The City of Vienna has confirmed that the Semi-Final Allocation Draw and the official Handover Ceremony for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place on Monday, 12 January.
Handover Ceremony to open the 2026 season
On 12 January, Basel (host of Eurovision 2025) will officially pass the baton to Vienna.
Instead of the traditional Host City Insignia (used between 2007 and 2024), a “Friendship Gift” will be exchanged, following the updated Eurovision protocol introduced this year.
This ceremony symbolically launches the Eurovision year and sets the stage for Austria’s preparations leading up to May 2026.
How the Semi-Final Allocation Draw works
Immediately after the handover, the Semi-Final Allocation Draw will determine how the participating countries are distributed across the two semi-finals.
The draw consists of two parts:
- Pre-qualified countries’ voting assignment
The five automatically qualified countries (France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Austria as host) will learn which semi-final they are required to broadcast and vote in.
- Allocation of remaining countries
All other participating broadcasters will be drawn into Semi-Final 1 or Semi-Final 2, and we will also be aware of the half in which they will perform, the first or the second half of their respective show.
As usual, the detailed running order will not be decided during the draw. Producers will set the final running order later in the season, once all songs have been selected.
Another key date on the road to Vienna
The Allocation Draw is one of the major milestones of the Eurovision calendar and signals the official start of the 2026 season. It is also the first major public event since the EBU confirmed the list of participating countries and implemented its updated rules for the 70th edition.
More details, including broadcast information and venue specifics for the draw, are expected to be announced by ORF and the City of Vienna in the coming weeks.
Timeline for Eurovision 2026 preparations
The City of Vienna has also published the full timeline guiding preparations for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest. The schedule outlines every key milestone for broadcasters, delegations and fans in the months leading up to the event.
Ticket registration opened on 24 November 2025, followed by the deadline for participating broadcasters in early December. Once the handover and allocation draw take place, ORF will host its national final “Vienna Calling – Wer singt für Österreich?” on 20 February, while all Eurovision competing countries must submit their final entries by mid-March.
From 30 March, delegations will begin moving into the Wiener Stadthalle as stage construction and technical setup get underway. The official Opening Ceremony and Welcome Reception will take place on 10 May, marking the start of Eurovision week and the opening of the Eurovision Village.
Public rehearsals will be held throughout the week of the Live Shows, with Semi-Final 1 on 12 May, Semi-Final 2 on 14 May, and the Grand Final on Saturday, 16 May.
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.
Are you excited for the 2026 allocation draw? 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: Wien
Photo credit: EBU
Rory Gannon