Eurovision 2026: Get Ready Before the Grand Final in Vienna

Summary:

• Eurovision 2026 takes place in Vienna, Austria, with semi-finals on 12 and 14 May and the Grand Final on 16 May 2026 at the Wiener Stadthalle.
• Austria is hosting thanks to JJ’s victory at the 2025 contest with “Wasted Love,” and this year marks the contest’s 70th anniversary with 35 countries competing.
• Fans without tickets can watch via streaming services or the official Eurovision YouTube channel, making it easier than ever to tune in from anywhere.
• Food delivery apps like Wolt, Glovo, and Uber Eats – along with their gift cards are the perfect way to keep watch parties fed without missing a moment of the show.
• Beyond the arena, Vienna hosts a free Eurovision Village at Rathausplatz from 10–17 May, turning the entire city into one giant celebration.

The world’s most dazzling music competition is almost here, and excitement is building across Europe and beyond. Eurovision 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most spectacular editions in the contest’s seven-decade history – and whether you’re planning to be in Vienna for the live shows or watching from your couch, there’s plenty to get ready for. From tickets and streaming services to the best way to fuel your viewing party, here’s your complete guide to Eurovision 2026.

When is Eurovision 2026?

If you’ve been searching for when is Eurovision 2026, here’s the answer: the contest runs across three live broadcast nights in May. The two semi-finals take place on Tuesday, 12 May and Thursday, 14 May, with the grand finale – the Eurovision final – on Saturday, 16 May 2026, kicking off at 9:00 p.m. CEST. All three shows are held at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, the country’s largest indoor arena with a capacity of up to 16,000 fans.

Why Vienna? How Austria Won the Right to Host

Eurovision 2026 is the 70th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, and it lands in Austria thanks to JJ – full name Johannes Pietsch, a countertenor trained at the Vienna State Opera – who won the 2025 contest held in Basel with his deeply emotive song “Wasted Love.” That victory handed the hosting rights to Austrian public broadcaster ORF, which wasted no time selecting Vienna as the host city.

This is actually Vienna’s third time hosting Eurovision, after editions in 1967 and 2015, and the city knows how to put on a show. The hosts for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest are TV presenter and singer Victoria Swarovski and actor-comedian Michael Ostrowski, with Emily Busvine handling green room duties. With Florian Wieder – the stage designer behind eight previous contests – creating a set inspired by the Viennese Secession art movement, this edition promises to be a visual feast.

Eurovision 2026 Tickets: How to Get in

Securing Eurovision 2026 tickets has been one of the hottest topics among fans since ORF confirmed Vienna as host city. Ticket sales officially opened on 13 January 2026, following a pre-registration window that closed on 18 December 2025. Demand has been enormous -mas it is every year – and availability has been limited.

There are nine arena shows in total during Eurovision week, not just the three broadcast nights. This includes Evening Preview shows (formerly called Jury Shows) the night before each televised semi-final and final, which offer another chance to experience the magic live. If you didn’t secure seats in the January sale, the official Eurovision website has indicated further ticket releases may follow – keep an eye on your registered email and only use eurovision.com or oeticket.at to buy. Scam sites have proliferated, and ORF has even set up a dedicated cybersecurity helpline for fans who encounter suspicious listings.

Beyond the arena, the Eurovision Village at Rathausplatz – right in front of Vienna’s stunning City Hall – offers free entry for up to 15,000 fans daily from 10 to 17 May, with live screenings of all three shows, performances, food stalls, and DJs running until midnight.

Who’s Competing? The 2026 Eurovision Lineup

A total of 35 countries will compete in Eurovision 2026 – the smallest participant count since 2003, largely because five countries (Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain) are boycotting in protest at Israel’s inclusion following ongoing conflict in Gaza. Three countries are returning after absences: Bulgaria, Moldova, and Romania.

The Big Five – France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom – qualify automatically for the Eurovision final alongside the host nation Austria, as do the ten best performers from each semi-final. Notable entries include Australia’s Delta Goodrem, Sweden’s FELICIA, and San Marino fielding SENHIT – a fan-favourite who previously competed for the tiny nation in 2021. Germany sends Sarah Engels with a song called “Fire,” while Finland goes bold as usual with a track titled “Liekinheitin.”

How to Watch: Streaming Services and Broadcasts

Not everyone can make it to Vienna in person – but the good news is that watching Eurovision has never been easier thanks to the boom in streaming services. Depending on where you live, Eurovision 2026 will be broadcast on your national public broadcaster, and in many markets it’s also available to stream live online.

