The German designer Florian Wieder, who lives in Los Angeles, will be responsible for the Eurovision Song Contest stage for the eighth time. After 2012, 2015 (in Vienna), 2018 to 2020 as well as 2024 and 2025, in 2026 the acts will also perform on the stage he designed at the Wiener Stadthalle. Wieder brings not only years of Eurovision Song Contest experience, he has also been working with international superstars for 30 years, including Beyoncé, Robbie Williams, U2, Adele and Ed Sheeran.

Stage Design & Artwork for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026

The concept for the Vienna stage

The concept draws on the visual language of the Vienna Secession, an artists’ association founded in Vienna in 1897 around Gustav Klimt that stood for breaking with old conventions. It is not about historical references but about a contemporary interpretation of a mindset – the courage to embrace renewal, openness to radical creativity and a new freedom in design. The centerpiece of the stage is an LED surface in the shape of a curved leaf, representing a “blank white page”, a symbol of origin, potential and collective creation. A sweeping arch that symbolizes musical movement and emotional connection, paired with a golden, sketch-like stage structure, rounds out the design. Bringing these elements together is intended to unite the DNA of the Eurovision Song Contest with that of the host city, Vienna.

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Green room and technical equipment

The Green Room – the area where the artists spend time – is directly connected to the stage by a walkway. This allows for a “Winners’ Walk” through the audience. Directors Michael Kögler (known for the Hahnenkamm Races in Kitzbühel and the Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna) and Robin Hofwander (Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel) are drawing on a Hollywood look for the show – ARRI cameras will be used, which are typically reserved for feature film productions. 

Tim Routledge (Eurovision Song Contest 2023 in Liverpool and the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 in Basel) will be responsible for the lighting design. The Eurovision Song Contest signature theme for 2026 will be composed by Dorothee Freiberger (known for her work as part of the production team for “Rise Like a Phoenix”, Conchita Wurst’s 2014 winning song, and the title sequence for the Vienna Eurovision Song Contest 2015) and Martin Gellner (“Hans Zimmer Live”). The two will incorporate selected motifs from Mozart’s The Magic Flute, combining classical orchestral elements with contemporary music.