Banish those Monday morning blues! Eurovision.tv has just released virtual video footage of the concept for the Eurovision 2016 stage in Stockholm. It’s already looking like one of the most impressive stages we’ve ever seen at ESC. The Swedes are doin’ it right!
Watch: Virtual reality tour of the Eurovision 2016 stage
Producers will include many elements that have become commonplace at Eurovision over the past decade. An army of lights and video screens will surround the artists, whilst the floor will be capable of displaying video effects. The LED wall is also broken apart and will allow the artists to move around inside it, as well as optical illusions which could lead to some really impressive staging when we get to Stockholm. It also sounds like it would have been a whole lot easier to stage Heroes inside that. Hey, Wiktoria…
There doesn’t appear to be a “catwalk” feature. This is similar to the 2015 stage in Vienna, so the artists will mostly be restricted to the stage. There is, however, a smalller red square that is shown a little further away from the main stage. Could this be another performance space, à la Anouk’s performance of “Birds” back in Malmo — or will it be where Petra and Måns do most of their presenting links?
On the whole it seems to be an improvement on Sweden’s last stage design for Eurovision 2013. Oddly enough though, the Eurovision 2016 stage was designed by the same team — Frida Arvidsson and Viktor Brattström — who did that stage in Malmö. Perhaps the size of Globen has allowed them a bit more room to play with than they had in the Malmö Arena.
What are your first impressions of the Eurovision 2016 stage? Let us know in the comments section below and also on our Twitter and Facebook pages.
Photos: Courtesy of EBU/SVT
absolutely beautiful
i was expecting something Malmo-esque but this is just glorious
I am positive that they will do cool stuff with this stage
AMAZING
It really looks like a mashup of some previous stages, at first glance it looks like Baku’s and Copenhagen’s had a child 😛 It even reminds me a little of Moscow’s and even Athen’s. But I’m saying this as a good thing! It looks impressive and it’s just a render! Can’t wait to see it finished!
I can already feel that It’ll be better than last year’s stage
Let’s face it every stage in the last 10 years have been amazing, It is up to lightning and backdrops and the artist to make it their own.
I bet we will love it on TV.
I think it’s beautiful, i like it. I think it will work for Austria, she can walk trough the background witch will represent the magical land. Also, she could have things like butterflies flying around her, like Belarus in Jesc 2015.
For me best stage from 2000 to 2016 was stage from 2014 than 2009
I like this stage. Sweden show us that they had one time not good stage and one time good stage when they host the Eurovision.
1. 1975 not good stage worst stage from 1968 til 1975
2. 1985 good stage
3. 1992 not good stage one of worst stage from 1990 till 1999 only worst for me was in 1991.
4. 2000 good stage
5. 2013 not good stage one of worst from 2000 till 2015
6. 2015
I think I like it. Personally I am not a big fan of overhead framings though, but yeah. Better than Malmö, which was in my opinion the weakest stage of the past years.
It looks fine, many aspects from former stages are coming together here. The cubic look and feel from Denmark, the haptic concept with roof and fames from Vienna and most surprisingly a giant LED extravaganza like in Moscow 2009, which really stuns me because it was Sweden who preached modesty and decency. My only concern would be that visually there would be too much going on and whole performances can be outshone by the visuals. So that in the end we dont vote for a song but for a “video” performance. Good songs can get totally messed up with the… Read more »
I don’t know why people are still so hung on about 2014 stage? The stage that went massively overboard and over-budget? DR is still dealing with the consequences of the decision and is in financial difficulties over it.
The stage is contrasting from the Malmö one, but that’s the point. The producers said they treat this one differently and it’s about showing of a new modern Sweden, a reflection of 2016 and the melting pot of different cultures in one.
I think the stage is great and very innovative. Creative use of the LED screen
Aaaahhhh I love it!! SO much better than last year! 🙂
Maybe Molly Sanden will also use this element, but this is stupid that Anna Book was disqualified, so that Samir & Viktor do not fall away. Melodifestivalen is just overgrown, but I have idea to fix it. Reduce the number of participants from 28 do 18. From three semi-finals (or heat or quarter-finals) two participants direct to final. Next two direct to second chance (or semi-final, depending on the name you want to use). The remaining six will face a voting at the beginning of second chance/semi final. The two winners of this voting will go to last, 4th duel.… Read more »
It looks a little Big and I’d like it if the red box arches at the top could move out the way. (hello Moscow) It seems like SVT is expecting artist to do what the melfest acts have done this year by either bringing a screen behind you to project imagines on (ace wilder etc) or by focusing more close up on the artist and darkening the rest of the stage. I actually hope it’s smaller than it looks because the stage seems set back quite a lot and fare from the audience. I really miss when stages had the… Read more »
I tend to like when the stages tie back to the country, the theme or the environment. Like in Belgrade with the LED twin rivers or Copenhagen with the industrial feel of the venue. Even Austria had the sculpture that mirrored the logo and of course the bridge that brought in artists. Not sure why so many people love Düsseldorf. It was basically a giant LED with a giant podium and the people looked so tiny it swallowed them up. The only plus was the mini-stage that rose up but once one person uses it then it wasn’t that original.… Read more »
I’m not too sure about this stage. Im going to go and give them the benefit of the doubt but right now it just kind of looks… messy, if that makes sense? Also doesnt seem to fit the whole dandelion theme they’ve got going this year
I don’t get why people complain about Malmo’s stage. It was beautiful, classic and modern at the same time, with a incredible lightning, and a catwalk that worked. It was better than Norway 2010, Dusseldorf 2011 (that was just a big led screen and a catwalk) and Baku 2012. It looked really good on tv and the audience were really close to the artists, what it was great!
