Twelve polls of Christmas : What is your favourite Eurovision stage of the 2010s?

This year at wiwibloggs, we are celebrating the festive season with a series of different polls. For the next few days, we’re going to stuff your stockings with a selection of end-of-decade Eurovision votes. Consider this a unique riff on the classic “Twelve Days of Christmas” carol.

Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, you can join us and let us know your thoughts for each and every poll.

Eurovision stages: 2010 to 2019

Each year, one of the most exciting questions is: what will the stage look like? Over the years, the contest has seen a variety of different stage design philosophies. Some stages are filled with LEDs. Others decide to use none at all.

The stage plays an important role in the contest, facilitating special surprises and gadgets for countries to use during the performances. Building a connection between the stage and act almost always guarantees a good result.

Below, we revisit the stages of the last decade. And you can choose your favourite one in our poll. You can vote for as many as you like, but you can only vote once — so make it count!

Eurovision 2010: Oslo, Norway 

After Russia impressed with a mindboggling amount of LEDs in 2009, Oslo took a different direction. The Telenor Arena hosted the event with no LED at all.  And delegations became extremely creative. Using anything from stairs to platforms to a giant apricot stone. The circular stage had a diameter of 18 metres. The floor was made out of mirrors and glass, while thousands of lights glittered behind the stage.

Eurovision 2011: Düsseldorf, Germany (Florian Wieder)

The first time this familiar name occurs. Eurovision 2011 was the debut design for the most in-demand stage designer of the decade, Florian Wieder. Tossing the minimalistic approach of Oslo aside, Düsseldorf opted for bombast and spectacle. The arena was the biggest this decade, transforming from a football stadium to a party temple. The stage had a diameter of 13 metres, but it was the LED wall that amazed. Sixty metres in length and 18 metres high, it gave countries the opportunity to showcase whole planets.  The main stage was supported by a satellite stage (clever, after Lena’s victory). The biggest secret of the stage was probably the green room hidden behind the LED “wall”.

Eurovision 2012: Baku, Azerbaijan (Florian Wieder)

A different year, but the same stage designer. Florian Wieder’s work in the previous year seemed to impress the Azeri show organisers. Consequently, he was booked to create a stage for the next contest too. The outside of the freshly built arena was lit up to match the flag of the performing nation. The LEDs also had an important role in the stage design. It was similar yet very different from Düsseldorf. The LED-wall was massive but was separated into different parts. The main stage wasn’t circular and had two runways towards the crowd.

Eurovision 2013: Malmö, Sweden (Frida Arvidsson and Viktor Brattström)

Swedish broadcaster SVT took a domestic approach, choosing Frida Arvidsson and Viktor Brattström. The stage in Malmö was more intimate with a greater focus on the artist. This was due to the absence of an LED wall. Instead, a 43 metres long projection wall created visuals such as butterflies, lightning or lyrics. The diameter was about 12 metres, while the whole stage measured an impressive 220 square metres. Several rising platforms, while unable to improve songs, elevated artists and performances.

Eurovision 2014: Copenhagen, Denmark (Claus Zier)

The Danish contest was probably held in the oddest arena of the decade. The B&W Hallerne was a former shipyard and was converted into a magical entertainment arena. Eurovision 2014 was the first time this decade where the LED-background was also accompanied by an LED floor, which was also touch-sensitive. Altogether, this added up to an astonishing 1,200 square metres of LED screens. Because of the long historical connection to the venue and culture, water premiered as part of the stage. Two long catwalks gave artists a runway-like opportunity.

Eurovision 2015: Vienna, Austria (Florian Wieder)

The design of the 60th-anniversary stage was literally eye-catching. Florian Wieder mirrored the community of nations with 1,288 connected pillars. The middle of the eye saw a rather small stage (diameter of 11 metres). But the combination with the 44 metre long eye created the unique images of the Austrian contest. The design gave so many options that a catwalk wasn’t needed. The floor LED and the 22 metres wide LED wall completed the technologically advanced package. The stage even went on to the ceiling. A total of 650 motorised balls created incredible 3D effects.

Eurovision 2016: Stockholm, Sweden (Frida Arvidsson and Viktor Brattström)

The Swedish stage design team was back. And they didn’t hold off this time! The simple design was filled with LEDs. In total, the LED-wall measured 600 square metres and the LED floor 250 square metres. The wall was threedimensional and made artists become one with the stage. The panels at the ceiling were movable, even during performances. The experience of the futuristic stage was made possible through augmented reality effects during various performances.

Eurovision 2017: Kyiv, Ukraine (Florian Wieder)

The contest in Ukraine saw another stage from the mind of Florian Wieder. This time, he went somewhat back to his roots. The circular stage with a big LED wall was quite similar to his concept in Düsseldorf. However, he included some extra tweaks. A futuristic proscenium arch gave this stage a unique feeling. The heart of the stage was the so-called chandelier. Seven different technical features were installed in the ceiling towards the middle of the stage. This created tonnes of staging options for the delegations. All in all, the stage featured 1000 square meters of LEDs in floor and wall.

Eurovision 2018: Lisbon, Portugal (Florian Wieder)

The contest in Portugal had a difficult task. Producers had to combine the statement “Music is not fireworks” with a modern stage concept. In the end, there were fireworks but no LEDs. Yet, the contest was none the worse without them. It worked perfectly with the whole concept. The stage was inspired by a ship, representing the connection between Portugal and the sea. It included two bridges above the audience, a huge armillary sphere and different runways. This allowed the performers to stand in the middle of the audience. The stage resisted the pressure of more LEDs and created a completely distinct experience.

Eurovision 2019: Tel Aviv, Israel (Florian Wieder)

Again, Florian Wieder presented a concept far away from last year’s design. He focused on a shape that has been mostly ignored during the last contests: the triangle was an inspiration from the Star of David, which can be found on the Israeli flag. The stage and its catwalk also played with this theme.  The most special part of this years stage was probably the ceiling construction. A whooping 130 LED triangles made each performance look different on screen. Also, the LED wall wasn’t only 36 metres wide and twelve meters high — it also was separated into twelve rotating units to give even more lighting options.

Poll: What is your favourite Eurovision stage of the 2010s?

Check out more of our polls here