diff --git a/apps/client/src/common/stores/dialogStore.ts b/apps/client/src/common/stores/dialogStore.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..065e9e4da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/client/src/common/stores/dialogStore.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+import { MaybeString } from 'ontime-types';
+import { create } from 'zustand';
+
+interface DialogStore {
+  showDialog: MaybeString;
+  setDialog: (name: string) => void;
+  clearDialog: () => void;
+}
+
+/**
+ * Used to allow the server to show a dialog in the client
+ */
+export const useDialogStore = create<DialogStore>((set) => ({
+  showDialog: null,
+  clearDialog: () => set({ showDialog: null }),
+  setDialog: (name) => set({ showDialog: name }),
+}));
+
+/**
+ * Allows setting a dialog to show (outside react)
+ */
+export function addDialog(name: string): void {
+  useDialogStore.getState().setDialog(name);
+}
diff --git a/apps/client/src/common/utils/socket.ts b/apps/client/src/common/utils/socket.ts
index 4a3446011..ff0013bd0 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/common/utils/socket.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/common/utils/socket.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {
   setClientRedirect,
   setClients,
 } from '../stores/clientStore';
+import { addDialog } from '../stores/dialogStore';
 import { addLog } from '../stores/logger';
 import { patchRuntime, runtimeStore } from '../stores/runtime';
 
@@ -118,6 +119,13 @@ export const connectSocket = () => {
           break;
         }
 
+        case 'dialog': {
+          if (payload.dialog === 'welcome') {
+            addDialog('welcome');
+          }
+          break;
+        }
+
         case 'ontime-log': {
           addLog(payload as Log);
           break;
diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/editors/Editor.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/editors/Editor.tsx
index 0fc2045b8..150c4cba2 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/features/editors/Editor.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/editors/Editor.tsx
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ import useAppSettingsNavigation from '../app-settings/useAppSettingsNavigation';
 import { EditorOverview } from '../overview/Overview';
 
 import Finder from './finder/Finder';
+import WelcomePlacement from './welcome/WelcomePlacement';
 
 import styles from './Editor.module.scss';
 
