A high shot of Jeanette Kwakye and guests inside the BBC Sport virtual set for Sweden v Poland at Euro 2025. The set is a timber pavilion with a vaulted roof set above Lake Lucerne. In the background we can see mountains. Because it is night time, lights from houses and roads line the egde of the lake.

A low angled shot of Jeanette Kwakye and guests inside the BBC Sport virtual set for Sweden v Poland at Euro 2025. A lareg screen displays Swedens Asllani celebrating scoring a goal.

This is a daytime shot from the BBC's Euro 2025 virtual set. The camera is high so we see more of the lake and mountains in the background.

Gaby Logan presents during the evening - becuase it's a virtual set, we can make the golden hour last forever, if need be.

The golden hour is nice, but I think I prefer the night time version because all the lights in the buildings in the distance pop and shimmer.

A guest single, at night. The lights of the distant houses line the edge of the lake...don't tell anyone, but I had to make some of thse lights almost 10 metres in diameter in order for them to show up on camera.

Gaby Logan presents from an exterior postion infront of the pavilion. In reality, she is only a few metres away from her seat, but because it's virtual, we can place her anywhere within the virtual world we have created.

Sunset over Lake Lucerne This shot was used for the opening piece-to-camera, on the first broadcast.

We have now moved into the downstairs area where there is a large screen for analysis presentations. We can see the Euro's trophy to the left and then there are panels featuring images of the clay Bonmati, created for the animated title sequence.

A view from the rear of the pavilion, looking owards the lake and mountains. This wasn't a shot used in any of the broadcasts, but I wanted to share it because it illustrates the form of the virtual set pavilion, with it's timber structure, and barrel vault roof.

BBC Sport’s UEFA Women’s Euros 2025 Studio: A Virtual Pavilion with a View

For the BBC’s coverage of the UEFA Women’s Euros 2025, we set out to create a virtual environment that offered more than just a scenic backdrop — it had to feel rooted, evocative, and unmistakably Swiss. Working closely with the BBC Sport team, we designed and built a virtual studio that places presenters high in the Swiss Alps, inside a contemporary timber pavilion overlooking the dramatic sweep of Lake Lucerne.

The show is produced from the BBC’s green screen studio in Salford, but thanks to the power of real-time graphics and precise camera tracking, viewers are transported to a space that feels tangible and immediate — a seamless blend of architecture, atmosphere, and editorial clarity.

Built in Unreal Engine and powered by Vizrt, the studio set is used for pre-game build-up, half-time analysis, and post-match wrap-ups throughout the tournament. The pavilion structure combines natural materials with crisp modern detailing: warm timber beams, open glazing, and soft interior lighting provide a grounded and tactile space, while the surrounding alpine landscape shifts in light and mood depending on the time of day and match schedule.

Creating a strong sense of place was essential. The virtual design isn’t just decorative — it gives context and depth to the storytelling, anchoring the Euros coverage in its host nation while providing the production flexibility BBC Sport requires. We paid particular attention to how the location would frame discussions: the lake, the light, the elevation — all working together to create a feeling of escape and occasion, while supporting the studio’s core function as a space for analysis and conversation.

The result is a studio that feels authentic and aspirational, fully integrated into the rhythm of the tournament. It’s another example of how our virtual production can merge narrative, design, and real-time technology to deliver experiences that are visually rich, emotionally resonant, and editorially sharp.

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Client

Sunset + Vine for BBC Sport

Design

Jim Mann
Toby Kalitowski

Studio Integration

BBC Sport

Realtime Engine

Unreal Engine 5.4

Powered by

Viz 5

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Jim and Toby are our trusted partners and they were chosen by Sunset+Vine for Euro 2025 too. This made the workflow and sign-off process great for us, as the relationships are already there.

John Murphy

Design Director, BBC Sport