verena Hartlieb accompanies the countdown to the ESC, meets people on and behind the stage and provides exciting insights into a week full of music, emotions, and major show moments.
„kulturMONTAG“ (10:30 PM, ORF 2) broadcasts live from the glass ESC studio at Rathausplatz. The focus program presented by Peter Schneeberger covers the 70th anniversary of today's largest televised music competition globally, reports on the opening day, the city's mood, and the artists with the best chances. It also addresses the controversy surrounding Israel's participation and the question of how political the Song Contest truly is. The studio guest is journalist and long-time ESC expert Jan Feddersen.
ORF III airs „Kultur Heute“ (Monday to Friday, 7:40 PM) from the pop-up glass studio at Rathausplatz. In four special editions (except for the holiday), the format covers the many facets of the ESC. On Monday, the show also kicks off a special ORF-ESC evening on ORF III: At 8:15 PM, the live-delayed broadcast of the show „Musical meets Song Contest“ by Vereinigte Bühnen Wien from Rathausplatz is on the agenda – also aired on 3sat. Musical stars like Ana Milva Gomes, Moritz Mausser, Nienke Latten, Vincent Bueno, Charles Kreische, and Klaudia Dodes present a lively journey through seven decades of ESC, accompanied by the orchestra of Vereinigte Bühnen Wien. Afterwards, there's a TV recording of „Aus dem Archiv Spezial: 70 Jahre Song Contest“ (9:50 PM), which was already aired on Ö1 on May 10. In this edition from the ORF RadioKulturhaus, Christian Reichhold and Regina Nassiri, together with Marianne Mendt, Gary Lux, Timna Brauer, and Cesár Sampson, explore red-white-red ESC contributions from past decades. The evening concludes with replays of documentaries „Udo!“ (11:25 PM) and "Merci Chérie – Österreich und der Song Contest" (12:25 AM).
The ESC program of ORF radios on May 11
The entire Ö1 ESC program can be accessed at oe1.orf.at/esc.
In the „Thoughts for the Day“ (6:57 AM) on Ö1, historian Kerstin Susanne Jobst shares how she became a passionate observer of this unique music event. She provides exciting insights for ESC fans, music enthusiasts, and cultural observers alike, combining historical expertise with current pop culture. From 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, Ö1 broadcasts live from the ORF Glass Studio in Eurovision Village at Rathausplatz in Vienna: Day presenters supply guests, topics, and music surrounding the ESC. In „Radiokolleg: 100 Songs: History is Being Made“ (9:45 AM), the contribution "Conchita Wurst – Rise Like A Phoenix„ is heard, “Selected„ (10:00 AM) introduces music competitions in classical music. In “Radiostories„ (11:05 AM) Robert Stadlober reads from “ABBA. 100 Pages. Interesting Facts About One of the Most Successful Pop Bands in the World„ by Jan Wiele, and in “Punkt eins„ (1:00 PM), Florian Wagner, media scientist and curator of the museum Haus der Geschichte Österreich, and linguist and cultural scientist Irving Wolther explore “How political is the ESC?„. The “Culture Journal„ (5:09 PM) is likewise centered on the ESC as are the “Playing Spaces„ (5:30 PM), and the “Journal Panorama„ (6:25 PM) reports on ESC preparations, the expected added value for the city of Vienna, and security aspects. Electronic music is becoming increasingly important - also at the ESC. One place in Vienna where the future is being explored is the Future Art Lab of the mdw - University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna. It is home to ELAK, the university course for electroacoustic and experimental music. Since its inception in 1963, this course has been an open platform for diverse artistic practices, embracing electronic sound. Angelica Castello is the deputy course director and composer. She presents so-called Fixed Media Sounds and recordings by students at 9:00 PM in the “Blue Hour."
The Ö3-Wecker broadcasts live from 5:00 AM to 9:00 AM from the ORF Glass Studio in the Eurovision Village at Rathausplatz. The Ö3-Wecker moderation team Philipp Bergsmann and Anna Kratki wake up with Austria during Eurovision week and deliver all the news regarding the world's largest music show. „Mr. Song Contest“ Andi Knoll will feature his ESC segment – with fans from all over Austria, from Bregenz to Graz to Oberwart. He encapsulates the ESC atmosphere across Austria. The Ö3-Wecker-Quiz „Who against Whom“ will have a special version: ESC fans visiting Vienna will face off against the Ö3-Wecker hosts, testing their general knowledge about Europe and Australia. Ö3 reporters will provide coverage from Wiener Stadthalle, fandom meetings, the most entertaining side events, and the Eurovision Village – in the Ö3-Wecker, Ö3 news, and on Ö3 social media channels.
When Vienna becomes the center of the ESC, FM4 is right in the middle: In „FM4 Sounds like Song Contest,“ Conny Lee and Philipp Emberger broadcast live from the ORF Glass Studio in Eurovision Village at Rathausplatz from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. With numerous live guests such as ESC host Michael Ostrowski or last year's winner JJ. Additionally, current and former ESC acts as well as FM4 musicians join, sharing their favorite moments, stage highlights, and that special ESC feeling. Live games with the local audience, spontaneous challenges, and fan stories are essential to „FM4 Sounds like Song Contest.“ In the lineup: the biggest ESC hits, unexpected song gems from Song Contest history, current entries of this year, and suitable FM4 tracks centered on the Eurovision Song Contest theme. From 7:00 PM, "Generation Sound – the FM4 Music Podcast" focuses on the Eurovision Song Contest.
Song Contest fever on ORF ON
The countdown to the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is on! In just a few days, the first acts will perform on the ESC stage at the Stadthalle, but on ORF ON, the Song Contest is already in full swing: All live shows and the full ESC round-up program are available to watch live and on demand on ORF ON, along with an extensive ESC video collection. Exclusively on ORF ON, "Backstage-Diary – Behind the Hype„ (from May 10) offers rare insights into the work of ESC hosts Victoria Swarovski and Michael Ostrowski across seven episodes, being right there as they encounter the show team, artists, and fans. It's an authentic diary full of emotional highlights and unexpected moments during the world's largest music show. Additionally, “ESC Vintage Feelings" with Mimi Berger invites viewers on a journey through Austria's ESC history. She reflects on legendary performances and personal memories of the Song Contest with JJ, COSMÓ, Simone, and other ESC icons.
ORF KiDS: ESC week focus in „ZIB KiDS“
The news program „ZIB KiDS“ (6:55 PM, ORF KiDS) dedicates an entire week to the Eurovision Song Contest, explaining comprehensively, informatively, and from a child's perspective how Europe's largest music competition works and how it connects people across Europe. Each day, a child from another ESC participant country greets the audience. Together, they explore, ask questions, and try things out: ESC friendship bracelets are created, culinary specialties from participating countries are tasted, and exciting behind-the-scenes insights are revealed – from a song's creation to the grand performance on stage. On Monday, „ZIB KiDS“ looks behind the scenes: What is the ESC, how does the competition work, and who is behind it?
(May 06, 2026)