Austria reveals Alice Tumler and Cesár Sampson as “Vienna Calling” hosts. Over 500 songs submitted for the preselection ahead of Eurovision 2026 in Vienna.
Preparations for hosting Eurovision 2026 in Vienna are reaching their peak. For the first time in nearly a decade, the national broadcaster (ORF) will hold an open national selection to choose who will represent Austria on home soil. Public interest in the event, “Vienna Calling – Wer singt für Österreich?” (“Vienna Calling – Who Will Sing for Austria?”), is skyrocketing. After an earlier report of around 460 submitted songs, ORF announced that the total has surpassed 500 entries—a striking variety of styles, languages, and artists. As the submission window officially closes and the rigorous selection begins, one exciting detail has been revealed: the duo who will host the grand final. Get ready for two faces Eurovision fans already know well.
Two Eurovision Veterans on One Stage
ORF confirmed today that the grand show on February 20, 2026, will be hosted by Alice Tumler and Cesár Sampson, two of Austria’s most recognizable Eurovision personalities.
Tumler, of course, is fondly remembered as part of the hosting quartet of Eurovision 2015—also held in Vienna—and continues to receive praise today. Sampson represented Austria at Eurovision 2018 in Lisbon with the song “Nobody But You,” winning the jury vote and finishing a respectable third in the grand final.
As previously reported, Sampson was already recruited as part of the talent scouting team alongside Eberhard Forcher and Peter Schreiber. Now, he will take on a dual role as both scout and host.
ORF program director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz said:
“Another major step toward Eurovision 2026 has been taken. I’m delighted with the impressive variety of submissions. Now, our task is to find the perfect match for ‘Vienna Calling.’ With Alice Tumler and Cesár Sampson, we have two Eurovision professionals who will support both the artists and the public through this emotional journey.”
ORF’s focus on producing a high-quality preselection coincides with its firm stance regarding the 2026 Eurovision itself, as reflected in its public support for Israel’s participation in the upcoming contest.
“Excited to Return to Eurovision Madness”
The announcement brought waves of excitement among the hosts themselves. Alice Tumler shared:
“Hosting ‘Vienna Calling’ means so much to me. Eleven years after the most thrilling event of my life—Eurovision 2015—I’m thrilled to return and be part of the team again. I’m looking forward to Vienna, the Eurovision madness, the viewers—and of course, I’m very curious to find out who will represent Austria on home ground in 2026.”
Cesár Sampson added from his unique perspective as a scout:
“As a scout, I’ve already had the opportunity to listen to all the artists. As host of ‘Vienna Calling,’ I can’t wait to share this journey with the audience and show what incredible talent we have at the starting line. ‘Vienna Calling,’ the show that will decide our next Eurovision representative—this is something no one should miss. Let’s go, Eurovision fever!”
“Vienna Calling”: The Audience Votes Again
So how will the next steps look in the coming months? With over 500 songs submitted, the broadcaster’s team will now hold intensive “listening sessions.” Together with the three scouts—Sampson, Forcher, and Schreiber—the team will compile a shortlist of the 30 best songs.
These 30 artists will be invited to closed live auditions at ORF’s facilities in late November. There, they must demonstrate both vocal and stage skills. From them, 12 finalists will be selected to compete in the grand final of “Vienna Calling.”
In a major change, for the first time since 2016, Austria will bring back public voting alongside a professional jury to determine the winner of its national selection.
The grand final of “Vienna Calling – Wer singt für Österreich?” will be broadcast live on ORF 1 on Friday, February 20, 2026, at 20:15 CET.
Austria at Eurovision 2025
JJ, a 23-year-old opera singer, represented Austria at Eurovision 2025 with the song “Wasted Love“, after being internally selected by the national broadcaster ORF. JJ won Eurovision, finishing in first place with 436 points: 258 from the juries, ranking first, and 178 from the public, ranking fourth. Among these were 8 points from the Israeli public and 6 points from the Israeli jury.
JJ’s victory marks Austria’s third win in Eurovision history, following Udo Jürgens in 1966 with “Merci, Cherie” and Conchita Wurst in 2014 with “Rise Like a Phoenix”.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Austria’s 58th participation in Eurovision. Austria joined the competition in 1957 and has won three times over the years. Austria’s last victory was in Eurovision 2025 with the song “Wasted Love” performed by singer JJ.
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Noy Yehoyada is an Israeli journalist and content creator at the EuroMix team since 2024, bringing a personal, feminine, and LGBTQ+ voice into the Eurovision sphere. A devoted Eurovision fan since the age of 16, she plays an active role in covering the contest—including on-site reporting at Eurovision 2025 in Basel and across European pre-party events. Alongside her writing and commentary, Noy plans the editorial schedule for the website, closely tracks national selections and song reveals, participates in live broadcasts, and creates digital content focusing on representation, musical diversity, and emotional connections.
Beyond her work at EuroMix, Noy has over six years of experience in the cosmetics and pharma industries, with a background in sales, personal consulting, and managing beauty departments. She enjoys pop, rap, contemporary art, and traveling in Europe—and especially loves songs that make her want to dance, as well as those that tell a story.
