Following Austria’s triumphant victory at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with JJ’s ‘Wasted Love’, preparations for hosting the 2026 contest are in full swing. Austrian broadcaster oRF has officially announced the Core Team responsible for bringing the 70th edition of Eurovision to life.
Core Team members of Eurovision 2026
The host broadcaster of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 has announced its Core Team in charge of the 70th contest. Several members of the ORF team have past experience from Austria’s previous hosting in 2015.
Michael Krön (ORF Chief Producer) – will become the Executive Producer. He will report to the management team of ORF and will be in charge of production as project leader.
Stefan Zechner (Head of Delegation) – Stefan has previous experience as the Show Producer of Eurovision 2015 and will take on this responsibility again.
Daniel Hack (Formerly Production Economic Manager ORF Multimedia Newsroom) – will act as the Head of Production for Eurovision 2026. He will be responsible for technical production, stage construction, infrastructure, and IT.
Christine Tichy – Technical Manager of Eurovision Core Team. She has previous experience as the Assistant Production Manager of Eurovision 2015. This time she will be responsible for the technical delivery of the contest.
Roman Horacek (Head of Media) – Following his success in 2015 as the Head of Communications, he will resume this role once again.
Iris Keutter (Marketing Manager) – Iris will once again serve as the Marketing Manager. A role she previously experienced for Austria’s hosting of Eurovision 2015.
Oliver Lingens (ESC Event Team 2015) – In 2016 Oliver will become the Event Manager. This entails organising the logistical processes of the Media Centre, delegation support, hospitality, side events, and security.
Christina Lassnig – will be the Executive Assistant. A supporting role reporting to the Executive Producer.
Christina Heinzle-Conrad – As the Secretary General Christina will report to the ORF General Directorate.
Martin Szerencsi – Previously acted as the Legal Advisor of Eurovision 2015. His experience in Austrian television sees him take on these duties for Eurovision 2026.
Are you happy with the Core Team announcements? Let us know! Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra.bsky.social on Bluesky, @escxtra on Instagram, @escxtra on TikTok and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to follow us on Spotify for the latest music from your favourite Eurovision acts. As well as YouTube to see interviews and reactions to the latest Eurovision news.