Eurovision Song Contest 2026: First major production meeting in Vienna
On Wednesday and Thursday, January 14 and 15, 2026, the first major production meeting for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 took place in Vienna. On the first day, the atrium of the ORF Media Campus was filled with 27 international production suppliers who will be working together with ORF on the world's largest TV entertainment event.
ORF Director General Roland Weißmann welcomed the participants and pointed out the enormous public demand, as the tickets for the first tranche were already sold out within a very short time the day before. At the ORF Media Campus, key trades were presented, including stage design, set design, location management, lighting design, and technical design. Daniel Hack, Head of Production, and Claudio Bortoli, Technical Supervisor, presented the project organization of the Song Contest teams as well as the technical and production responsibilities and led the meeting.
ESC Executive Producer Michael Krön emphasized the special importance of collaboration: „You are the best of the best. But that also means that we will be the best when we work together. We want to have a good working environment and a joyful and constructive collaboration. That's why this production meeting should serve as the kickoff for a successful Song Contest in 2026. In addition, we are all pursuing the goal of making this Song Contest a consistently green event, and we are establishing a joint approach to achieve this.“ The sustainability of the event was a central element, for which Anita Malli (Head of Corporate Sustainability at ORF) presented the shared guidelines and goals. The focus includes, among other things, a clear travel policy and the use of 100 percent green energy.
Marvin Dietmann, Head of Contest, provided an overview of the timeline for the 35 delegations of the participating countries. Set designer Florian Wieder then presented the immersive stage design in detail, followed by lighting designer Tim Routledge, who explained his lighting concept. The two directors, Michael Kögler and Robin Hofwander, presented the camera concept with 27 cameras in the Wiener Stadthalle, which is primarily intended to make the emotions of the artists more visible.
On the second day of the meeting, all production suppliers gathered at the Wiener Stadthalle to familiarize themselves with the spatial and technical conditions of the main venue directly at the location. During a comprehensive tour, stage areas, backstage zones, production rooms, logistics routes, and audience areas were presented. The teams were able to inspect the exact infrastructure for the first time and clarify any open questions regarding setup processes, positioning, and technical requirements. The two-day production meeting marked a central milestone on the road to the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The production companies and the ORF team drew an entirely positive conclusion and look forward to an intensive, creative, and collaborative production phase.
(January 16, 2026)