Israeli media is reporting that the German designer Florian Wieder has won the tender to design the stage for Eurovision 2019. The award-winning designer is a Eurovision veteran, having previously designed the stages in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017 and most recently in Lisbon.
While the news has not been officially announced by the EBU, Israeli media is reporting that Wieder has been selected for 2019.
Florian Wieder is a respected production designer, with decades of experience. As well as working on many German television productions, he has also designed staging for America’s Got Talent, Britain’s Got Talent, The X Factor (US and UK), and the MTV VMAs and EMAs and concert staging for artists such as U2 and Robbie Williams.
But Wieider is also known for designing five of the Eurovision stages in the past eight years.
One month ago, Israeli broadcaster KAN opened a tender process for the 2019 stage design. It was a sealed tender, open only to a number of established stage designers invited by the broadcaster.
The broadcaster specified that the stage design must be “iconic, with an Israeli identity, unique, modern, innovative and creative, significant and multi-purpose”.
While KAN did not directly say that LEDs should be part of the design, it noted that Portugal’s lack of LEDs had meant that many performances had a similar overall look. It specified that the 2019 stage design should allow for each country to present their song in a different way.
The stage design for Eurovision 2019 also comes with the additional challenge of size. The show will use two pavilions at Expo Tel Aviv, one for the main venue, the other for the green room. The design includes both spaces and must make the most of the venue’s limited capacity.
News site Walla reports that Israeli designer Maya Hanoch and her partner Avi Fahima narrowly missed out on winning the tender. Hanoch designed the stage for Eurovision 1999 and has been involved with numerous Israeli television productions.
Florian Wieder’s Eurovision designs
Florian Wieder made his Eurovision debut in 2011, when Germany hosted in Düsseldorf. His design for Esprit Arena involved a large round stage with a giant video wall behind it. He was brought back the following year to design for Baku Crystal Hall in Azerbaijan. That design featured sharp angles, multiple catwalks and was the last to have a fully seated audience.
Wieder’s next Eurovision experience was three years later, when neighbouring Austria requested his services. For the Wiener Stadthalle, the stage was encircled by a series of tubes and featured an “eye” design at the back of the stage. Two years later Wieder designed the stage for Kyiv, and was challenged by the limited size of the International Exhibition Centre. The design featured a round stage with a moveable “chandelier” lighting fixture above.
The German designer’s services were again used in Lisbon. His stage at Altice Arena featured many arching shapes, two outer catwalks and — controversially — did not use any LED panels.
Update at 15:00 GMT on 2 November
After we shared this post on social media, Florian shared a link to it on his personal Facebook page along with the words, “Yay! I’m so happy.” We’re going to take that as a confirmation.
What’s more, Israel’s Yediot newspaper is reporting that the stage will feature triangles inspired by the Star of David. Read more about that in our Insta post below.
What is your favourite Eurovision stage design?
There aren’t many people in the world who can design a stage for a production on the scale of the Eurovision Song Contest. But despite familiar names turning up, there is still a lot of variety to the stage designs. What is your favourite of the Eurovision stage designs seen in the past decade? Vote for your favourites in our poll. You can vote for as many years as you like, but you can only vote once — so make it count!
[polldaddy poll=10153763]What do you think? What sort of stage design should Eurovision 2019 use? Should the LEDs come back? Tell us your thoughts below!
I love his earlier stages, so I am happy. I have been proud of esc 2013 and 2016 here in Sweden, but the stages has lookt better those years when he has createt it.
I have mixed feelings in regard to his previous stage designs. It’s always like I get the idea but in the end, there’s just something a little too big or too bulky about it. Honestly, I liked the 2013, 2014 and 2016 stages much better than the five ones he designed. I also felt like there was something more interesting about them.
Eurovision stages are always amazing…
but my favourites are Copenhagen 2014 and Lisbon 2018
“The contest will be so much better in Israel than in Portugal!” Ooops… Both contests will have the same stage designer…
That’s not a very smart statement as all of his stages are different, also they depend on the budget (like the case of the augment reality that was cut off in the last moment in 2017, or lack of LED wall in 2018).
It’s even less smart to say that Isreal will be better than Portugal, only because you prefer Netta over Salvador, which many (and I suppose you too) are saying. But coming from anyone using your nickname that is not surprising.
Who said anything about Netta or Salvador? Are you high darling?
Many people, darling. You haven’t been paying attention. Maybe you are the one who should cut down the weed or whatever you are on.
you are the one who got voices in your head..
