Swiss candidate Veronica Fusaro.Keystone
As the competition kicks off next Sunday, the city of Vienna has gone all out to welcome fans from around the world.
10.05.2026, 10:2010.05.2026, 10:20
The festivities surrounding the Eurovision Song Contest until the final on May 16 start on Sunday in Vienna with thousands of fans from around the world, despite a call for boycott due to Israel’s presence.
The Austrian capital is pulling out all the stops to host the 70th edition of the most-watched talent show on the planet: it has planned numerous off-site events for tourists and residents.
In the afternoon, it rolls out the turquoise – not red as Eurovision – carpet to welcome a parade of the 35 participating countries’ delegations, as part of a colorful opening ceremony scheduled to start at 2:00 p.m.
On the agenda: the best (and worst) of the past seven decades on a giant screen facing the neo-Gothic city hall, on a square transformed into a secure fan zone.
Today, the contest reaches over 170 million viewers on TV and online worldwide, generating billions of views on digital platforms.
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