Graz withdraws ESC application: Politics shocked after the killing spree!

Graz withdraws ESC application: Politics shocked after the killing spree!

Linz, Österreich - In Graz you obviously want to take a back. The city withdraws from the application for the execution of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2026, as reported linza.at . This step comes after a killing spree that has significantly influenced the mood within politics in Graz. The joy of the possible application is no longer there, which further reduces the chances of applying. Vienna, Innsbruck and Linz/Wels, which are now serious for the discontinuation, are now speculating as Host City on Vienna.

The financial dimensions of the ESC are enormous. The cost of the discharge amounts to around 65 million euros, which brings those responsible in the cities to superior. In Graz, expenses are calculated with around 20 million euros, which include various factors and are intended to bring additional financial burdens, as the ORF has shown. ORF reported that the financial situation is also tense in Linz and Wels, which makes the application appear as a further risk.

With the enormous expenses and the continued pressure to make budget cuts, the application for the ESC is becoming increasingly questionable. Linz has already announced that he would have to save 8 million euros in the discretion expenditure. linza.at emphasizes that critics consider the advertising value of the ESC to be exaggerated and instead suggest that the 60 million euros for artistic projects.

In contrast, discussions about the actual costs and the benefits of the competition bloom. Participating countries often have to deal with the financial expenses. The annual fees for membership in the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are continuously increasing. For Germany, the participation fees in 2025 were, for example, at 451,216 euros, and in the further course experts suspect that they could also attract other countries. Eurovision.de describes that some countries such as northern Mazedonia and Montenegro even dispensed with participation due to financial bottlenecks have.

What does the ESC do?

The ESC is considered a comparatively favorable format compared to other sports broadcasts, but is always debated about costs and benefits. Some find that the domestic economy benefits from the event, while other doubts have a matter of it. The ESC is therefore not only a festive challenge, but also a financial that must be carefully weighed.