Better having voices than completly emptiness as in your case or worse: BULSCHIET
Stockholm was cheesy and tasteless
If that is the case, then it is very clever. It keeps the Isreali ESC events on a similar trend: 1979- moving circles to create a unique shape for each song; 1999- moving sun beams to create a unique shape for each song; 2019- moving triangles to create a unique shape for each song? What a fabulous idea!!!
When I heard about the concept it sounds like the 1st idea mr. Weider had when he saw “Israeli identity” in the tender. It’s like a 12 years old comes up with a very very simple idea, Israel=star of David. So I expect this stage to be super duper impressive to compensate the lack of deep/sophisticated concept.
Great idea to incorporate the triangels of the David star. One triangel as stage and other as a frame around the stage. Will look great 🙂
I don’t understand why the same people get chosen year after year. And I can hardly wait for the moment when they’ll announce that Eurovision’s Own Personal Jesus will be responsible for the running order: that is Christer Björkman.
My favourite so far is 2009. Loved the 2012 stage too
Florian, can you design something this time which can’t be invaded and won’t allow the crowd to distract from the performances? So far, you’ve failed to do that.
Security detail needs to be beefed up in that case.
You’ve got a point there, Fatima!
How exactly security is part of the design? It is not his job.
Bad decision if he’s the one to design. I dont like his stages. They all miss a ‘soul’ and they pretty much look the same. Nothing inspiring.
From 2010 to 2018 best 3 stage
1. 2014
2. 2011
3. 2016
then 2017
Worst stage in that period stage from 2010 then 2013
Best 5 stage in history for me
1.2014
2. 1988 (look amazing , and very modern for that period, and look quite good and in 2018)
3.2009
4.1994
5.2011
Stage from 1988,1994,1997 made same woman from Ireland.
This is a very bad decision, there’s gotta be a more suitable stage designer… Looking at this guy’s previous works, I found almost all of his works mediocre, except for the stage from the 2011. He needs to stay out of this competition.
I would have much preferred Maya Hanoch. Firstly, because she is Israeli. Whatever happened to national pride? I thought this was supposed to be an Israeli production? The same guy designing the set year after year is ridiculous, even if he is very good at his job. Nowadays, it seems it is largely irrelevant who the host broadcaster is because the same team of people put on the same show every year. Maya’s 1999 stage was very memorable, I would have been happy to see what she could do twenty years on. How many women have actually designed the set… Read more »
To partly answer my own question (how many women have designed the set?), I know Paula Farrell designed the 1994 and 1997 sets…but who else was there?
She also designed stage in 1988. All 3 stage was amazing. Man from Ireland made stage for 1993,1995 but Paula was so much better.
It’s funny how Ireland hosted the contest 5 times in ten years and each time the set was completely different with a whole different vibe. Yet today they have to get the same guy to do the same style every year.
Sweden host Eurovision 6 times
1975 (not good stage one of worst in that period ) 1985 (good stage) 1992 (not good stage) 2000 (good stage) 2013 (not good stage ) 2016 (good stage) next time when they win, we will have not good stage.
Set design for huge events is not exactly an Israeli specialty. There are no huge concerts or tv productions that Israeli designers are working on. I’m not surprised that the designer of the 1999 set lost the bid. Even in 1999 the stage wasn’t perfect. Only if we saw both designs we could tell if it is a justified decision or not.
Voted for 2014 and 2016.
The scoreboard has already leaked. It will be blue, with white Arial fonts and the 12 points will be highlighted in light blue. I am so excited, I can’t wait to see this amazing scoreboard design in action
Got a pic?
There is no chance that there’s ANY design leaked yet, because at this point they didn’t even start to work on it. The concept just being developed.
r/whoosh
Wow what a surprise. An EBU crook, sorry affiliate wins the tender again. I can(not) believe it!
Good god not again… He s u c k s… What were they thinking….
1990s had the best stages.
Stockholm 2000 was innovative, but now even the idea of LED got boring. It’s XXI century, can the acts perform in front of a green screen and let the editors draw a different stage for each act
Well, no, since A: Eurovision is a LIVE show and as such, there isn’t much editing possible on its live parts (including the entries themselves) and B: It’s an audience show. which means people pay money to seat at the crowd and see the event live. And if the entire point of the event is missed on site since it’s all tv editing, what point is there to come there?
