Austria has officially launched its bid for the Eurovision 2026 host city. ORF has invited cities across the country to apply to host the Contest following Austria’s victory in 2025.
Host City Bidding Process for Austria Eurovision 2026
The broadcaster has invited Austrian cities and municipalities to submit bids by 4 July 2025, seeking venues that meet European Broadcasting Union (EBU) requirements. Key criteria include:
- A covered venue available for at least 8 weeks (7 weeks before and 1 week after the Contest), with a capacity of around 10,000 spectators
- Robust infrastructure: international transport, accommodations, secure facilities, and sustainability credentials
ORF’s Director General, Roland Weißmann, and program director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz have emphasised a transparent and speedy selection process, with the host city to be confirmed by August 8, 2025. Two possible weekends have been outlined for the Eurovision shows in May 2026:
- Semi‑finals: 12 & 14 May | Grand Final: 16 May
- or Semi‑finals: 19 & 21 May | Grand Final: 23 May
Austria is hosting for the third time
After its previous wins in 1966, 2014, and now 2025, Austria will host Eurovision for the third time. Earlier editions were held in Vienna, and ORF has confirmed that multiple cities—Vienna, Innsbruck, Graz, Wels/Linz, St. Pölten, Oberwart, and Ebreichsdorf—have already expressed interest in the host city bid for Eurovision 2026. Meanwhile, Salzburg and Klagenfurt have opted out due to unsuitable venues.
The Journey to Eurovision 2026
The journey to the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest kicked off immediately following JJ’s win in Basel, when Austria’s ORF accepted the rights to host the 70th edition of the contest. At present the Alpine nation has not formally addressed its plans for how it intends to host. Those are expected to come in July. Though cities across Austria have already begun discussing their thoughts on hosting or not.
The cities that have expressed wishes to host:
- Vienna
- Innsbruck
- Graz
- Oberwart
- Wels and Linz (joint bid)
- St. Pölten
- Ebreichsdorf
The cities that have ruled out hosting:
Which Austrian city do you think will win the bid? Could it be Vienna again, or will a smaller city like Innsbruck or Graz surprise us? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2026!
News Source: ORF
Photo Credit: Martin Meissner
Michelle 
Euan T