This year’s stage is good too, but I’m waiting to see on tv.
*seen and not scene, Freudian slip. 😉
Why do they always have to make it more kitsch and tacky every year? What are they gonna do in 2017, robots dancing and carrying the microphones? It’s weird cause Sweden was the country who made it simpler in 2013: smaller stage, only one presenter, etc. And I thought it was a really good idea!
Denmark in 2014 was the best stage I’ve ever scene: a good balance between technology and authenticity.
I LOVE it!!
BRING BACK THE CATWALK. theh are needed when you have party songs and get up close anx personal to the fans. this looks complicated and too melfest like. i kond of preferd malmo
@MGR, we all know you don’t like the juries because of the many comments but it was only last year where there was a significant difference between the juries and televote.
It looks pretty good. But I can’t imagine how the dandelion thing they have going in the logo would tie in with this stage design.
Although I loved the simplicity of the Malmo stage, at least those who complained about its size won’t have to complain about it this year. 😉
It doesn’t look like it fits the theme though….I was expecting a round stage….and I really wanted a catwalk….
But I really do love this! Well done Sweden. 🙂
does anyone have any idea when the next round of tickets go on sale?
My flights and accom are all sorted, just need tickets to the final 🙁
I think here in front is clear element for Samir & Viktor.
A lot of people seem to cling to the stage of 2014. I thought it was alright, maybe a little too big though. And after hearing Christer Björkman talking about how the danes kept trying to mess with Sanna Nielsen’s staging I got incredibly ticked off. That’s one of the plausible downsides of spending a huge amount of money on a flashy stage – you want the entries to use your cool effects, even though they already have a simplistic vision with the artist and her voice at focus.
I’m optimistic. This is something like Denmark’s ’14 stage mixed with Baky’s ’12 stage, as well as the 60th Eurovision Anniversary stage. It will be cool!
It looks good in pictures, but I’m afraid that it’s gonna look cheap in reality (like all the stages on MF).
Every healthy person sees that every year at Eurovision repeated the same story. Estonia will choose Jüri Pootsmann and for many people he will be favorite. Latvia will choose Justs, and people generally will know, that it is much worse option (as Aminata was much worse last year than Elina Born & Stig Rasta). Unfortunately, the jury again will do theirs. Many points for weak entry from Latvia, ruining of Estonia’s result and many points for such countries as Sweden and Italy. It is a tradition, It is very predictable and unfair.
On first look, it seems decent but I can’t love a Eurovision stage without a “catwalk”.
It’s like a monsterous MF stage. I LOVE IT!
Nothing will ever beat the stage from 2014, but this looks good.
Cautiously optimistic about the stage, but I’m a bit of a luddite and tend to like relatively simple and open ones. The heavy overhead framing is just a bit too much for me, but the rest looks top notch.
A pretty boring stage if you asked me. I expected a lot more. Copenhagen 2014 & Dusseldorf 2011 still have the best stages in the history of eurovision. No catwalk either. I’m sorry, but I’m disappointed.
The prettiest stage i’ve seen i ESC!!
can’t wait to see it live in action. I hope this means SVT is trying to fix all mistakes they made in 2013 with the staging etc.
I think this is about to get the best stage ever in Eurovision history! Seriously! And I already see myself getting crazy when rehearsals kick off. I just hope the artists will take advantage of it … :S And somehow my feeling tells me that Wiktoria will get sent by Sweden. On one picture it looks as if she stands there 😀
Beautiful stage, way better than malmo’s and Viena’s. I am happy its sweden, because last year Viena did a terrible job.
I’m always gonna miss a catwalk
no innovation in stage design this year. they decided to pick some features of the previous contests and apply it in this. it’s a shame really.
Classy 2013 v Modern 2016? It looks alright but I’ll need to see a lightshow like Denmark produced before their contest.
Wow this looks amazing! best and most effective stages so far have been in Copenhagen and Düsseldorf… They were simple in design but looked incredible on screen. This one looks a little more complicated… A lot more design elements but it is so different from anything we have seen so far so I am very impressed and this can look AMAZING on tv screens! Good job Sweden!
1000x better than the rubbish stage they had in Malmö.
I don’t know how to feel, I need to see it in action.