The fact that a technology is available doesn’t make it the best solution. Sometimes the best is to just stick to the old way.
Florian Wieder again? Well, I have nothing against. I wonder how did he design the stage, knowing that it isn’t going to be big – which is not a bad thing – especially when the delegation don’t know what to do with such a huge surface, and put the singer alone on the stage, using a lot of shots from a distance. I just hope he won’t put too much details into it – I think a simple design will work out the best.
I’m not into him designing the stage three times in a row, but I want him to get the budget that he needs and create a stage of his dreams! To look briefly at Kiev 2017, the original stage design featured so many things unconventional to the Eurovision scene, but got toned down so badly because of budget limitations. I hope KAN has enough budget to build the stage without having to tone it down.
People should give him a chance. He made some beautiful stage designs, such as 2011’s and the last Emmys awards’ stage. Kan have already said the they would give the upper hand to an Israeli designer over a foreign one, so if they eventually chose Wieder’s design then it must be undoubtly better than the others. See the stage first, and then decide.
2014 remains unmatched, it was so beautiful. Although I really loved last year’s stage and I hope the no LEDs trend takes root.
I doubt it, the LEDs will be back.
maybe will be back in 2019 but not in 2020…
Funnily, “wieder” means “again” in German. The guy is like a curse.
Stockholm’s stage in 2016 is still my personal favourite. It just looked so polished and professional.
Same!
“Portugal’s lack of LEDs had meant that many performances had a similar overall look“
Really?! I thought without the LEDs there were more props and gave everyone a different feel.
I know everyone else gets wet over LEDs but it just seems a bit easy/lazy. I always think of Slavko in Kiev and it was just him and the screen and it felt so flat and meh.
The pyros in the arena were amazing tho! Probably the main reason Cyprus and Hungary did so well!
It’s a miracle it even qualified!
Well as Israel will go for a small stage duh he would be the chosen one. But seriously Israel bring something NEW.
Hello, it’s Kirsten Weltzin, Bonsak Schieldrop, Audun Stjern and Trond Olav Erga who designed the stage in 2010, not Al Gurdon !
Worse than a round stage is a square stage. My favorite is Belgrade 2008 with many bridges, and also the presentation of the winner Dima Bilan was the most epic. We could see him waiting in the dark, music in the background, then when it was light he had a long and epic walk to the stage.
I know right, 2008 was awesome! The stage in Estonia in 2002 was also a smaller version of that one, I loved it.
Thank you, I’m happy that other esc fans liked 2008. It gave the impression to me that it took its time, was no rush, the winner had time to shine (besides the speech). We wait one year for this moment of “crowning”, don’t tell me it has to be over in three minutes, because the tv stations have teleshopping to broadcast. And the stage was great, I know it had some inexplicable tinfoil, but the idea of shape was so good.
my favourite stage is the 1995 one, looked very sombre and serious.
2000 stage was actually good and so innovative, but the acts and HoDs had no clue of how they can use those innovative LED screens.
Apparently the organizers themselves do not “dare to dream” about standing out from the previous hosts. Very disappointing choice, even with LEDs. You gotta be kidding about that Israeli identity, right? Is Wieder going to build a stage that looks like a yarmulke? Even that would be far too original for this guy to make.
Oh well.
My favorite stages probably were Stockholm 2016, Riga 2003 and Dublin 1997.
Well, you’re not far off. According to an item on an Israeli newspaper today, the stage will feature large moving triangles that will create a variety of shapes, inspired by the Star of David.
My guess is that the stage will have nothing to do with the Star of David (hopefully), and it was just a pitch tactic to sell the concept to the KAN directors.
I agree that it seems like an disappointing uninspired choice, yet I’m hoping to be pleasantly surprised.
I knew it. They should give me the job. I know nothing about stage design yet i knew enough to predict Wieder’s uninspired pitch. 😛
I cannot wait for you to find something to get excited about for Eurovision.
Thank you for being so concerned about my excitement.
My favorites are the one he hasn’t design. A led and a circle stage, ohhhh so daring and new *vomits*
European corruption. this guy is “chosen” every year
Ugh can’t just Sweden or Denmark win again? I’m really tired of Eurovision shoving Wieder’s designs down our throats.
I can’t wait for either Sweden or Denmark to win again.
And I hope this year’s stage is not as round as in previous years.
AMEN
Baku was not round. Wieder respects the country wishes, and maybe Israel will want angles like a star.
It was bad, even it it wasn’t round
Malmo’s stage was boring tho.