For UK viewers, the BBC streams all shows on BBC iPlayer. In Germany, ARD and its media libraries cover the contest. Across Europe, most national public broadcasters make semi-finals and the grand final available via their streaming apps. In countries where Eurovision isn’t broadcast nationally, the official Eurovision YouTube channel streams the shows for free – though commentary is limited. Fans in the US and beyond have increasingly relied on streaming services and VPNs to catch the contest live, something that has grown dramatically in popularity since the contest hit mainstream global attention.

If you’re hosting a Eurovision watch party – a staple ritual for millions of fans – streaming services make it simple to cast the show to a big screen while you vote, snack, and score your scorecards.

The Ultimate Eurovision Watch Party: Food Delivery Has You Covered

No Eurovision viewing party is complete without great food, and this is where food delivery apps come to the rescue. Whether you’re hosting ten friends for the Eurovision final or settling in solo for a night of sequins and drama, ordering in takes the stress out of catering so you can focus on what matters: the songs, the staging, and the scoreboard chaos.

Wolt is a hugely popular food delivery platform across Europe, available in cities throughout Germany, Finland, the Baltic states, Poland, and beyond – basically, wherever Eurovision fans live. With fast delivery times and a wide restaurant selection, it’s a go-to for party night.

Similarly, Glovo dominates food delivery in Southern and Central Europe, serving markets in Spain, Italy, Romania, Portugal, Ukraine, and more. As several of those countries are active Eurovision 2026 participants, there’s a certain poetry in ordering a pizza via Glovo the night your country’s entry takes the stage. A Glovo gift card is a great way to let someone choose their own Eurovision night feast, with no restrictions on restaurant choice.

Uber Eats rounds out the big three of food delivery for Eurovision fans, with its global reach covering markets from the UK to France, Australia to Canada. If you’re watching with people who all want different things – the eternal problem of any group watch party – Uber Eats’ wide selection of cuisines means everyone can order exactly what they want. An Uber Eats gift card is another thoughtful option for gifting fellow fans.

Get ready for the Eurovision final with our Food delivery gift cards!

Eurovision 2026 Beyond the Screen: Vienna’s Week-Long Festival

Even for those not holding Eurovision 2026 tickets to the main arena, Vienna is throwing the kind of city-wide party that makes the contest worth planning a trip around. The Eurovision Village at Rathausplatz is free and open daily, featuring live music, DJs, street food, and big-screen broadcasts of every show. The EuroClub, held at the Prater Dome across Eurovision week, hosts official after-parties and performances by competing artists, with tickets available for individual nights or as a weekly pass.

The event kicks off on 10 May with the Turquoise Carpet ceremony – a distinctly Eurovision spin on the red carpet concept – where all 35 delegations walk from the Burgtheater to City Hall in front of thousands of cheering fans. Austria, as the host nation, closes the procession.

Vienna itself is a city built for this kind of moment. Home to Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, and Strauss, and with the Wiener Philharmoniker as its musical heartbeat, it’s hard to imagine a more fitting backdrop for the world’s largest live music event. With over 80,000 hotel beds, excellent metro and tram connections, and a well-connected international airport, the city is supremely equipped to handle the hundreds of thousands of visitors Eurovision week brings.

Who Will Be the Next Eurovision Winner?

Predicting the Eurovision winner is a beloved, often-maddening sport in its own right. Bookmakers, fan forums, and casual observers all have their opinions, and the history of the contest is littered with shocking upsets and surprise champions. What’s certain is that the 70th anniversary edition of Eurovision will bring out performers and nations desperate to make their mark on a historic milestone.

The winning country will, of course, earn the right to host Eurovision 2027 – a significant responsibility and reward. With Austria, Sweden, Italy, and a handful of others traditionally performing well with juries and televote alike, the competition for the top spot will be fierce.

Ready for Eurovision 2026?

Eurovision is so much more than a song contest – it’s a week-long celebration of music, identity, kitsch, sincerity, and pan-European (and beyond) community. Whether you’re in Vienna watching live, streaming the Eurovision final from your living room, or ordering in via Wolt, Uber Eats, or Glovo while you fill out your scorecard with friends, there’s no wrong way to enjoy it.

Mark your calendar: 16 May 2026, the Wiener Stadthalle, Vienna. The Eurovision Song Contest turns 70 – and it’s going to be worth every sequin.