Eurovision 2026 to take place in Vienna, despite ongoing disputes concerning Israel's participation
The Eurovision Song Contest is making a grand return to Vienna, Austria in 2026, marking the city's second time hosting the world's biggest annual live televised music event. Under the slogan "Europe, shall we dance?", the 70th edition of the contest will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle, a venue that opened its doors back in 1958 and can seat 16,000 people.
Vienna's bid to host the event was successful, thanks to the city's "enormous" accommodation capacities, "excellent" transport links, and "cosmopolitanism". However, the decision has not been without controversy. The far-right Freedom Party in Austria described the Eurovision as a "queer, left-wing, woke spectacle".
In a surprising turn of events, the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Johannes Pietsch, also known as JJ, has called for Israel's exclusion from next year's competition. This stance contrasts with Austria's public broadcaster ORF, which distanced itself from JJ's remarks, stating they were a personal opinion.
Israel has confirmed its intention to participate in next year's contest, despite the controversy. It is worth noting that Israel's entry in 2025, Yuval Raphael, survived an attack on Israel that sparked the Gaza war in 2023.
The Eurovision Song Contest has a history of drawing controversy, with countries protesting against political issues. For instance, Spain's public broadcaster asked the European Broadcasting Union to open a debate on whether Israel should be allowed to participate in the contest. In the past, countries have protested against issues such as Spain's General Franco's dictatorship in 1969 and Greece's submission slamming Turkey over its invasion of Cyprus in 1976.
Russia was barred from participating in the Eurovision Song Contest in 2022 due to its invasion of Ukraine, a decision that followed Ukraine's victory in the contest the previous year. Austria's last victory in the Eurovision Song Contest was in 2014.
The final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will be held on May 16, 2026, with semi-finals on May 12 and 14. The contest, created to foster European unity in the wake of the Second World War, is expected to attract over 166 million viewers in 37 countries.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2015 was also held in Vienna, Austria at the Wiener Stadthalle. As the city gears up for the 2026 event, it remains to be seen how the controversy surrounding the contest will unfold. One thing is certain, though - the Eurovision Song Contest is set to bring excitement, music, and a touch of controversy to Vienna once again.
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