HIGH END Vienna 2026: What to Expect

HIGH END is the most important event on the European hi-fi calendar, and in 2026 the show moves to the Austria Center Vienna from June 4 to 7. Around 500 exhibitors representing roughly 1,000 brands will spread across 30,000 square metres of halls and listening rooms, with the HIGH END Society expecting some 22,000 visitors over four days. We will be there, as we always are, and we have started compiling the list of rooms we most want to visit.

The theme: The Power of Music

This year's edition is built around the theme The Power of Music, with Canadian jazz and soul artist Dominique Fils-Aimé serving as brand ambassador. It is a fitting frame for a show that exists to remind the industry — and its visitors — that every technical decision ultimately answers to what the music does in the room.

The rooms we are watching

T+A almost always uses HIGH END as the launch venue for their most ambitious products, and the word this year is that there will be something new in the reference HV line, though details remain under wraps until the opening day. Linn is expected to show the latest Klimax system in a dedicated room, and Tannoy is planning a heritage-series demonstration that should not be missed by anyone with an interest in horn-loaded dual concentric designs.

Why it matters

Shows like HIGH END give us the chance to hear our brands in rooms set up by the manufacturers themselves, often with their senior engineers present. The insights we bring back directly inform the demonstrations we set up in our own showroom. If there is a specific product you are interested in, let us know before the show — we will make a point of hearing it and reporting back.