Accessify at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna

Accessify was deployed at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest across three distinct event environments: at the Wiener Stadthalle as the main venue and broadcast location, at the Eurovision Village on Rathausplatz, and at several public viewing locations throughout Austria. Access worked the same everywhere: scan a QR code, choose the desired channel, done. Whether live audio for hearing aids, real-time transcript, translation, audio description, or Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS): everything ran directly on the user's own smartphone, browser-based and without any download.

Usage data shows: Accessify was actively used at all three locations. Several thousand individual devices accessed the platform during the event. Since many visitors used the service multiple times across different shows, days, or locations, the estimated total number of interactions is significantly higher. The largest share was access to live audio, hearing aid support, transcripts, and translation. Audio description and sign language were used at all three locations, each with relevant volume.

The results confirm: There is a clear audience with specific accessibility needs at large events. Effective utilization depends heavily on visibility: QR placement, signage, screens, and the sensitization of on-site staff significantly influence access.

The Accessify setup included six accessibility channels that visitors could access via a single QR code:

- Live audio from the arena / from the event | for hearing aids, headphones, and cochlear implants - Real-time transcription | Speech-to-Text, especially for people with hearing impairments - Live translation | spoken and text-based translation in real-time - Audio description | for blind and visually impaired visitors - Austrian Sign Language (ÖGS) and Sign Performance | for deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals - Smartphone-based access | no app download, no registration, no additional hardware

Michael Krön, ESC Executive Producer, ORF, emphasizes: "With Accessify.live, we are sending an important message for inclusion at large events with the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, and not just in the arena, but far beyond. Whether it's hearing aid support, audio description, real-time translation, or Austrian Sign Language: these accessible services are also available at public viewings, so that even more people can experience the Song Contest together. Thanks to the subtitles in the Accessify app, also in English, international guests and people without German language skills can also follow the event live and barrier-free. Making events more inclusive and accessible to the widest possible audience with today's technology is a major concern for us."

For organizers, this means: accessibility doesn't have to be complicated. It can be implemented simply, scalably, and as a visible part of the event experience.

Front row for everyone.