Eurovision names host city for 70th song contest

Vienna has been chosen to big the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest.

The superior was selected arsenic Austria's big metropolis pursuing its Eurovision victory successful 2025, wherever creator JJ won with his opus Wasted Love successful Basel, Switzerland.

The determination followed a bidding process successful which officials evaluated antithetic facilities and their capableness to big delegations, fans, and media.

It volition beryllium the 3rd clip Vienna has hosted the contest, putting it successful associated 4th spot among the opus contest's astir predominant hosts - alongside Copenhagen, Malmo, and Stockholm.

Only Dublin, London and Luxembourg City person hosted much of the events.

The 70th Eurovision last volition instrumentality spot astatine Vienna's Wiener Stadthalle arena connected 16 May.

Austrian broadcaster ORF volition big the event.

The manager of the Eurovision Song Contest, Martin Green, said: "The EBU (European Broadcasting Union) is thrilled that Vienna has been selected arsenic the big metropolis for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

"Vienna's estimation arsenic 1 of the astir philharmonic cities successful the world, and its determination successful the bosom of Europe, makes it the cleanable big metropolis for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest."

Mr Green said the city's "exceptional" Stadthalle was a large venue for the 60th contention successful 2015, and organisers are looking guardant to welcoming delegations, artists, and fans adjacent May, "as the world's largest unrecorded euphony lawsuit celebrates 70 glorious years of being agreed by music".

"Together with big broadcaster ORF and the metropolis of Vienna we volition make a spectacular solemnisation of euphony that volition reverberate crossed the world."

Vienna's City Hall volition big the event's opening ceremonial connected 10 May, arsenic good arsenic EuroClub, the contest's pop-up, nightlife spot.

The quadrate extracurricular City Hall volition service arsenic the Eurovision Village, an open-air screening country for the public.

The politician of Vienna, Michael Ludwig, said: "In Vienna, we tin beryllium arrogant that our metropolis has been selected by the EBU and ORF arsenic the astir suitable big metropolis for 1 of the world's largest events.

"We placed large accent connected offering galore Eurovision Song Contest events successful nationalist spaces that tin beryllium visited escaped of charge.

"As the politician of Vienna, it is precise important to maine that taste events are accessible to everyone, careless of the size of their wallet."

Further details, including accusation astir tickets, volition beryllium released aboriginal this year.

At the 2025 Eurovision final, Israeli vocalist Yuval Raphael finished successful 2nd spot aft her squad reported that she was near "shaken and upset" erstwhile pro-Palestinian protesters surged toward a obstruction during her performance.

In effect to the incident, Swiss constabulary confirmed that 2 individuals were detained and subsequently released. The lawsuit organizer, Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR, said that a unit subordinate was struck with overgarment but was unharmed.