Since we can’t talk about 2025 as upcoming anymore, we have already moved on to the Eurovision 2026 location and asked where it will be.
If you read the above and responded “Austria,” good job. Thank you so much. You know it’s a sizable area, right? The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest is not going to be held at a shopping mall or a nondescript cabin in the mountains. This is going to take a considerable amount of planning, and the choice of host city and venue is an important one.
In May 2025, Basel, Switzerland hosted the 69th edition of the contest (nice). May 2026 will see the historic 70th Eurovision somewhere in Austria, but where? We examine some of the key contenders in our latest video.
Eurovision 2026 Location: The Video – “Where Will ESC 2026 Be Held?”
In the video, we discuss:
- Cities that have either announced that they intend to bid for, or have publicly expressed interest in, hosting the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
- Mentioned those major population centers in Austria that are not contenders for the contest, or have withdrawn from consideration.
- Noted our frontrunners and favorites.
Eurovision 2026 Location Announcement Date
Eurovoix has reported, based off of local media reports, that Austria will select and announce its host city on 8 August. This is about three weeks earlier than the Swiss announcement ahead of the 2025 contest.
Countries have until early July to submit formal bids.
But When Will ESC 2026 Be?
The dates have not firmed up yet, but even as we are only a few weeks removed (as of the date of publication) from Eurovision 2025, we already have an idea.
Austria’s national broadcaster, ORF, will host the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 on one of these two weeks:
| Option 1 | Option 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| Semifinal 1 | Tuesday, 12 May | Tuesday, 19 May |
| Semifinal 2 | Thursday, 14 May | Thursday, 21 May |
| Grand Final | Saturday, 16 May | Saturday, 23 May |
