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With 35 countries confirmed, the schedule fixed and the entries now effectively locked in, this week’s Heads of Delegation meeting was less about glitter than governance, and that may be the point.
The Heads of Delegation meeting is not usually where Eurovision reveals its soul. It’s a time to remind broadcasters of deadlines and production details. A time to stress that, no matter what they’ve heard, everything is absolutely fine.
The contest now has its 35 participating countries, its dates are firmly in place at the Wiener Stadthalle on 12, 14 and 16 May. This year, though, the real story centres on matters of trust. Much of what’s changing for 2026 made headlines late last year, but Vienna was where delegations were formally briefed on how those changes will actually operate.
Rule changes
The EBU has framed a bunch of rule tweaks as a response to concerns around fairness and neutrality.
From 2026, the semis move back to a roughly 50-50 jury and televote split, ending the all-televote model in place since 2023. The cap on votes per payment method has been cut from 20 to 10. The 2026 rules draw a sharper line between ordinary campaigning and organised attempts to distort the contest. The strengthened Voting Instructions and Code of Conduct hope to limit disproportionate promotional efforts, especially by governments or government agencies. Broadcasters and artists must not contribute to such efforts, with sanctions explicitly on the table. If not actually defined.
Security
ORF’s own security guidance for Vienna points to airport-style screening at the Stadthalle, with metal detectors, sniffer dogs and a strict no-bag policy in force. But you already knew that. We’re still waiting to hear which flags we can and cannot expect to see blocking the view.
For those looking for a more traditional Eurovision detail to cling to, Vienna did produce one: Austria’s host entry gets to perform in slot 25 in the grand final, meaning host act Cosmó will close the show. The hosts also unveiled yet another misguided attempt at giving the event a memorable mascot. Quite frankly the less written about Auri the better.
Elsewhere, Euroclub tickets for the 2026 contest are due to go on sale on 18 March, and organisers have confirmed that three major Eurovision pre‑parties will take place this season.
And that, I’m afraid, is pretty much your lot for now.
