Moroccanoil’s Eurovision team is creating high-pressure hair looks that have to survive sweat, choreography and live television—in front of millions.
If you’ve never watched the Eurovision Song Contest before, here’s the quick breakdown: 35 countries. Millions of viewers. Live performances under extreme pressure. Constant choreography, sweat, stage lights, quick changes and camera-close scrutiny. Now imagine being the hairstylist responsible for making those looks survive all of it.
That’s exactly what Moroccanoil®’s backstage hair team is doing inside “The Bubble,” the brand’s backstage headquarters at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria. This year, Moroccanoil returned as the Official Presenting Partner of Eurovision, bringing together 33 hairstylists representing 20 nationalities to transform hair looks in real time before artists hit the global stage.
BTC sat down backstage with Antonio Corral Calero (@antonioccalero), Moroccanoil Global Creative Director and Eurovision Hair Creative Director, to talk about the reality of doing hair at Eurovision, how the team survives the marathon-level pace and why backstage artistry is about far more than creating beautiful hair.
Watch the interview with Antonio on @behindthechair_com’s Instagram.
Inside Eurovision’s Backstage Culture
When asked to describe Eurovision in one word, Antonio didn’t hesitate.
“I would say love. Love is really what it’s all about. Eurovision joins different countries together, bringing music, accepting everyone and that’s the beauty of Eurovision. We really help out each other and we become a big family.”
That sense of connection is what defines the atmosphere inside The Bubble. While Eurovision is known globally for its massive performances and larger-than-life energy, backstage is surprisingly grounded in collaboration, creativity and community. From artists and delegations to the hairstylists themselves, Antonio says the environment is built around supporting one another under intense pressure—something he believes is essential to making the backstage experience successful.
See what’s new at Moroccanoil including new color shades and pro education.
The Hair Trends Taking Over Eurovision 2026
Eurovision never lacks hair inspiration and according to Antonio, this year’s backstage looks are defined by individuality, texture and personalization. Artists are embracing everything from curls and sleek straight hair to glossy wet-look texture—all tailored to the individual performer rather than one singular trend direction.
Inside The Bubble, that means stylists are creating:
- wet-look texture
- defined curls
- ultra-straight glossy hair
- movement-focused styling
- editorial finishes tailored to each performer
And while clear trends are emerging backstage, Eurovision 2026 is also reinforcing something even bigger happening in hair right now: personalization is driving everything. Rather than forcing every artist into the same aesthetic, the Moroccanoil team focuses on building looks around the individual performer—their music, movement, personality and presence onstage.
For Antonio, creating the right look starts with understanding the full performance—not just the hair itself.
“Understanding who is the artist, understanding how is the song, understanding how do they perform on the stage, then we’ll be able to cocktail the right amount of products to make sure that we can really just make them feel very secure.”
That perspective feels especially relevant for salon artists right now. Yes, clients are still bringing in trend references, but what Eurovision makes clear is the strongest hair looks are the ones customized to the person wearing them. The trends may spark the inspiration, but personalization is what ultimately makes the look work.
The One Product Antonio Keeps Reaching For
With nonstop rehearsals, performances and touchups happening all day, every product backstage has to work hard. But Antonio says one staple remains at the center of every look:
“Definitely Moroccanoil® Treatment. That will be the go-to product because it is the foundation of all [the looks].”
From there, the styling approach changes depending on the artist and performance demands.
“Depending on the looks that we’re going to be creating with the artists, we go from one product to the other ones, but this year we’ve been really going through the whole range of the styling products.”
Products Used
Hair Has to Become Part of the Performance
Eurovision hair isn’t just about looking good in photos. These looks have to move, perform and hold up under pressure.
Think:
- dancers flipping hair during choreography
- intense heat from stage lighting
- sweat and nonstop movement
- quick backstage changes
- live television closeups
So how does that environment change the way Antonio approaches styling?
Surprisingly, not as much as you’d think—the difference is in the details. But beyond hold and control, Antonio says the real priority is preserving movement and personality.
“It’s the freedom of the hair. I think hair represents a lot of the personality of the artist and while they’re performing, I think hair becomes a part of their aura, a part of their persona. So, I think the hair has a life of their own.”
What Makes a Great Backstage Stylist?
Eurovision is fast-paced, emotional and physically exhausting, which means surviving backstage takes far more than technical talent alone.
According to Antonio, the stylists who thrive inside The Bubble are the ones who know how to take care of people just as well as they take care of hair. Between the nonstop pace, high-pressure performances and marathon-length days, he says teamwork, consistency and energy are what truly separate a good backstage stylist from a great one.
“You don’t have to be the best artist, but you need to be a good human being. The most important thing is that you need to be a giver. It’s not about you, it’s about making the artist feel amazing… We really help out each other and we become a big family. We’re all helping each other to shine. Your level of energy has to be the same [from] the morning until we finish at the end of the day.”
Take a look inside our camera roll with the Moroccanoil team:
The Real Power of the Bubble
Inside The Bubble, there are 33 artists, stylists representing 20 nationalities and nonstop movement all day long. But Antonio says what makes him proudest every year isn’t the celebrity access or the massive stage. It’s the way the team takes care of each other. He compares the backstage dynamic to salon life itself:
“When you work in the community and when you work in the hair salon, you know, we’re not perfect. We’re all giving our best and sometimes it’s not easy, but we’re always there to help you out, to shine and to help you out to feel good.”
“Beautiful Hair Is Beautiful Heart”
Before heading back into the chaos backstage, Antonio left BTC with one final thought about what beauty really means at Eurovision.
“Beautiful hair is beautiful heart, beautiful personality… It’s an expression of who you feel inside.”
That might simply be the biggest takeaway from Eurovision 2026 altogether. Yes, the hair is glamorous. Yes, the stage is massive. But behind every polished performance look is a team of artists creating connection, confidence and culture in real time. And that’s the kind of artistry hairdressers everywhere understand.
