ORF announce finalised Core Team in charge of organising Eurovision 2026.
Yesterday, the Austrian broadcaster revealed the remaining three roles for Eurovision 2026’s Core Team, which means that the Core Team for Eurovision 2026 is now complete. We now know who will be in charge of organising Eurovision 2026 in either Vienna or Innsbruck next May.
ORF Director General, Roland Weißmann, has established the Core Team for Eurovision 2026, led by Executive Producer Michael Krön. They will be responsible for the implimentation and management of Eurovision 2026. Michael will be working with a team of 12 people for Eurovision 2026 in Austria.
- Anja Lenhart – Executive Assistant to General Manager Michael Krön. She previously worked as an Assistant at Eurovision 2015 in Austria.
- Christina Lassnig – Executive Assistant to Executive Producer Michael Krön.
- Nina Kaiser – Head of Commercial. She will be responsible for national co-operation and will act as the interface to the EBU Marketing team.
- Daniel Hack – Head of Production
- Roman Horacek – Head of Communications. He has also been Head of Press for Austria since 2005.
- Iris Keutter – Marketing Manager. She was also Head of Marketing for Eurovision 2015.
- Stefan Zechner – Show Producer. He was also the Show Producer for Eurovision 2015, and has been the Head of Delegation for Austria since 2011.
- Claudio Bortoli and Christine Tichy – Technical Supervisors. Together, they will be responsible for the technical execution of the contest’s production.
- Oliver Lingens – Event Manager for off-air activities. This will include logistics processes of the Media Centre, delegation support, hospitality, side events, and security.
- Christina Heinzle-Conrad – Secretary General. She will serve as the liaison to the ORF General Directorate.
- Martin Szerencsi – Legal Advisor. He previously held this role for Eurovision 2015.
(Left to right: Martin Sczerenci, Christine Tichy, Stefan Zechner, Christina Lassnig, Michael Krön, Christina Heinzle-Conrad, Roman Horacek, Iris Keutter, Oliver Lingens, Daniel Hack.)
ORF Director General Roland Weißmann is very pleased with the team they have for Eurovision 2026, and welcomes them all with open arms:
“With the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, ORF has taken on a mega-project, for which we have just under a year to implement. The existing know-how and ESC experience at ORF are invaluable. I am pleased that we have been able to assemble a team of experts who, under the leadership of Executive Producer Michael Krön, will make ESC 2026 an unforgettable event that all of Austria can be proud of.”
Executive Producer Michael Krön feels a great honour to be implimenting Eurovision 2026 on home soil:
“It is a great honour and pleasure for me to implement the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Austria as Executive Producer. Of course, I am aware that this is one of the biggest and most challenging tasks in the media business. I am confident that as a team, with the combined strength of ORF, we will host an ESC that makes Austria proud and impresses the world.”
ORF Programme Director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz is excited for the challenge of Eurovision 2026: “We will make ESC 2026 an on- and off-air event of the highest international standard for the whole family, showcasing our country at its best. I am excited about this challenge and wish Michael Krön and his entire team all the best.”
Eurovision returns to Austria in 2026 after JJ secured the country’s third win in Basel this year with “Wasted Love”. Austria has previously won Eurovision with Udo Jürgens in 1966 and with Conchita Wurst in 2014.
Austria’s two previous hostings in 1967 and 2015 have seen the contest come to Vienna. This year, the host city bid has come down to two cities – Innsbruck and Vienna, with the OlympiaHalle and the Wiener Stadthalle being their proposed venues. The host city for Eurovision 2026 will be announced on August 4th, 2025.
What are your thoughts on the completed line-up for Eurovision 2026’s Core Team? Which city do you think will win the host city bid – Innsbruck or Vienna? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
Photo credits: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU and eurovision.tv
