Austrian broadcaster ORF, in conjunction with the EBU has announced that Vienna will be the host city of the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place in May 2026. This will be the third time the city will be hosting the competition, with 2015 being the recent time hosting the contest.
Further details about Eurovision 2026 have been revealed
In addition to the reveal of the host city, it was also revealed that Wiener Stadhalle will be the venue for next year’s competition, as well as the official dates for your calendars, which are as follows:
- Semi-Final One: Tuesday 12th May
- Semi-Final Two: Thursday 14th May
- Grand Final: Saturday 16th May
Speaking on the decision to award Vienna the win, Martin Green – Eurovision Director for the EBU – said:
Vienna’s reputation as one of the most musical cities in the world, and its location in the heart of Europe, makes it the perfect Host City for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest.
“The city’s exceptional Stadthalle was a great venue for the 60th Contest in 2015 and we’re very much looking forward to welcoming delegations, artists and fans alike back there next May as the world’s largest live music event celebrates 70 glorious years of being United by Music.
“Together with Host Broadcaster ORF and the city of Vienna we will create a spectacular celebration of music that will reverberate across the world.”
On top of this, ORF’s Director-General Roland Wießmann explained that Vienna was chosen not only due to the technical requirements being met, but also the potential for economic benefit. He added that the infrastructure of the city – such as public transport and hotels – outweighed that of Innsbruck. However, he insisted that the capital would play host to a celebration for the whole of Austria.
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 Innsbruck 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: ORF & EBU
Photo Credit: EBU
Tetiana Viznytsia 
Euan T