Vienna has been selected to host the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, scheduled to take place in May in Austria. Innsbruck was not chosen, as announced by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) on Wednesday.
The event will be held from May 12 to 16, with the usual format of two semifinals on May 12 and 14, and the Grand Final on May 16, at the Wiener Stadthalle, the largest indoor arena in the country.
“Congratulations to Vienna! Austria’s capital will host Eurovision for the third time in 2026, welcoming the 70th contest on May 12, 14, and 16,” read a note released on social media.
According to the EBU, the “capital of Austria was chosen to host the delegations of participating public broadcasters after a competitive city bid process that evaluated local venues, infrastructure, and the ability to accommodate thousands of visiting delegations, teams, fans, and journalists from around the world, among other criteria.”
This marks the third time Vienna will host the Eurovision Song Contest. The first occurrence was in 1967, following Udo Jürgens’ victory with ‘Merci Chérie’ in 1966. The second was nearly 50 years later, in 2015, after Conchita Wurst won with ‘Rise Like a Phoenix’ the previous year.
Quoted in a statement, Martin Green, Director of the Eurovision Song Contest, expressed that the EBU “is thrilled with the choice of Vienna as the host city for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.”
“Vienna’s reputation as one of the world’s most musical cities and its location in the heart of Europe make it the perfect host city for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest,” he stressed, promising to create “a spectacular celebration of music.”
[News in update]
