The small Burgenland town of Oberwart will not pursue its bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, citing limitations in venue capacity and time constraints.
Although Oberwart was officially invited by Austrian broadcaster ORF to submit a detailed concept, local officials confirmed this week that the town has decided to withdraw. Interested cities have until July 4 to submit their proposals, but Oberwart will not be among them.
“We did not submit anything,” municipal spokesperson Kerstin Zsifkovits-Taferner told DER STANDARD.
“It wouldn’t have made sense to invest more time.”
The idea to bring Europe’s biggest music show to Oberwart emerged spontaneously when Mayor Georg Rosner (ÖVP) floated the town’s name shortly after JJ’s victory in Basel. The bold announcement drew widespread media attention — and some amused reactions.
“Many people laughed at us and played into the cliché of a sleepy town in southern Burgenland,” said Zsifkovits-Taferner. “But we also got a lot of support and took the idea seriously.”
After expressing interest, Oberwart received an official invitation from ORF to submit a declaration of interest and a detailed plan. However, the requirements quickly revealed a major obstacle: a venue for at least 10,000 spectators. Oberwart’s exhibition hall seats only about 4,000 — most recently tested when comedian Thomas Stipsits performed there.
While transport and accommodation logistics could have been handled — the town previously hosted the Judo World Cup with international participants — the lack of a large venue and tight timelines made a serious bid unfeasible.
“We would have needed partners like the state of Burgenland, Burgenland Tourism, or regional support from Eastern Styria. And we lack the expertise for an event of this scale,” said Zsifkovits-Taferner.
Meanwhile, Vienna, Innsbruck, Graz, and Wels in cooperation with Linz are still in the running to become Austria’s candidate cities for Eurovision 2026.
Source: derstandard.at