Vienna will host the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest on May 12, 14 and 16.
Vienna has been selected as the host city of Eurovision 2026. The news was revealed this morning during the morning radio show Ö3-Wecker on Ö3. After 1967 and 2015, Vienna will be hosting Eurovision for the third time having beaten Innsbruck, the only other city to submit a bid to host Eurovision 2026.
Martin Green, Director of the Eurovision Song Contest said:
“The EBU is thrilled that Vienna has been selected as the Host City for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
“Vienna’s reputation as one of the most musical cities in the world, and its location in the heart of Europe, makes it the perfect Host City for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest.
“The city’s exceptional Stadthalle was a great venue for the 60th Contest in 2015 and we’re very much looking forward to welcoming delegations, artists and fans alike back there next May as the world’s largest live music event celebrates 70 glorious years of being United by Music.
“Together with Host Broadcaster ORF and the city of Vienna we will create a spectacular celebration of music that will reverberate across the world.”
Roland Weißmann, Director General of ORF added:
“After thorough examination and based on a unanimous jury assessment, ORF concluded that Vienna’s offer is not only the most attractive in terms of infrastructure and logistics but also economically. The Contest is a celebration for all of Austria, which we will all be proud of.”
Michael Ludwig, mayor of Vienna, commented:
“In Vienna, we can be proud that our city has been selected by the EBU and ORF as the most suitable Host City for one of the world’s largest events.
“We submitted a convincing overall package with enormous accommodation capacities, excellent infrastructure, and a lot of experience in hosting international events. Additionally, we placed great emphasis on offering numerous Eurovision Song Contest events in public spaces that can be visited free of charge.
“As the Mayor of Vienna, it is very important to me that cultural events are accessible to everyone, regardless of the size of their wallet. As the Mayor of Vienna, I am, of course, pleased that Vienna was able to prevail and that Austria can represent itself again next year. We will have a great May together; I am convinced of that.”
Norbert Kettner, Director of Tourism for Vienna, added:
“Vienna and the Eurovision Song Contest are a perfect match: the cosmopolitan capital of music and the world’s largest music show. Vienna and Europe will be United by Music again in 2026. We look forward to the proven partnership with ORF and EBU and are working with great energy to build on the great success of 2015 next year. Vienna offers ideal conditions for this: over 80,000 hotel beds, excellent connections by plane and train, and a proven event infrastructure. This gives ORF the freedom to focus entirely on what matters – an unforgettable show.”
Vienna
Eurovision 2026 will take place the Wiener Stadthalle, the same venue that hosted Eurovision in 2015. The venue can hold up to 16,000 spectators, and the city can also count on robust tourist infrastructure and an international airport.
Vienna is the capital of Austria and is home to nearly 3 million people, which is just over a third of the population of Austria. The city is at the crossroads of Europe and has a rich history on the Danube River. The city is no stranger to Eurovision contests, having previously hosted eight Eurovision contests, including six editions of Eurovision Young Musicians.
The Bidding Process
Nine locations across Austria showed an interest in hosting the Eurovision Song Contest following JJ’s victory in Basel, Switzerland with “Wasted Love”. In the weeks after the contest, the towns and cities that expressed an interest in hosting were:
- Ebreichsdorf – Comer City
- Graz
- Innsbruck
- Oberwart
- Vienna
- Sankt Pölten
- Wels and Linz
On June 2, host broadcaster ORF opened the window for cities and municipalities in Austria to declare their interest in hosting the contest. Those that expressed their interest were then provided tender documentation and had until July 4 to submit their bids. By the deadline only Innsbruck and Vienna remained in the race.
Earlier this month ORF progressed with Innsbruck and Vienna into the final stage of the bidding process. ORF then commenced with detailed discussions with the two bidding cities and visited both to make their final determination on which will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
Eurovision 2026
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will be held in Vienna following the victory of JJ with “Wasted Love” for Austria in Basel. Austria won the Eurovision Song Contest for a third time, having won the 1966 and 2014 editions of the contest.
Image source: ORF / EBU | Source: EBU
Austria debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957. Bob Martin represented the country on their debut but finished in last place scoring just 3 points. Austria has won the contest three times, the first being in 1966 when Udo Jürgens performed “Merci, Cherie”. It was 48 years later when Austria won again in 2014, when Conchita Wurst performed “Rise Like a Phoenix”, scoring a total of 290 points. Austria’s third win came in 2025, when JJ sang “Wasted Love” and scored 436 points.
