With preparations for Eurovision 2026 in full swing, Austrian broadcaster ORF has outlined the roadmap to Eurovision in Vienna. Several key dates have been given to keep fans informed on big days in the run-up to next year’s show.
Roadmap to Vienna begins
Before Vienna was announced as the host city, ORF had released an initial roadmap that it would follow, using key moments of the pre-season as guides. For example, according to the first plan, the number of countries taking part would be released in September, with tickets going on sale around Christmas.
However, this video containing this roadmap was shortly taken down and did not appear again. Following Vienna’s selection, a new and updated roadmap has been released.
According to the plan, the number of countries taking part will now be released in the autumn. This has since been confirmed as being towards December, amid the ongoing controversy surrounding Israel. On top of this, tickets to go to the show will be made available at the beginning of January 2026, but no specific date has been given.
The story of Eurovision 2026 so far
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. The shows will take place on May 12th, 14th and 16th.
What do you think of the roadmap for next year? Do you think ORF will follow the plan to the letter? 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: Corinne Cumming / EBU
Thomas James