@@ -55,6 +56,7 @@ export default function Editor() {
 
   return (
     <div className={styles.mainContainer} data-testid='event-editor'>
+      <WelcomePlacement />
       <Finder isOpen={isFinderOpen} onClose={onFinderClose} />
       <ProductionNavigationMenu isMenuOpen={isMenuOpen} onMenuClose={onClose} />
       <EditorOverview>
diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/Welcome.module.scss b/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/Welcome.module.scss
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3965310ea
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/Welcome.module.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+.sections {
+  display: grid;
+  grid-template-columns: 1fr 5fr;
+  gap: 2rem;
+}
+
+.column {
+  display: flex;
+  flex-direction: column;
+  gap: 1rem;
+}
+
+.header {
+  font-size: 1.5rem;
+}
+
+.logo {
+  max-width: 100px;
+  height: auto;
+}
+
+.buttonRow {
+  margin-top: 1rem;
+  display: flex;
+  gap: 1rem;
+  justify-content: end;
+}
+
+.tableContainer {
+  max-height: 350px;
+  overflow-y: auto;
+}
+
+.table {
+  width: 100%;
+
+  tbody {
+    background-color: $gray-1300;
+    tr {
+      &:has(:hover) {
+        background-color: $gray-1350;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  tr {
+    height: 2rem;
+  }
+
+  th,
+  td {
+    padding-inline: 0.5rem;
+  }
+
+  th {
+    text-align: left;
+    font-size: calc(1rem - 3px);
+    color: $label-gray;
+  }
+}
+
+.current {
+  background-color: $blue-700;
+}
diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/Welcome.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/Welcome.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1090b67da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/Welcome.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,99 @@
+import { useNavigate } from 'react-router-dom';
+import { Button, Modal, ModalBody, ModalCloseButton, ModalContent, ModalOverlay } from '@chakra-ui/react';
+
+import { loadDemo, loadProject } from '../../../common/api/db';
+import { invalidateAllCaches } from '../../../common/api/utils';
+import ExternalLink from '../../../common/components/external-link/ExternalLink';
+import { appVersion, discordUrl, documentationUrl, websiteUrl } from '../../../externals';
+
+import ImportProjectButton from './composite/ImportProjectButton';
+import WelcomeProjectList from './composite/WelcomeProjectList';
+
+import style from './Welcome.module.scss';
+
+interface WelcomeProps {
+  onClose: () => void;
+}
+
+export default function Welcome(props: WelcomeProps) {
+  const { onClose } = props;
+  const navigate = useNavigate();
+
+  /** handle cleanup actions before request closing the modal */
+  const handleClose = () => {
+    onClose();
+  };
+
+  /** handle loading a selected project */
+  const handleLoadProject = async (filename: string) => {
+    try {
+      await loadProject(filename);
+      await invalidateAllCaches();
+      handleClose();
+    } catch (_error) {
+      /** no error handling for now */
+    }
+  };
+
+  /** handle loading the demo project */
+  const handleLoadDemo = async () => {
+    try {
+      await loadDemo();
+      await invalidateAllCaches();
+      handleClose();
+    } catch (_error) {
+      /** no error handling for now */
+    }
+  };
+
+  /** handle redirect to create modal */
+  const handleCallCreate = () => {
+    navigate('/editor?settings=project__create');
+    handleClose();
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <Modal isOpen onClose={handleClose} variant='ontime'>
+      <ModalOverlay />
+      <ModalContent maxWidth='max(640px, 40vw)'>
+        <ModalCloseButton />
+        <ModalBody>
+          <div className={style.sections}>
+            <div className={style.column}>
+              <img src='ontime-logo.png' alt='ontime' className={style.logo} />
+              <div>Ontime v{appVersion}</div>
+              <ExternalLink href={websiteUrl}>Website</ExternalLink>
+              <ExternalLink href={documentationUrl}>Read the docs</ExternalLink>
+              <ExternalLink href={discordUrl}>Discord server</ExternalLink>
+            </div>
+            <div className={style.column}>
+              <div className={style.header}>Welcome to Ontime</div>
+              <div className={style.tableContainer}>
+                <table className={style.table}>
+                  <thead>
+                    <tr>
+                      <th>Project Name</th>
+                      <th>Last Used</th>
+                      <th />
+                    </tr>
+                  </thead>
+                  <WelcomeProjectList loadProject={handleLoadProject} onClose={handleClose} />
+                </table>
+              </div>
+
+              <div className={style.buttonRow}>
+                <ImportProjectButton onFinish={handleClose} />
+                <Button size='sm' variant='ontime-subtle' onClick={handleLoadDemo}>
+                  Load demo project
+                </Button>
+                <Button size='sm' variant='ontime-filled' onClick={handleCallCreate}>
+                  Create new...
+                </Button>
+              </div>
+            </div>
+          </div>
+        </ModalBody>
+      </ModalContent>
+    </Modal>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/WelcomePlacement.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/WelcomePlacement.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2ab0fb593
