History in the making for Vienna: After more than a decade, the EBU bids farewell to the colorful opening cue and unveils the “new faces” of Eurovision broadcasts. What does the dramatic visual change look like and did the melody endure? Watch the change!
The EBU opens the new year with a bang: this morning the new opening cue, which will henceforth accompany the opening and closing of Eurovision broadcasts, was revealed for the first time. The dramatic reveal, interwoven into the traditional New Year’s Concert broadcast, marks another significant step in preparations for Eurovision 2026, which will take place in Vienna, Austria. The move complements the updated logo and the competition’s distinctive stage, completing the branding overhaul ahead of the contest’s 70th anniversary.
Watch the new Te Deum:
The Enduring Classic: The Secret of Te Deum
The festive opening cue and its legendary melody constitute the visual and auditory backbone of the EBU. The piece, originally called “Te Deum” (the Prologue), was composed in the 17th century by French composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. For decades, these sounds (drums and trumpets) have signaled to millions of viewers the moment the show begins and ends — a kind of bells toll that instantly excites every Eurovision fan. While the graphical design is renewed and changed (the previous design accompanied the contest for 13 years), the melody remains a stable anchor and an inseparable part of the broadcaster’s identity, linking past to present, 17th century to 21st century, in every opening and closing of the evening.
The new cue presents a continuation of the modern, mature aesthetic and dialogues with the competition’s refreshed visual language. The shifting spectrum colors of the old teaser give way to blue-gray tones that lend a formal, grown-up atmosphere. In the teaser, the EBU logo appears on screen in multiple copies that eventually unify into a single emblem. This change likely stems from a desire to centralize the cue’s identity with the competition’s slogan — “United By Music” — as the logo merges with the melody associated with the contest since its inception.
Watch the previous Te Deum:
A Once-a-Decade Revolution: The New Logo And The “Chameleon Heart”
The new opening cue is merely the opening shot of a comprehensive, groundbreaking rebranding led by the EBU ahead of the 70th anniversary of the contest. For the first time since 2015, the iconic logo undergoes a dramatic change tailored to the digital era. At the center of the new design is the “Chameleon Heart” — a three-dimensional, clean, modern symbol composed of 70 layers, each representing a year in the competition’s rich history. The new heart is intended to be dynamic and versatile (like a chameleon), able to adapt to the colors and styles of each host country in the future, while preserving the brand’s DNA and the constant slogan “United By Music.” This is not merely a cosmetic change but a statement of intent about the brand’s future: bolder, more flexible, and adapted to today’s screens.
Gold, Artistry, and Elegance: Vienna’s Stage Revealed
Alongside the graphic branding, the crown jewel was unveiled: the Eurovision 2026 stage in Vienna. Designer Florian Wieder, who also crafted the successful Basel stage last year, returns with a concept rotated 180 degrees, drawing inspiration from the Viennese Secession art movement. The stage features exceptional elegance and exudes a royal concert hall atmosphere, with extensive use of gold motifs, organic shapes, and curved lines. The central element is the “leaf” — a large, curved LED floor panel from which a catwalk extends gracefully to the ceiling, symbolically connecting sky and earth.
The Big Challenge: Will Beauty Come at the Expense of Practicality?
While Basel’s stage was praised for its versatility, allowing any act to appear entirely different, the Viennese design presents a new and intriguing challenge. The choice of a clearly artistic line, with a dominant luxurious gold structure, raises the question of whether the various delegations will manage to differentiate their songs. On such a highly stylized, specific stage, it is possible that this year we will see a greater reliance on video art and screens to “break” the uniform look. In any case, the combination of the new opening cue, the updated logo, and the artistic stage signals that Eurovision 2026 will emphasize design maturity, blending digital innovation with a rich cultural tradition.
Eurovision 2026: The 70th Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Austria, following the country’s third historic win with the song “Wasted Love” performed by JJ. This will be the third time the contest is hosted in Austria, after 1967 and 2015.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
