Who will host the ESC 2026? Cities in Austria in the race!

Who will host the ESC 2026? Cities in Austria in the race!

The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2026 will take place in Austria and several cities are applying to host it. The winner of the ESC 2023, the countertenor JJ with his hit “Wasted Love”, scored 436 points and has further fueled interest in the next edition of the music competition. The competition will represent a significant economic event as the ESC has boosted the tourism sector in the past, as Tourism State Secretary Elisabeth Zehetner emphasizes.

Several cities in Austria are currently showing interest in hosting the ESC 2026. Vienna, already host of the ESC 2015, is currently holding back and has not yet made an official statement. However, with the existing infrastructure, including the Wiener Stadthalle and the Messe Wien, Vienna would be well equipped to host the competition again.

The favorites among the applicants

Innsbruck, represented by Mayor Johannes Anzengruber, also has ambitions and sees the Olympic Hall with up to 12,000 seats as a potential venue. Initial discussions with the tourism association and the operators are already underway.

Wels is planning a new exhibition hall with over 10,000 square meters, which is scheduled to be completed in March 2026. Mayor Andreas Rabl emphasizes that accessibility through the adjacent train station could be a further advantage for Wels.

Graz is also working on an official application, which was announced in the local council. The SPÖ emphasizes the cultural advantages of the city, while Oberwart points out that although all requirements are met, the availability of quarters is a challenge. Klagenfurt, on the other hand, shows little ambition to host the event, citing the high costs of renovation work in the Wörthersee Stadium.

Economic impact and responsibility

The importance of the ESC goes far beyond music. The ESC 2015 in Vienna generated over 100,000 international guests and sales of around 30 million euros. The ESC 2025 in Basel also estimates a value creation of around 64 million euros, while the costs of hosting it fluctuate between 10 million and 70 million francs. In Basel the estimated cost is 60 million francs, which is on the upper end of the spectrum. Such events offer important economic opportunities not only to the hospitality and retail sectors, but also to the event industry.

Another aspect is employee responsibility. From 2026, Südwestrundfunk (SWR) will be responsible for the ESC. This decision was made by the ARD broadcasters involved, and NDR will hand over the baton after the 2023 ESC final in Basel. Christine Strobl, ARD program director, underlined the role of the ESC as a major show event and thanked NDR for its commitment so far.

Preparations for ESC 2026 will begin in early summer 2025. While the SWR will already take part in the ESC 2025, which is still under the leadership of the NDR, it remains to be seen whether Germany will win the competition in 2025 and whether the NDR can then host the international final in 2026.