For the viewer, this is not the most exciting news, but for the traveler, it’s time to start preparing! People who plan to attend the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Austria have been waiting for this moment, and with the announcement today, it can finally be said, that our next destination will be… Vienna!
Willkommen in Österreich!
Before we focus on our host city, let’s focus on the host country as well. 🇦🇹 Austria, will be the host nation of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest, all thanks to JJ‘s victory in Basel, Switzerland, where he performed his song “Wasted Love“.
Perhaps #YOU might be thinking: “Oh yes! I absolutely wish to visit Austria!“, but your knowledge of the country is maybe not that great and might need to know a few basic things, before you plan your visit.
This is where we come in and share a few things that might be good to know, about Austria, before #YOU pack your back and try to find all kinds of friendly faces on the streets. Here are a few things to know, about our 2026 host nation:
- In Austria, the official language is German, but there is also a national language, which is Austrian German. The difference is usually displayed in various terms, but overall, the general consensus is that Austrians speak German.
- The currency of Austria is the Euro, which they adopted back in 1999. Prior to that, they used the Austrian schilling.
- Hence the use of the Euro, Austria is a member nation of the European Union(EU) AND the Schengen Area. However, the country is NOT a member of the NATO alliance.
- Austria is described as a federal republic, and is made up for 9 federal states. Each state have their own capital, and only Vienna is both a city as well as a state.
- Geographically, over 60% of Austria is located within the Alps. Hence why the majority of the Austrian population live in the North and East part of the country, where it’s lower land. All of the Western part of the country is located within the Alps.
- Fun fact: A village, recently changed their name to Fugging in 2021. This was done to combat vandalism and theft, which was caused by tourists, due to the village’s previous name.
- Simply, do NOT call or compare Austria or Austrians to Germany or Germans. They are not the same, simple as that!
This was pretty much the very basic stuff, so with that out of the way, let’s focus on the host city! What can we expect to do and see in Vienna
Here we come, Vienna 2026!
This will be the third time that Austria hosts the Eurovision Song Contest, but it will be the 9th time, that the capital hosts an Eurovision related event, having also hosted the Eurovision Young Musician competition 6 times. It must’ve shown, that Vienna is just one of those cities, which you just keep coming back for, and most likely, Europe is ready to discover more of this historical capital, which is home to nearly 2 million inhabitants.
Should #YOU find yourself heading to Vienna, you will most likely come by plane and highly likely with an Austrian Airlines plane. Vienna International Airport is a huge airport and serves very well as a transit hub for airlines across Europe as well. With countless ways into Vienna, the city is absolutely ready for another huge party in 2026.
Heading to Vienna can be done both by Train and buses, since multiple vehicles crosses by daily, and at anytime. If you’re feeling adventurous, you could even make it to Bratislava, Slovakia, should you not find the desired place to stay within Vienna.
The 2026 Eurovision Song Contest will return to it’s former home, that being Wiener Stadthalle to celebrate this gigantic party. This arena hosted the song contest back in 2015 as well, and left us impressed. There is no doubt that the venue can once again lift this heavy task.
Should you not be able to get tickets, then chances are very good that you’ll have a busy schedule anyways, since Vienna is filled with museums, attractions, historical buildings and lots of art all over. Vienna packs a huge size, so let’s all make sure that it will be an unforgettable event, in 2026.
With that, we can not wait to see you once again or even welcome you to …, when the Eurovision Song Contest takes place on the 12th, 14th and 16th May 2026.
Are #YOU planning to visit … in 2026 and will #YOU perhaps say hello to us in the city?
Let’s hear from #YOU on our forum site right HERE, or visit us on Facebook, X(Twitter), Instagram, Youtube, TikTok and Discord.
Source(s): ORF.at (In German) and Eurovision.TV (In English)
