Which cities could host Eurovision 2026 in Austria?

The smoke has barely settled from JJ's Eurovision performance in Switzerland, but attention is already turning to which city in neighbouring Austria will host next year's contest.

Several Austrian cities have already announced their interest in hosting the 70th Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2025 there was a series of criteria set by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that cities had to meet to be eligible to host Eurovision. These included:

• Having a venue which can hold at least 10 000 spectators and be available for a minimum six weeks for contest preparations

• A press centre for at least 15000 journalists close to the main venue

• Sufficient hotel accommodation for spectators, journalists and delegates.

Two cities Klagenfurt and Salzburg have already ruled themselves out of contention as they lack a large enough main venue. So it looks like the hills of the von Trapp family won't come alive to the sound of Eurovision.

However there are already five expressions of interest to host Eurovision 2026. Let's check them out!

Vienna

The Austrian capital and JJ's home city is keen to host Eurovision for a third time after having hosted the 1967 and 2015 contests.

Vienna is Austria's primate city with 2 million of the country's 9 million inhabitants living there. It also has Austria's largest international airport.

No host venue has been announced. But the Wiener Stadthalle, with a capacity 16 000, would probably the most likely candidate in Vienna's bid. The venue has already hosted Eurovision 2015. Annually it also hosts the Erste Bank Open, which is an ATP 500 tennis tournament.

If the Wiener Stadthalle is chosen it would be the second year in a row the Eurovision venue also hosts a yearly ATP tennis tournament, with Basel's St. Jakobshalle holding the ATP 500 Swiss Indoors event.

One factor that may not be in Vienna's favour is that since 2019 Eurovision has been held in a city that is not the host country's capital. Whether this is a coincidence or part of a decentralisation effort by the EBU remains uncertain.

Graz

Austria's second most populous city wants to become the most important Austrian city when it comes to Eurovision next year.

Graz mayor Elke Kahr has suggested that Stadthalle Graz, which has a capacity of 11 000, has the appropriate infrastructure and big-event expertise to host the contest. The venue was on the shortlist to host Eurovision 2015.

The Schwarzl Freizeit Zentrum has also been floated by its concert manager and operator Klaus Leutgeb as another potential Graz Eurovision venue. However with a capacity of 5000, it seems unlikely to meet EBU criteria.

Innsbruck

Situated on Austria's western panhandle, Innsbruck is the city closest geographically to this year's host Switzerland to express interest in holding Eurovision 2026.

The Olympiahalle, with a capacity of 12 000, has been touted as Innsbruck's Eurovision venue. Like its name suggests the venue hosted events during the 1964 and 1976 Winter Olympics. It was also a shortlisted venue for Eurovision 2015.

Linz & Wels

The Upper Austrian cities of Linz and Wels will be submitting a joint bid to host Eurovision 2026.

Wels, which is smaller in size, would provide the main venue. This is a new exhibition hall that will have construction completed in March 2026. It replaces the old Messe Wels venue, which had bid for Eurovision 2015.

This new exhibition hall is located in the centre of Wels, so it is easily accessible by public transport including to its fellow host city.

Linz, being larger in size, will provide the majority of the hotel rooms. Around 8500 beds will be available.

Oberwart

Oberwart is the smallest town aiming to bid for Eurovision 2026, with a population of around 7500. If its bid wins it would be the second smallest town ever to host Eurovision after Millstreet, Ireland in 1993 which had a population of 1500.

The Burgenland Hall Exhibition Centre is the proposed venue which will be ready for completion in March 2026.

The town is so far the only interested Austrian city that doesn't have an international airport. It also likely doesn't have enough hotel rooms to meet EBU standards. Despite this Oberwart's mayor Georg Rosner still claims the town is "available" to host Eurovision.

Oberwart is also the home of JJ's singing teacher.

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The bidding process to host Eurovision 2026 will likely commence soon. For Eurovision 2025 they began in May 27, 2024. It will be several months before a host city is announced, with Basel revealed on August 30, 2024.

Aussievision will bring you all the updates of the Eurovision 2026 host city bidding process.

For continued updates on all Eurovision news follow Aussievision on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. All links at: https://linktr.ee/aussievisionnet