Dear reader, some very hot piece of Hi-Fi news: “HIGH END Munich” will be “HIGH END Vienna” from 2026! Wow! That’s a shocker, as, for us audiophiles HIGH END show was rooted in Munich and became this true Mecca of sound. We know that Munich has great roots in music, being the centerpiece of music recording back in the 50s and 60s and having some great recording labels in town, such as the amazing ECM Records. So, the decision of High End’s Board of the Association to move the show to another city was a tough one. However, if Munich is definitely a music city, then only Vienna could be a bigger music city and a very good contender to host the event.
You may remember that Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Franz Schubert, Richard Strauss and even the Vienna Philharmonic have their carriers rooted in Vienna, this is a pedigree that Munich does not have. Here are some words about this move from Jürgen Timm, Chairman of the HIGH END Board of the Association: “We see the move to Vienna as a great opportunity to make the HIGH END even more attractive, to strengthen it as the leading meeting place in the world for the industry and to make it fit for the future”.
I am adding a profound personal touch to this piece of news with some pictures I took in my travels to Vienna, and also I will make a confession: Vienna is the city I like most, I have been there many times, and I love all of it, with its food and people, with its great Schönbrunn Palace and Zoo, with its Museum of Science & Technology, and with its Danube Tower, the big and imposing 252 meters tower that oversees the city and offers great vistas and, nevertheless, a great cheesecake that you can find at the restaurant with a view situated at the very top of the tower.
Here is where “Austria Center” comes in place, this will be the venue that will host the HIGH END show from 2026, and it is situated very close to the Danube Tower, on the same man-made island that feature tall office buildings. This man-made island and the area where HIGH END will be held is very interesting and has all the commute options available with metro and buses, car parking also, hotels and very fast commute to the center of Vienna. The vibe of the area is appropriate for this kind of events and Austria Center itself could be a more suitable venue for the show.
Here is the complete schedule for the future shows, Munich hosting the last show in 2025, moving to Vienna from 2026:
HIGH END Munich 2025 – May 15 to 18, 2025
HIGH END Vienna 2026 – May 28 to 31, 2026
HIGH END Vienna 2027 – May 6 to 9, 2027
HIGH END Vienna 2028 – May 25 to 28, 2028
So, distancing myself away from Weissbier, I must say: Vienna, prepare your schnitzels and Apfel strudels, here we come!
