Dates and host city announced for Eurovision 2026 in Vienna
Europe’s most iconic music competition returns
For the first time in seven years, the Eurovision Song Contest will take place in the capital city of the host country. Vienna will welcome the event for the third time in its history. The city first hosted in 1967, following Udo Jürgens’ victory in 1966 with the song Merci Chérie.
Austria’s capital was selected after a competitive bidding process, during which several factors were considered – including the proposed venue, local infrastructure, and the city’s capacity to accommodate thousands of delegation members, production crews, fans, and journalists from around the globe.
The contest will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle, a venue with previous Eurovision experience – having hosted the show in 2015 after Conchita Wurst’s memorable win. The arena can hold up to 16,000 spectators, although in 2015 the capacity was limited to around 10,500 seats. Even so, the Wiener Stadthalle remains one of the largest venues to have hosted Eurovision in the past five years.
The semi-finals are scheduled for May 12 and 14, with the grand final to be held on May 16.
In addition, Eurovision recently unveiled a refreshed logo, marking the 70th anniversary of the world’s most renowned music event. The iconic heart remains the centerpiece of the design but now appears in a three-dimensional form, composed of 70 layers, each representing a year in the contest’s history.
The new visual identity was developed in collaboration with PALS, a UK-based design studio that also worked on the branding for the 2023 contest in Liverpool.
Among the key changes is a stronger emphasis on the words Song Contest, which now nearly match the size of Eurovision. The traditional handwritten font style remains a signature element of the logo.
Photo: Instagram @eurovision
