It’s official: the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place in Vienna! After this year’s victory by Johannes Pietsch “JJ”, it was clear that Austria would be the host. In recent weeks,Innsbruck and Vienna have been in a neck-and-neck race. After examining all the bids, the ORF has now decided that Vienna offers the best bid in terms of infrastructure, logistics and economy.
The Wiener Stadthalle will be the event location for the major music festival, which Vienna is hosting for the third time. 16,000 people fit into Hall D – no other venue in Austria can hold more people. The two semifinals will take place on May 12 and 14, the final on May 16. Innsbruck is taking the defeat very sportingly: the city wishes Vienna every success and is even offering its support for an unforgettable ESC experience.
Vienna is ideally positioned for the ESC 2026
The Austrian capital is well prepared for the ESC 2026. Vienna already has a wealth of experience in hosting major events, having hosted the music event in 1967 and 2015. This already gives the city the perfect seal of approval, as the organizers rated the organization of the events at the time with top marks.
As a metropolis, Vienna is also ideally equipped to handle large numbers of visitors. There are around 82,000 beds in 433 hotels in the city . The city’s public transport network does not need to be rebuilt for a major event like the ESC, but is already set up for numerous tourists and music fans. Traveling to Vienna from abroad is also easy. There are direct flights from 65 countries and Vienna is also easily accessible by night train with 16 final destinations, more than from any other EU capital.
Great joy: the first reactions
This year’s winner Johannes Pietsch – “JJ” – is thrilled about the return of the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, as he told APA: “I am so happy that the ESC is taking place ‘dahoam’ in Vienna! The third Eurovision Song Contest in Austria, again in Vienna. I am happy and proud and already looking forward to next year!”
In an initial statement, Mayor Michael Ludwig emphasized Vienna’s strong bid for the ESC: “We have submitted a convincing overall package, with enormous accommodation capacities, excellent infrastructure and a lot of experience in hosting international events”. Vienna would also like to offer many free ESC events in public spaces, which will complement the capital’s wide range of cultural activities.
Vienna’s business community is also delighted with the decision. The city’s excellent gastronomy will benefit from the event and hoteliers and event organizers are already preparing for a rush. Tourism Director Norbert Kettner puts it in a nutshell: “Vienna and the Eurovision Song Contest bring together what belongs together: the cosmopolitan capital of music and the biggest music show in the world“.
How to get tickets for the ESC 2026
Ticket sales for the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna are expected to start at the beginning of 2026 or around the turn of the year. Last year, pre-registration started on December 16 and the actual ticket sales began on January 29 – similar dates can be expected now.
At the moment, neither the prices nor the exact pre-sale pages have been officially set. Before that can happen, a lot of organizational work has to be done: Even though the city and venue have now been decided, it’s up to the organizers to make concrete plans for the big music event. But don’t worry: we’ll let you know the minute the pre-sale date is set!