Vienna, Innsbruck or Graz? The race around the ESC 2026 begins!

Vienna, Innsbruck or Graz? The race around the ESC 2026 begins!

Wien, Österreich - Preparations for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2026 have already started in Austria. After the victory of the Viennese opera singer JJ with his song "Wasted Love" in Basel, which marks the third victory for Austria in the ESC, the country is selected as the venue for the next event. According to a report by ZDF , ORF was awarded the award for the orientation at night after JJS. This gives Austria the opportunity to organize a major international event again.

The ORF has already sent a requirement profile to possible display facilities, which defines the criteria for the application. Cities like Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck and others are now in the race to take on the coveted role as Host City. Mayor Michael Ludwig von Vienna emphasizes the city's years of experience in the hosting of international events. Vienna had already carried out the ESC in 2015 and had the town hall, which offers space for up to 16,000 visitors, while 5min.at Selection phase of cities is now in full swing.

applicant cities and their requirements

As further potential venues, Innsbruck, Graz and Wels are mentioned. With the Olympiaworld, Innsbruck brings a stadium into the race that can accommodate up to 12,000 people. The city is planning a new application and has around 9,000 available beds. With the town hall, Graz, on the other hand, offers space for up to 14,500 visitors. In addition, Premstätten shows interest with the Davis Cup hall, which offers space for 18,000 standing room. Wels applied with Linz because the capacities in Wels alone are not sufficient. The planned exhibition hall in Wels should also offer space for 10,000 spectators from March 2026.

The city competition is already underway, and every city will take the opportunity to present itself with its qualifications. While Salzburg and Klagenfurt have withdrawn their applications because the required infrastructure is not given, Oberwart with his Burgenland Hall sees itself as a possible venue for 6,000 people. The application process began immediately according to JJS Triumph, and the decision on the contract is expected to be announced in late summer 2025.

economic importance and challenges

The economic importance of the ESC should not be underestimated. Austria's Chancellor Christian Stocker emphasizes how important the competition for the country's economy is. In the context of the current austerity measures on ORF, in which 325 million euros are to be saved by next year, the execution of the ESC is also seen as an opportunity to generate additional income.

The ESC is known as the longest ongoing international music competition on television, in which numerous countries have been participating since 1956. Every year, several nations appear with their own song, where the audience and a jury coordinate the best songs. The event attracts hundreds of million viewers worldwide every year and has already shaped many artists socially and culturally. With this background, the importance of the ESC for the applicant cities becomes particularly clear, since they want to present themselves not only as an event venue, but also as a cultural hotspots.

The decision on the organization of the ESC 2026 is followed by many party representatives and citizens. The excellent possibilities of the Austrian cities in combination with the international development perspectives could insert another major chapter in the history of the Eurovision Song Contest.