Austria’s broadcaster ORF has officially opened the call for song submissions for Eurovision 2026, giving artists and songwriters until 15 September 2025 to enter their original tracks.
How it all began: the songwriting camp
The announcement came via the Merci, Chérie podcast, and follows a recent songwriting camp organized in mid‑June with ORF scouts Eberhard Forcher and Peter Schreiber, supported by Indie label founder Hannes Tschürtz.
In June, ORF hosted a songwriting camp aimed at developing potential Eurovision entries. Some 18 new songs were showcased, many designed for radio compatibility, and several with strong Eurovision potential. The camp highlighted both creative collaboration and personal connection among artists, with scouts praising 5–6 standout tracks
Submission details and selection format
Artists now have until 15 September to send in their original, unpublished songs. ORF has announced that the 2026 entry will be chosen via internal selection.
Austria’s Eurovision journey
In 1957, Austria made their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest, where Bob Martin represented the landlocked nation with the song “Wohin, kleines Pony?”. At the close of voting, it managed to place 10th overall. Since their debut, Austria has participated 56 times (being in the final 49 times), and, before 2025, had won the competition on two occasions in 1966 and 2014.
In 2025, Austria selected JJ internally to represent the nation in Basel with “Wasted Love”. Austria successfully qualified for the final and went on to win the Contest with a total of 436 points. This gave Austria its third win in the Contest, eleven years after their previous victory.
Artists, are you ready? Now’s your chance to submit your song and possibly represent Austria at Eurovision 2026! 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: Merci, Chérie
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett/EBU
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