ESC 2026 in Vienna: Will the Happel Stadium be the place without a roof?
ESC 2026 in Vienna: Will the Happel Stadium be the place without a roof?
Leopoldstadt, Österreich - Austria can look forward to a special event: The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place in our beautiful country! The location of the election could be the Viennese Ernst Happel Stadium, the largest stadium in the country. This is an exciting return, because it has been the first ESC in Austria since Conchita Wurst's memorable victory in 2014. Johannes Pietsch, better known as JJ, won the ESC 2025 in Basel for Austria with his song "Wasted Love" and thus solved the ticket for the event next year. My district reports that the preparations are in full swing.
However, some hurdles have to be overcome for the event. The Ernst Happel Stadium has no mobile roof, which means that a possible weather could affect the events. The city of Vienna is therefore planning an investment of around 100 million euros, of which about half should flow into a mobile roof. However, the project on the roof construction is currently running at the constitutional court and there are delays because an architectural group opposes the project. Unfortunately, the roof will probably not be realized by ESC 2026. Despite these circumstances, the city remains optimistic that the stadium can be a suitable location for the competition even without complete roofing.dates and event details
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place in May, whereby the exact data still has to be determined. The shows between May 12 and 14 or May 19 and 21, 2026 are expected to take place. A total of three shows are planned: the first semi-final, the second semi-final and the grand finale. These popular music events not only offer a festive ambience, but also a wonderful opportunity for cultural exchange. The event usually attracts many international visitors. Eurovision World has already published some details on the possible dates.
The Ernst Happel Stadium has more than twice as many places as the St. Jakob Park in Basel, where the ESC 2025 took place. The capacity of the Vienna Stadium could therefore ensure a grand event. Each participant will appear in a semi -finals to qualify for the final, while the host country is automatically represented in the final. There is an elaborate draw that decides in which semi -finals the countries compete in. This exciting system enlivens the competition and causes a lot of excitement among fans.
The host cities and the application process
interesting cities like Ebreichsdorf, Graz and Innsbruck have also expressed their interest in the organization of the ESC. The application process for the host cities is currently running until July 4, 2025. The criteria are high: All applicants must have a fully equipped event site with sufficient capacity and infrastructure and also ensure that there are enough accommodation for international guests. wikipedia summarizes the requirements for the cities.
The anticipation for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is already noticeable. Fans from all over Europe will adapt to the festivities that, in addition to the musical performances, also include a “Eurovision Village”, with live performances, DJs and public viewing. The EuroClub will not be missing either, where official after parties and special appearances of the participants take place.
We are excited to see how the situation around the roof of the Ernst Happel Stadium will develop and hope that Vienna can give the Eurovision a brilliant home even without completely roofing.
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| Ort | Leopoldstadt, Österreich |
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