The Vienna City Council has officially ratified a resolution supporting the city’s Eurovision 2026 bid. The iconic Austrian capital city is gearing up in full steam to bid for hosting the forthcoming Eurovision Song Contest 2026 next year.
Austria will have the grand honour of hosting the 2026 Eurovision edition thanks to JJ’s epic victory in Basel last month. Austria and ORF will be organizing the Eurovision Song Contest for the third time.
The Eurovision Song Contest Grand Final will be held on either 16 May or 23 May 2026. Hence the provisional dates for ESC 2026 are either: 12, 14, 16 May or 19, 21 and 23 May 2026.
Austrian cities and municipalities have been invited to submit their respective bids and documents with the deadline set on 4 July 2025.
Last Wednesday the Vienna City Council submitted a resolution for hosting ESC 2026 specifically the governing parties SPO and NEOS. The said resolution was passed with the support of SPO, NEOS, Greens and the OVP political parties.
Josef Taucher (SPO parliamentary leader) says:
Vienna stands for quality, efficiency, and international hospitality. We are ready to be Europe’s international stage again in 2026.
Katharina Weninger – City Councillor (SPÖ) says:
It would be wasted love if Vienna weren’t the host city of the 70th Eurovision Song Contest.
Vienna plans to host the 2026 Eurovision edition at the Wiener Stadthalle, the very same venue which hosted the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest. Vienna is set to submit an impressive and extraordinary bid which includes 82,000 beds in 41,000 rooms, with circa 433 hotels. The city boasts of an excellent transport system which connects the whole city efficiently. Vienna’s International airport has excellent flight connections to both European and international capital cities.
The City of Vienna has showcased a strong interest in welcoming the Eurovision bandwagon to the majestic Austrian capital for the third time in the history of our beloved contest.
ORF’s news article reads:
With an impressive inventory of 82,000 beds in 41,000 rooms, spread across 433 hotels of various categories, the city meets all the requirements for hosting the Eurovision Song Contest, it was emphasized. Its international connections, such as numerous air and train connections, were also highlighted. At the same time, the resolution also emphasized: “The Vienna Stadthalle, already a proven venue for the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, offers an ideal platform for the event as well as numerous opportunities for an appealing supporting program for media, delegates, and guests.”
The motion was intended to express the city’s strong interest in hosting the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest. They would welcome the ORF’s decision in favor of Vienna. The motion was passed with the votes of the SPÖ, NEOS, the Greens, and the ÖVP. Only the FPÖ refused to support it.
Vienna’s Eurovision 2026 hosting bid is included in the new Vienna’s government’s red-pink program.
ORF’s news article concludes:
Vienna’s bid for the Song Contest is also explicitly stated in the new red-pink government program. Potential 2026 Eurovision Song Contest host cities must submit their detailed application documents by July 4 at the latest. The decision on the host city is expected to be made by August 8.
The cities are sworn to a comprehensive confidentiality agreement. The final of the world’s largest music competition will take place on either May 16 or 23, 2026. Vienna is not without competition. The city council in Innsbruck recently gave the green light for an application. Graz will soon decide whether to also enter the race for the contract as a host city.
A Tale of Two Cities?
Hence with Graz out of the ESing race, Vienna and Innsbruck are standing as frontrunners to battle for the coveted role of hosting the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest. The deadline for cities/regions in Austria to apply for hosting ESC 2026 has been set on 4 July. Hereafter ORF will kick off conversations and negotiations with the potential host cities, and hence evaluate the submitted bids.
The EBU and ORF are expected to unveil the 2026 ESC Host City by mid August.
