Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner of the center-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) announced at a press conference on Monday that the military parade will be broadcast live by Austrian broadcaster ORF for more than three hours on October 26th. The “hybrid event” also gives people the chance to try themselves as soldiers.
For example, visitors can take a virtual seat in a Eurofighter cockpit. You can already try out the various interactive activities at nationalfeiertag2021.at. On the national day itself, the inauguration of 100 recruits will be broadcast live from Heldenplatz. “We are looking forward to an exciting and interesting event,” said Tanner, who intends to stick to the hybrid format in the future. Last year the event had an “unbelievable reach” and in this way the celebration can be extended to more of the target audience.
Watch from Home
Before the swearing-in of the 100 recruits, who come from almost all of Austria’s provinces, at 11:00, the traditional wreath-laying ceremony at Heldenplatz by President Alexander Van der Bellen and the government will take place at the Outer Burgtor. Then two Eurofighters and a Hercules transport aircraft will fly over Heldenplatz, and there will also be a parachute jump. Wagner urged the population not to come to Heldenplatz, but to follow the event from home.
ORF director Kurt Pongratz emphasized the public interest in the military parade event last year. There was an average of 306,000 viewers, which corresponds to a market share of 33%. The ORF will also use twelve cameras, three Steadicams, and a crane in order to capture the scenery at Heldenplatz accordingly. Furthermore, one of the parachutists will be equipped with a helmet camera, and the viewers will be able to see the inside of a Eurofighter cockpit.
Reported in cooperation with the Austrian Press Agency / APA.
