Vienna vs. Innsbruck: Duel for Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in the Final Stretch
This is probably brutality: lowlands meet mountains, a metropolis against a proud city, the capital of cucumbers against the capital of skiing. Or simply: Vienna against Innsbruck. After all, the decision in the duel between the two promising candidates for hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is approaching.
Eurovision Song Contest 2026: Vienna and Innsbruck submitted application documents
For the second half of August, the ORF has announced the disclosure of who will be responsible for hosting next year. Neither a location in Lower Austria, nor the Styrian capital Graz, neither the initially enthusiastically initiated joint project Linz/Wels nor the Burgenland regional champion Oberwart ultimately threw their hat in the ring. However, Innsbruck for Tyrol and Vienna for Vienna have submitted their official application documents on time by July 4th.
Final of Eurovision Song Contest 2026 on May 16 or 23
The cities are obliged to a comprehensive confidentiality catalog, but it is certain that the final of the world's largest music competition will take place either on May 16 or 23, 2026. The exact date and location will be decided by the ORF as the host broadcaster, after JJ won the ESC for Austria this year. Whether the Olympiahalle in Innsbruck or the Wiener Stadthalle will serve as the hosting venue is currently not fixed. The ORF has entered into in-depth discussions with both cities. The decision likely also depends on what each location is willing to invest for hosting a final watched by around 170 million people worldwide.
ORF-ESC-Executive-Producer Krön sees "open race" for Eurovision Song Contest 2026
ORF-ESC-Executive-Producer Michael Krön recently spoke in an APA interview of an "open race". Ideological and financial strength will be decisive, with both cities having scored with great concepts. "I am very impressed by the seriousness and professionalism of both applications," said Krön. Only when the host city is determined will the detailed planning begin. "It naturally depends a lot on whether you are telling the story of an Alpine city at the crossroads of north-south-east-west or of a metropolis, a melting pot, in the middle of Europe. These are different stories," said Krön, who promises one thing in any case: "We will definitely make it spectacular."
(APA/Red)
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.