Each year in May, the High End audio exhibition is held in Munich, Germany. This event has become so closely associated with the city that the acronym HEM, representing High End Munich, is widely used in audio publications. However, starting in 2026, the event will be referred to as HEV, which stands for High End Vienna, as it will be relocated to the Austrian capital, Vienna, on an annual basis.
HEM becomes HEV, from 2026
The High End international audio trade fair will relocate to Vienna in 2026, departing from its long-standing venue in Munich. This significant decision was revealed by the High End Society during the annual general meeting of the interest group, representing a pivotal moment in the evolution of one of the premier global trade fairs for audio technology. The next edition, High End 2025, is scheduled to take place from May 15 to 18, 2025, at the MOC Event Center in Munich, Germany, as per tradition. Following this, the fair will make its inaugural appearance at the Austria Center Vienna (ACV) in May 2026. The ACV, a state-of-the-art venue located in the center of Vienna, has undergone extensive renovations and is now equipped with cutting-edge digital technology. It features a range of modern halls of varying sizes, providing excellent opportunities for product demonstrations. Additionally, there are ample spaces for free-standing stand construction. Overall, the ACV boasts 26,000 square meters of exhibition space across multiple levels, ensuring that exhibitors have the ideal environment to meet their diverse requirements.
All companies that participated in the Finest Audio Show Vienna in November 2023 have already been able to see this with their own eyes. A consistently positive response and the current registration numbers for this year’s FAS Vienna confirm, according to High End Society, the impression that with the ACV, High End Society has made a very good choice for the new home of the High End audio fair.
The High End Society justifies the change of location with promising prospects and optimum possibilities to further develop the High End. The ACV offers a modern, future-oriented framework for this. “The Austria Center Vienna scores not only with excellent trade fair conditions, but also with a progressive environment that will raise the level of the High End and guarantee its success in the coming years,” explains Stefan Dreischärf, Managing Director of the organization. After more than 20 years in the same trade fair center, the time for a change was carefully chosen. The decision to move the international audio trade fair to Vienna stands for departure, renewal and a future-oriented perspective. “We are convinced that with this measure we can take the High End to a new level and are looking forward to the opportunities that this change can offer us,” says Dreischärf, emphasizing the important step.
The cosmopolitan city on the Danube impresses with its international flair, traditional history and excellent cultural offering. Year after year, the Austrian metropolis attracts thousands of guests from all over the world. Vienna is easily accessible and, as the music capital of the world, offers the perfect setting for High End, where everything revolves around excellent music reproduction. Combined with the excellent logistical conditions, Vienna is an ideal choice for the organizer. “The new location creates a perfect connection to our trade fair and will also create a win-win atmosphere for everyone involved,” adds Stefan Dreischärf.
The board of the High End Society, an association for high-quality sound and image reproduction, has actively supported the further development of the successful High End and fully supports the decision. “We see the move to Vienna as a great opportunity to make the High End even more attractive, to strengthen it as the most important international meeting point for the industry and to make it future-proof,” explains Jürgen Timm, chairman of the association’s board. “We are looking forward to a new era in the High End trade fair tradition, which has existed for over 40 years.”
The strong High End Society community is looking forward to the upcoming fairs, for which the move from Munich to Vienna will be a groundbreaking step towards a promising future, the press release said.
Below is the agenda for the next four editions of the High End audio fair.
High End Munich 2025: from 15 to 18 May 2025
High End Vienna 2026: from 28 to 31 May 2026
High End Vienna 2027: from 6 to 9 May 2027
High End Vienna 2028: from 25 to 28 May 2028