ORF, the Austrian national broadcaster, will be broadcasting special Eurovision shows ‘ Wir sind Song Contest’ leading up to the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna.
ORF and Austria are gearing up in full steam for the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest. ORF will be launching a special program leading up to the ESC 2026.
‘Wir sind Song Contest will consist of three televised shows hosted by none other than Barbara Schöneberger which will be broadcast on ORF 1 and ORF On at 20:15 on the following dates:
- 24/04/2026- Show #1- 70 Years of the World’s Greatest Music Show
- 01/05/2026- Show #2- Austria’s Most Memorable Moments
- 08/05/2026- Show #3- The Most Successful Hits and Heroes
Each show will have a different theme, Eurovision fans will partake in quizzes and former Eurovision stars will grace the show including 2 time Eurovision winner Johnny Logan (Ireland 1980/1987).
ORF’s press release reads:
From “Merci, Chérie” to “Satellite” and many more – big stars from the Austrian and international music scene, such as Pizzera & Jaus, Folkshilfe, and Beatrice Egli, also interpret their own versions of well-known Eurovision hits. Guests include John and Jenny Jürgens, Johnny Logan, and Felix Neureuther. In a fast-paced quiz, Austria’s biggest Eurovision fans also have another chance to win the last highly coveted tickets for the final show in Vienna. Each of the three shows will feature an absolute Eurovision legend who will perform their greatest hit one last time.
ORF’s press release sheds more light on the shows’ three themes:
Each of the three shows has its own theme: What does Elton John have to do with the Eurovision Song Contest, why wasn’t Austria involved in the first contest, and how often have there been streakers at the Eurovision Song Contest? The most fascinating and bizarre facts and stories from seven decades of the Song Contest are the focus of the opening show, “70 Years of the World’s Greatest Music Show” (April 24).
The ESC becomes the ÖSC when the audience can look forward to “Austria’s Most Emotional Moments” (May 1) in the second show. Who wanted to represent us, who did compete, what became of the participants, and how are they doing today? A reunion with the great legends and audience favorites, some of whom will be stepping up to the microphone for the first time in decades.
Part three, “The Most Successful Hits and Heroes” (May 8), promises a comeback of the ESC’s biggest stars. Not all of them achieved international success, but some of them have had global careers, even though they didn’t always win. They tell Barbara Schöneberger how it all came about and also take to the microphone.
Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz ( ORF Program Director) says:
This is programming for Eurovision fans and everyone who wants to become one. In these three shows, we celebrate the musical spectacle in all its facets and show what a unifying and captivating event the ESC is and how incredibly it has developed over the past 70 years. The perfect launchpad towards the Song Contest – and with Barbara Schöneberger and her guests, the time until the big event will be made even sweeter.
