The Austrian capital last hosted the ESC extravaganza in 2015 and 1967. Vienna beat out the Alpine city of Innsbruck to host the 2026 European Song Contest, Austrian public broadcaster ÖRF said on Wednesday.
Austria won the rights to host the 70th edition of the event after the country’s singer, JJ, won in May 2025 with his song “Wasted Love.”
The venue for the final will be the Wiener Stadthalle, the city’s largest indoor arena.
Since the first ESC in Lugano, Switzerland, in 1955, Eurovision has become on of the world’s most celebrated pop music festivals. It has helped launch the careers of internationally famous acts like ABBA, Celine Dion, and Olivia Newton-John.
Flamboyant celebration of all things pop
Known for its flamboyant costumes and sets, last year’s competition in Basel, Switzerland, garnered 166 million live viewers.
Winners are decided based on who has the most points after a combination of votes from the public and from experienced judges.
The event has also drawn controversy in the past, for example over political messaging or the decision to invite some countries that are not in Europe. Before JJ, Austria’s last winning entry came in 2014 when drag queen Conchita Wurst wowed the crowds, leading to some homophobic backlash.
Edited by Sean Sinico
