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The countdown is on: on 20 August 2025, Austria will finally reveal whether Vienna or Innsbruck will host the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in 2026, following Austria’s dramatic win in Basel. And while both cities promise grand visions, the stage is set for a fascinating showdown.
Vienna, no stranger to Eurovision, hosted the contest in 1967 and again in 2015 at Wiener Stadthalle – a venue with a capacity of 16,000 and easy access to international airports and hotels. City officials have touted Vienna’s logistical strengths and experience in staging big events.
Innsbruck, meanwhile, is pitching a different script. Its proposal centers on Olympiahalle, a modern arena linked to the city’s Olympic legacy, seating around 12,000. The team there claims to have delivered a confident, well-supported concept from the alpine city.
After submissions closed on 4 July, both cities advanced to the next phase following technical inspections, and ORF has now concluded detailed negotiations with Vienna and Innsbruck. Only these two are left in the race.
ORF and the EBU are working their way through the rival bids, checking against things such as venue capacity (minimum 10,000), availability for rehearsals, infrastructure, transport links, accommodations, and a press centre for up to 1,500 journalists.
ORF Director-General Roland Weißmann emphasised both cities offer the right ingredients, calling them “very interesting applications” and hinting at an “open race.”
Austrian news outlet KURIER reports that both Vienna and Innsbruck’s mayors will be informed at around 8am on 20 August of the result, with a public announcement shortly after 9am on the ORF radio breakfast show.
