Ahead of Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, the Austrian national broadcaster ORF has launched the open song submission window for the national selection. The winner will represent Austria on home soil.
Austria is energetically preparing for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest 2026 on its territory—not only in terms of hosting, but also regarding the next song that will represent it in Vienna. For the first time in a decade, Austria’s representative and entry will be chosen via an open national selection, set for late February 2026 and featuring both jury and public voting.
Austria’s National Selection Returns in 2026
In an Instagram post, Hitradio Ö3 of the Austrian national broadcaster ORF confirmed that the song submission window for Eurovision 2026 is now officially open. Austria will use this open selection format for the first time since 2016. A total of ten contestants will be selected to perform on stage, with the winner granted the honor to represent Austria at Eurovision in Wiener Stadthalle arena on 12, 14, and 16 May 2026. Artists wishing to participate are invited to send their songs to [email protected]. At present, no final submission deadline has been announced. The live selection will take place in February, with the winner decided through a combination of public and jury votes.
Potential Eurovision entries have been crafted since mid-June 2025 during songwriting camps held in partnership with ORF. Austria’s decision to once again use the national final format prompts questions, especially since Austria’s last two Eurovision victories saw its representatives chosen through an internal process by ORF’s appointed committee.
Austria’s Eurovision Journey So Far
Austria made its debut at Eurovision in 1957, represented by Bob Martin with the song “Wohin, kleines Pony?” (“Where To, Little Pony?”), which finished tenth in the voting. Since then, Austria has participated 56 times, reaching the final 49 times. By 2025, Austria had won Eurovision twice: first in 1966, and then in an unforgettable triumph in 2014 with Conchita Wurst.
In 2025, ORF selected its artist internally for the first time in many years—JJ with “Wasted Love” (“Wasted Love”). Not only did Austria reach the grand final in Basel, but it also made history: 436 points earned the country its third-ever win, coming eleven years after the previous victory.
Now, with Eurovision 2026 set to take place on Austrian soil for the third time, Austria enters the contest with momentum and heightened fan anticipation—with many wondering if the nation will retain its crown and achieve a rare back-to-back victory.
Eurovision 2025: This was Austria’s 57th participation in Eurovision. Austria joined the competition in 1957 and has won three times over the years. Austria’s previous victory was in Eurovision 2014 with the song “Rise Like a Pheonix” performed by singer Conchita Wurst.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +972-50-9441919
Tal Dahan – Journalist, radio broadcaster, and Eurovision content creator.
Tal Dahan is an Israeli journalist and editor specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest, working with the EuroMix editorial team for four years. Since 2022, she has provided regular on-site coverage of Eurovision from the host city, and from 2023 has also reported directly from the press room—offering the Israeli audience live updates, exclusive interviews, and in-depth commentary.
Tal is a member of the Eurovision tribute and parody band “EuroFalsh,” a radio broadcaster, and a student of political science and communications.
She is considered one of Israel’s leading young Eurovision experts. In addition to covering the main contest, Tal has reported from Eurovision pre-parties and national selection events across Europe (in Thessaloniki, Stockholm, Madrid, and more), been interviewed by major media outlets in Israel and internationally, and presented Eurovision-themed podcasts and radio shows.