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/WelcomePlacement.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+import { useDialogStore } from '../../../common/stores/dialogStore';
+
+import Welcome from './Welcome';
+
+export default function WelcomePlacement() {
+  const showDialog = useDialogStore((state) => state.showDialog);
+  const clearDialog = useDialogStore((state) => state.clearDialog);
+
+  if (!showDialog) {
+    return null;
+  }
+
+  return <Welcome onClose={clearDialog} />;
+}
diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/composite/ImportProjectButton.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/composite/ImportProjectButton.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7ab6f4f70
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/composite/ImportProjectButton.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,58 @@
+/**
+ * Handles importing of a project in the welcome modal
+ * the logic is mostly duplicated from ManageProjects.tsx
+ */
+
+import { ChangeEvent, useRef } from 'react';
+import { Button, Input } from '@chakra-ui/react';
+
+import { uploadProjectFile } from '../../../../common/api/db';
+import { invalidateAllCaches } from '../../../../common/api/utils';
+import { validateProjectFile } from '../../../../common/utils/uploadUtils';
+
+interface ImportProjectButtonProps {
+  onFinish: () => void;
+}
+
+export default function ImportProjectButton(props: ImportProjectButtonProps) {
+  const { onFinish } = props;
+  const fileInputRef = useRef<HTMLInputElement>(null);
+
+  const handleSelectFile = () => {
+    fileInputRef.current?.click();
+  };
+
+  const handleImport = async (event: ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
+    const selectedFile = event.target?.files?.[0];
+    if (!selectedFile) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    try {
+      validateProjectFile(selectedFile);
+      await uploadProjectFile(selectedFile);
+    } catch (error) {
+      /** we do not handle errors here */
+    } finally {
+      await invalidateAllCaches();
+      onFinish();
+    }
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <>
+      <Input
+        ref={fileInputRef}
+        style={{ display: 'none' }}
+        type='file'
+        onChange={handleImport}
+        accept='.json'
+        data-testid='file-input'
+      />
+
+      <Button size='sm' variant='ontime-subtle' onClick={handleSelectFile}>
+        Import project
+      </Button>
+    </>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/composite/WelcomeProjectList.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/composite/WelcomeProjectList.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5ebf17d3e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/editors/welcome/composite/WelcomeProjectList.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import { Button } from '@chakra-ui/react';
+
+import { useOrderedProjectList } from '../../../../common/hooks-query/useProjectList';
+
+import style from '../Welcome.module.scss';
+
+interface WelcomeProjectListProps {
+  loadProject: (filename: string) => Promise<void>;
+  onClose: () => void;
+}
+
+export default function WelcomeProjectList(props: WelcomeProjectListProps) {
+  const { loadProject, onClose } = props;
+  const { data } = useOrderedProjectList();
+
+  return (
+    <tbody>
+      {data.reorderedProjectFiles.map((project) => {
+        if (project.filename === data.lastLoadedProject) {
+          return (
+            <tr className={style.current} key={project.filename}>
+              <td>{project.filename}</td>
+              <td>Loaded from last session</td>
+              <td>
+                <Button variant='ontime-subtle' size='sm' onClick={onClose}>
+                  Continue
+                </Button>
+              </td>
+            </tr>
+          );
+        }
+        return (
+          <tr key={project.filename}>
+            <td>{project.filename}</td>
+            <td>{new Date(project.updatedAt).toLocaleString()}</td>
+            <td>
+              <Button variant='ontime-subtle' size='sm' onClick={() => loadProject(project.filename)}>
+                Load
+              </Button>
+            </td>
+          </tr>
+        );
+      })}
+    </tbody>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/apps/server/src/adapters/WebsocketAdapter.ts b/apps/server/src/adapters/WebsocketAdapter.ts
index ce7efa5cd..6fd5e7274 100644
--- a/apps/server/src/adapters/WebsocketAdapter.ts
+++ b/apps/server/src/adapters/WebsocketAdapter.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ export class SocketServer implements IAdapter {
   private wss: WebSocketServer | null;
   private readonly clients: Map<string, Client>;
   private lastConnection: Date | null = null;
+  private isFirstEditor = true;
 
   constructor() {
     if (instance) {
@@ -134,7 +135,18 @@ export class SocketServer implements IAdapter {
               const previousData = this.clients.get(clientId);
               previousData.path = payload;
               this.clients.set(clientId, previousData);
+
+              if (payload.includes('editor') && this.isFirstEditor) {
+                this.isFirstEditor = false;
+                ws.send(
+                  JSON.stringify({
+                    type: 'dialog',
+                    payload: { dialog: 'welcome' },
+                  }),
+                );
+              }
             }
+
             this.sendClientList();
             return;
           }