The host city of the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest is looking likely to be revealed on August 20th. It comes as Innsbruck and Vienna continue to wait for a final decision from broadcaster ORF.
Initial August decision date delayed
Initial reports had suggested that the host city would be decided on August 8th. However, according to local newspaper Kurier, the official date the host city will be announced is August 20th. Neither Innsbruck nor Vienna have publicly confirmed the information.
The outlet confirmed that the final two cities had been visited for the final time on Friday (August 1st). This was down to working out the exact technical requirements needed to put on the show next May. Now, it is down to ORF to publicly make the decision.
Timetable for information already agreed
With the supposed date now just over two weeks away, plans have already been agreed on how the information will be published. Sources close to ORF confirmed to Kurier that the mayors of both Innsbruck and Vienna will be contacted between 7 and 8 am on the 20th to be informed on which city won. Following this, the public announcement will be made 30 minutes later on Ö3 Wecker, one of Austria’s biggest radio stations.
Later in the afternoon, it is believed that a press conference for the winning city will be held. After this, the hard work towards organising the Contest can begin. As well as this, the official dates will also be revealed. It is currently being reported the final will either take place on May 16th or 23rd, with the final decision being made in the coming days.
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. The bidding process started in June, with interested cities having until July 4 to submit their bid book. Innsbruck and Vienna were shortlisted, with the latter winning the right to host next year’s contest.
As for the organisation of the competition, the ‘Core Team‘ was revealed in June 2025, with further details about next year’s competition to be revealed in due course.
What are your thoughts on the host city selection process? Will you be heading to the Contest next year? Let us know in the comments or on social media. Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky.
News Source: Kurier
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
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