Austria will host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026 – where will the celebration take place?

Austria will host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2026 – where will the celebration take place?

Austria has the honor of hosting the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in 2026. This was recently announced after various cities were discussed as possible venues. However, a precise decision on the location is still pending. In addition to Vienna, the potential venues include Graz, Unterpremstätten, Schwechat Airport, Wels, Innsbruck as well as the Wörthersee Stadium and the Oberwart exhibition center. The awarding of the ESC to Austria is already causing great anticipation and numerous speculations about the preferred location oe24 reports.

In Switzerland, the current ESC is a major financial undertaking with total costs of around 60 million francs (64 million euros). These costs come from different sources: the Swiss Radio and Television Company (SRG) contributes 20 million francs (21.3 million euros), while the city of Basel contributes 35 million francs (37.3 million euros) and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) 5 million francs (5.3 million euros).

Economic impact

The economic benefit of the ESC for Basel is estimated at around 60 million francs. After deducting all costs, the city should record an increase of around 25 million francs (26.7 million euros). These positive figures are in contrast to the sharp increase in hotel prices during the ESC week, which climbed from 220 euros to 457 euros per night. The experiences from the ESC 2015 in Vienna, which was also economically successful, have fueled optimism about the ESC 2023 in Basel. City marketing expenditure in Vienna remained at 1 million euros (around 1.3 million euros today), while the ORF invested around 15 million euros in 2015 (almost 20 million euros today).

The implementation of the ESC in Basel is in the upper range of costs, which have varied between 10 million and 70 million francs in recent years. Despite the high expenditure, economic value creation is often viewed as difficult to quantify. A study on the financial impact of the ESC 2023 in Liverpool serves as a reference for the Basel planning. It is also hoped that the event will bring sustainable value creation and increased awareness for the city. Sectors that benefit directly include the hospitality industry, retail and event and logistics companies.

Opportunities for artists

The ESC offers artists a platform that gives them the opportunity to reach an audience of around 150 million people. Remo Forrer, who represented Switzerland at ESC 2023, was able to make a living from his music after previously working between 60 and 100 percent in another job. Likewise, Anna Rossinelli, who competed for Switzerland in 2011, was able to lay the foundation for her music career through the ESC. These successes underline the importance of the competition for emerging artists and demonstrate the opportunity to establish themselves in the music scene while SRF points out the diverse opportunities that arise from networking and being present on social media.