Austrian national broadcaster ORF is reportedly dropping its national final and returning to an internal selection for Eurovision 2027 in Bulgaria.

According to a report in the Austrian newspaper “Kronen Zeitung”, Austria has confirmed its participation in Eurovision 2027, which will be held in Bulgaria. Austria is the 17th country to confirm its participation in Eurovision 2027, following Bulgaria (the host country), Canada (which will participate for the first time in the competition), Cyprus, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Luxembourg, North Macedonia, Norway, San Marino, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

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A Shift in Strategy Following Austria’s Failure

According to reports in the Austrian media, led by the prominent newspaper Kronen Zeitung, the Austrian national broadcaster ORF decided to abandon the national selection method and return to an internal selection format for Eurovision 2027.

Just last year, ORF launched the national selection “Vienna Calling – Wer singt für Österreich?”, which was the first local national selection held in the country since 2016, when the singer Zoë won with her song “Loin d’ici“. However, it seems that the disappointing results in the competition at home led to a recalculation of their route.

The Return of Cesár Sampson

According to the reports, the ones leading the process of finding the next Austrian representative are Cesár Sampson, who brought Austria an impressive third place at Eurovision 2018 with the song “Nobody But You“, alongside media personality Peter Schreiber.

The two will head the judging panel that will review the songs and artists submitting their candidacy during the upcoming autumn. According to the expected schedule, the identity of the Austrian entry is expected to be revealed in late 2026 or early 2027, while the selected song will be revealed at a later, yet unknown date.

Relying on Past Successes

The decision to return to the internal committee model follows Austria’s disappointing result at Eurovision 2026. As a reminder, the singer Cosmó, who won the televised selection and represented the host country with the club anthem “Tanzschein“, failed to replicate the success and only reached 24th place in the Grand Final with a mere 6 points – only one point from the Luxembourg jury and 5 points from the German televote.

In addition, Austria’s recent successes in the competition occurred through internal selections. This is emphasized by their last two victories: at Eurovision 2014 with Conchita Wurst and her song “Rise Like A Phoenix“, and their fresh victory at Eurovision 2025 with JJ and his song “Wasted Love“.

Despite the extensive reports in the local media, it is important to emphasize that the Austrian national broadcaster ORF has not yet issued an official statement confirming Austria’s participation in Eurovision 2027, nor has it publicly commented on the reports regarding the planned selection method.