Austria worried about upcoming Eurovision 2026 costs
It’s going to be expensive
Following JJ’s triumph at Eurovision 2025, Austria is not only celebrating but also growing increasingly concerned about the financial burden — hosting next year’s contest could cost the country at least €30 million.
Even the winner himself joked about the scale of the expenses facing the state.
«What have I done? Sorry, ORF, this won’t be cheap,» JJ said right after the results were announced.
He became only the third Austrian act to win Eurovision — after Udo Jürgens in 1966 and Conchita Wurst in 2014.
The national broadcaster ORF will traditionally be in charge of organizing the show, and it is already operating under strict budget constraints. The year 2026 will be especially demanding — in addition to Eurovision, ORF will also broadcast the FIFA World Cup and the Winter Olympics.
«It’s a massive project, but we will have to mobilize all our resources to pull it off,» said ORF’s Program Director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz.
For comparison: this year’s Eurovision broadcast cost the broadcaster around €700,000. But the financial situation is deteriorating — ORF is already cutting its expenses by €325 million. Moreover, Austria is experiencing its third year of economic decline. Finance Minister Markus Marterbauer even joked on Instagram that he voted for Sweden 3,000 times to avoid the expenses — to no avail.
The host city has not yet been determined. Graz, Innsbruck, and even the small town of Oberwart have expressed interest. In contrast, Salzburg and Klagenfurt have officially declined due to financial risks and lack of suitable infrastructure. The host city will be chosen through a «transparent process.»
Notably, after Conchita Wurst’s victory in 2014, hosting Eurovision in Vienna brought the city around €30 million in revenue, attracted 100,000 tourists, and generated significant media exposure.
Photo: APA/HELMUT FOHRINGER
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