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[title]The capital of classical music is dusting off its glitter ball, sewing on its sequins and warming up its vocal cords as Vienna hosts the 70th Eurovision Song Contest. The accolade comes a year after Austrian-Filipino opera singer J.J. (real name Johannes Pietsch), representing Vienna, won Eurovision 2025 with operatic pop ballad Wasted Love.
If you missed it, the song starts as an intimate love ballad in a black-and-white boat-themed set before breaking into a turbulent techno tune amid stormy seas. Wasted Love was the clear winner – and this will be the third time Vienna hosts the world’s largest singing competition, having held it in 1967 and 2015, the latter after drag queen Conchita Wurst won with Rise Like A Phoenix. And the city is fully embracing the opportunity to sparkle once again – here’s everything you need to know about Eurovision in Vienna this year.
➡️ READ MORE: The best things to do in Vienna, all year round
When will Eurovision be held in Vienna?
The Eurovision live shows, including two semis and the grand final will be held on May 12, 14 and 16.
Where will Eurovision be held in Vienna?
All shows will be at the Wiener Stadthalle, an arena in the 15th district (Rudolfsheim-Fünfhaus) with 16,000 capacity.
Are there still tickets?
Sadly for some, tickets sold out in record time on January 13. All nine shows (around 100,000 tickets in total) were gone in under an hour, to be exact. But fear not – there are still plenty of other ways to embrace Eurovision in our city, from watching parties to treasure hunts.
What is happening in Vienna for Eurovision?
In the lead-up to the first show, download Vienna’s official city guide app iVie for a free Eurovision-themed digital treasure hunt, complete with info on key locations and even a quiz. Plus head to the House of Austrian History to see Conchita Wurst’s golden gown or JJ’s dramatic set design.
On the way, see if you can spot some of Vienna’s ‘traffic light couples’ – literally the lights at pedestrian crossings, which instead of showing one man crossing, often show queer couples holding hands. These lights were introduced ahead of the 2015 final in Vienna, and have since become a symbol of diversity and tolerance in the city.
The city’s Wien Museum will turn into ‘Eurofan House’ from May 11, with Eurovision-themed museum tours, talks and more during the day.
Where can I watch Eurovision in Vienna?
The party really gets started during finals week. The free-to-enter Eurovision Village will be sited in front of Vienna’s city hall at the Rathausplatz from May 10 and will broadcast both semifinals and the final. The opening ceremony on May 10 will see JJ perform his 2025 winning song, while Eurodance legend Haddaway will perform at the post-show party.
Watch parties for all three finals will be held at inner-city beach Strandbar Hermann by the Danube canal. Alternatively, head to the Ottakringer Brewery for some of their specially-produced Eurovision beer for a Disco Night on May 15 or to enjoy the grand final.
Other public viewings will be held at a range of locations across the city throughout the week, including – but not limited to – the Dachboden bar of the 25Hours Hotel, the stunning main hall of Museum of Applied Arts, the MAK Museum and the Gleis/Garten food hall. Details of other venues can be found on the Vienna tourism website.
However, perhaps the most Viennese of Eurovision venues is none other than the Volksoper opera house, which will play host to a free public singalong of Song Contest hits on May 11, 13 and 15, and a screening of the grand final in its beautiful auditorium (free tickets obtainable from May 9). It’s what Mozart would have wanted.
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