Vienna to host the 2026 Eurovision Contest, the world’s largest televised event

Finally, Vienna will be the host of the next Eurovision contest on May 16, 2026. The city was finally chosen over the other contender, Innsbruck.

With this milestone, Vienna reaffirms its role as one of Europe’s leading destinations for culture, hospitality, and international events. From May 12–16, 2026, the Wiener Stadthalle will welcome thousands of fans, artists, and more than 1,500 journalists from across the globe.

The Opening Ceremony on May 10 will kick off a week-long celebration of music, creativity, and diversity – with the Grand Final on May 16 marking the highlight of the festivities.

As Mayor Michael Ludwig emphasized, Vienna’s bid combined extensive hotel capacity, excellent infrastructure, and inclusive, non-commercial public events designed to make the ESC accessible to everyone. With over 82,000 hotel beds across 433 properties, seamless connections via direct flights to nearly 200 cities, and Europe’s best-rated public transport, the city is ready to host on a global scale.

For Norbert Kettner, CEO of the Vienna Tourist Board, this decision reflects a natural fit: “With Vienna and the Eurovision Song Contest, two things come together that truly belong together: the cosmopolitan capital of culture and music, and the world’s biggest music show with unmatched brilliance.”

A major boost for tourism

Vienna will host Eurovision for the third time – after the Hofburg Vienna in 1967 and in 2015.  The last hosting became global symbols of inclusivity and openness, a visible part of Vienna today. The upcoming anniversary contest will once again spotlight the city’s cultural vibrancy and openness.

Hosting the Eurovision represents also a major boost for tourism and local economy. In 2015, the contest generated €28 million in added value for Vienna, 20,000 additional overnight stays, and global media exposure worth hundreds of millions.

Last city to host the Eurovision Contest, Basel in Switzerland estimates to have received CHF 60 million (about US$67 million) in economic benefits. Hotel demand surged, with bookings up 280% compared to the same period in 2024 while average nightly rates  doubled, increasing from $247 to $512 during Eurovision week. The city welcomed over 450,000 participants during the week of the Contest. 

The contest is actually the world’s biggest annual live televised music event. In 2025, some 166 million viewers in 37 countries watched the contest in Basel, with a record 60 % of viewers aged 15 to 24 tuning in.

Innsbruck deception

With the event returning in 2026, Vienna’s hospitality and tourism sectors anticipate even stronger results, building on the city’s reputation as a world-class meeting and event destination.

Disappointment was however -and naturally- very big in Innsbruck, the other contender. Mayor Johannes Anzengruber had put high hopes to see the capital of  Tirol hosting the Eurovision Contest as it would have been a first in Austria to attract the show outside Vienna.

The Tyrolean capital felt indeed capable of accommodating such a big event. Innsbruck has in the past hosted the Winter Olympics in 1964 and 1976, as well as European and world winter sports championships. An audience of around 15,000 would have been able to watch the semifinals and the final in the city’s refurbished Olympic Hall, explained Innsbruck tourist head Paul Mölk.

Mölk was hoping that those at Austria national broadcast ORF would have the courage to try something new. That will finally not be the case!

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