Eurovision Song Contest 2026
| Eurovision Song Contest 2026 | |
|---|---|
| United by Music[1] | |
| Dates | |
| Semi-final 1 | 12 May 2026 |
| Semi-final 2 | 14 May 2026 |
| Final | 16 May 2026 |
| Host | |
| Venue | Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna, Austria |
| Host broadcaster | Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) |
| Website | eurovision |
| Participants | |
| Number of entries | TBA September 2025[2] |
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will be the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest. The contest will be held at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, after their win at the 2025 contest with the song "Wasted Love" by JJ. It will be organised by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and host broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF).[3][4] It will be the third that the country will host the contest, having done so previously in 1967 and 2015, both times being held in Vienna.
Location
The 2026 contest took place in Vienna, Austria, following the country's victory at the 2025 contest with the song "Wasted Love", performed by JJ.
Bidding phase
In June 2025, the ORF started the bidding process, by opening a window for any cities and municipalities to declare their interest in hosting the contest, any bid to host the contest had to be submited by 4 July 2025. Vienna and Innsbruck were the only cities to submit a bid to host before the deadline. The host city was announced on 20 August 2025, the contest will be held at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna.[5]
- Key
† Host city ^ Submitted a bid
| City | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Ebreichsdorf | Temporary arena | The proposed venue was a temporary arena with a capacity for 20,000 people. Another venue for a public viewing of the final with a capacity of 30,000 would have been set-up. Withdrew from bidding on 15 June. |
| Graz | Stadthalle Graz | Withdrew from bidding on 27 June. |
| Schwarzl Freizeitzentrum | Withdrew from bidding on 27 June. | |
| Innsbruck ^ | Olympiahalle | Hosted the Figure skating and Ice hockey events at both the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympic Games. |
| Oberwart | Messe Oberwart | Withdrew from bidding on 21 June. |
| Vienna † | Wiener Stadthalle | Hosted the 2015 contest. |
| Wels and Linz | Messe Wels | Joint bid, with Wels hosting the contest proper. The venue is under construction and scheduled to be completed in March 2026. Withdrew from bidding on 1 July. |
References
- ↑ "'United By Music' chosen as permanent Eurovision slogan". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 14 November 2023. Archived from the original on 14 November 2023. Retrieved 19 July 2024.
- ↑ Jiandani, Sanjay (14 August 2025). "Eurovision 2026: ORF unveils key timeline dates for ESC 2026". ESCToday.
- ↑ "Eurovision 2025 winner's press conference with JJ". Eurovision.tv. European Broadcasting Union (EBU). 18 May 2025.
- ↑ "🇦🇹 Austria: ORF Commences Eurovision 2026 Work & Special Programming Celebrating JJ's Victory Announced". eurovoix.com. 18 May 2025.
- ↑ "Eurovision 2026: Vienna is our Host City for the 70th". eurovision.tv. 20 August 2025.