Oh I’d die happy if I don’t see them ever win again 🙂
It’s simple: If their song is good, Sweden should win. If Europe thinks another song is better, Sweden should not win…
This is great! I hope the stage will be awesome even though it will be small.
EBU should just sign a 10-year contract with Florian Wielder to design its stages.
That’s not a bad idea.
Its not a bad idea if u want to destroy eurovision
That’s gonna be what destroys Eurovision? The stage?
Unless Sweden or Denmark wins again.. Sweden is known for stage innovations, Denmark is known for its huge stages.
It’s a bit underwhelming that the same guy gets the job 3rd year in a row, but he did great stages in the past. I really loved the set of 2010 vma’s. It was before i even knew who designed it. Maybe the stages of 2017, 2018 were not so magnificent due to a limited budget, maybe this time he will do something great again, as it seems that there is a bigger budget this year. Hope to see augmented reality making a Eurovision debut.
As in the 2018 MTV VMAs that used augmented reality..
The VMAs looked like a Eurovision stage! I’ve watched the Panic! At the Disco performance a bunch of times and it looks like something the USA would send if they were in Eurovision.
The 2018 stage had no limited budget whatsoever… the magic panels lights that were used on the back wall were much more expensive than any LED screen.
It was an aesthetic option not to have video screens.
So they spent the money on panels that all they can do is turn around and change colors, instead of using a tool that can show endless number of images, animations etc. Sound like a very stupid decision then.
yeah those panels looked like something from 90’s
you don´t have magic panel FX in the 90´s and yes they were much more expensive than LED screen.
It’s a stupid decision in your very humble opinion. Experts like Jerry Appelt consider this technology an a multi-function luminaire which offer exciting new possibilities for creating 2D graphical effects.
My humble opinion? There is endless examples of people, fans and professionals, who criticize Lisbon stage and bring very convincing arguments. 2D graphical effects? Who cares how you call it, it’s a lamp that flickers and change colors, that’s it.
You do realise that each Magic Pannel FX has next-generation RGBW high-power LED emitters, right? The difference is that this is a 2018 technology, while LED video screens are 20 years old now.
If a Magic Pannel FX is just “a lamp that flickers and changes colours”, then an LED screen is just a video screen for giant faces and screensaver wallpapers.
Your nickname is funny too. It suits you.
Sorry but this is just false. The Portuguese stage was considered phenomenal by all the professionals.
well the majority of the fans liked the stage in 2018 you can see in several videos on Yiutube or even in this pool.
2018 is far of being one of the worst stage….but for some kids LED screen in the only thing matter
I know those things are exciting to lighting experts, but as a viewer… light is light. There were few performances where the lighting really felt distinctive.
I guess it’s much easier to stand out with an LED wall and motion graphics, ultimately proving a visually arresting show to the view. Folks need to think of the viewers’ expectations.
What is your evidence to say that the stage had less budget than this year?… This information has not been disclosed yet.
limited budget in 2018? They only spend the necessary…Maybe Israel like Azerbaijan and Russia want to use the eurovision to impress the rest of the world. Thats nonsense…
They forced countries to spend money on huge props. They spent less so the guests could spend more. That’s great hosting.
Its a song contest..however i think it would be more cheap if they used LED screen…
Know what? The reason he keeps getting the gig is because he’s really good at it. I think he’ll do a great job once again, so long as he makes it cool and distinctly Israeli.
He can not make it distinctly Israeli, he is German. If they had actually hired the Israeli national then the set would have been distinctly Israeli by definition. It boggles the mind, it really does.
A designer is not limited with their own cultural sensitivities design-wise if they are able to adopt those traits from others for which the client asks them to integrate in their proposed drafts.
That and of course knowing who to make use of available space within the venue.
Stockholm had a great designing with the special background. I also liked Copenhagen though it might be controversial because many people stated that the stage was too big and the artists looked too small. I understand that point. On the other hand, the quadratic stage with these two big walls did look very classy <3
I don’t care who designs the stage, as long as the LED screens are back. Every entry felt so flat this year.
Well yeah but Germany and Malta brought they’re own LED screen.
If we wouldn’t have brought our own LED-Wall, you would say “flat entry”. Now we brought the wall and the commentators said “that was cheating”. We can do whatever we want, can’t we? 😀
I don’t agree. The entries came out great on stage this year. Better than in kyiv 2017 imo.
copenhagen and stockholm <3