One day left until the big decision at „Vienna Calling - Who sings for Austria?“
„Who sings for Austria?“ The countdown is on, excitement is building, and preparations are in full swing. Planning, rehearsing, and perfecting are underway – and while some are suffering from stage fright before their performance at the national preliminary round, others are filled with anticipation. Because on Friday, February 20, 2026, the big day arrives when at 8:15 PM on ORF 1 and ORF ON, twelve top acts will compete, and the audience along with a 44-member expert jury will decide who will represent Austria at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. "Vienna Calling – Who sings for Austria?" will be hosted by Alice Tumler and Cesár Sampson. In the studio, the commentator panel with Caroline Athanasiadis, Elton, and Luca Hänni will provide expert and entertaining insights into the performances. They assist in the difficult decision without awarding points themselves.
The Top 12
Anna-Sophie, 25 years old, Styria - „Superhuman“ (Pop, English)
„Music is the reason why I get up in the morning, my way of coping with my life. And now I'm most excited about getting to party on stage.“
Bamlak Werner, 24 years old, Carinthia - „We are not just one thing“ (Ethno-Pop, English/German)
„I'm looking forward to bringing and showing all the months of work on stage.“
COSMÓ, 19 years old, Burgenland - „TANZSCHEIN“ (Pop, German)
„You can definitely expect a lot of dancing at our performance. I am inspired by Billie Eilish and ABBA, and I'm a big fan of the size of the ESC and this big stage.“
David Kurt, 26 years old, Vienna - „pockets full of snow“ (Ballad, English)
„I'm most excited about singing the song and feeling a lot on stage. This complete immersion in the stories and the music.“
Frevd (five people), Vienna - „Riddle“ (Rock, English)
„We are most looking forward to finally being able to stand on stage together. Music is an important instrument for coping with life and processing things.“
Julia Steen, 23 years old, Carinthia - „Julia“ (German Pop)
„I'm most looking forward to the stage and enjoying these three minutes. For me, there's no area of life anymore that isn't connected to music.“
Kayla Krystin, 31 years old, Tyrol - „I brenn“ (Austro-Pop)
„Music has always been everything to me, and with my own songs, it becomes even more special. Now I can finally stand on stage, sing my song, and show people who I am.“
Lena Schaur, 22 years old, Tyrol - „Painted Reality“ (Pop, English)
"Music means everything to me – it's just my whole life. And I'm already looking forward to the stage performance."
Nikotin, Vienna - „Unsterblich“ (Pop, German)
"We're looking forward to an awesome show, we're going to rock this thing – and show what Austria has to offer and how cool Rock ‚n’ Roll is."
Philip Piller, 30 years old, Salzburg - „Das Leben ist Kunst“ (Pop, German)
"Until everything is in place, it's still like piecing together a Tetris thing in my head. And when the puzzle is finished, my nerves are calm, and I can enjoy it – that's what I'm looking forward to."
Reverend Stomp (four people), Vienna - „Mescalero Ranger“ (Pop, English)
"We're looking forward to the show, the big stage, and the audience's reactions. It was so much fun during rehearsals. Music is part of everyday life – without music, life isn't even half as fun."
Sidrit Vokshi, 35 years old, Vienna - „Wenn ich rauche“ (Pop ballad, German)
„I'm looking forward to calling my family after the show. Music is the only constant, the only thing I want to do.“
All twelve songs competing in „Vienna Calling - Who sings for Austria?“ have been available since February 16th on songcontest.ORF.at and www.mein.orf.at/vienna-calling.
The Voting Process
The voting process for „Vienna Calling“ is modeled after the Eurovision Song Contest: The judges from the nationally and internationally composed expert jury give their ratings based on the dress rehearsal performances of the twelve „Vienna Calling“ acts. After the presentation of all participants' songs in „Vienna Calling – Who sings for Austria? The Show“ at 8:15 PM, the audience has the opportunity to vote for their favorite via telephone voting in „The Voting“ at 10:55 PM. Jury and audience voting each make up 50 percent of the final decision on who will represent Austria on stage at the „Eurovision Song Contest.“
„Vienna Calling - Who sings for Austria?“ on YouTube and ORF ON
For the international audience, a live stream of the show "Vienna Calling – Who sings for Austria?" will be available on the official Eurovision YouTube channel (@EurovisionSongContest) and will be commented in English. This version is available to the Austrian audience on ORF ON.
(February 19, 2026)