Eurovision Song Contest 2026: Start of ESC Week on May 10 with the „Opening Ceremony“ at Vienna's Rathausplatz, live on ORF 1
The grand „Opening Ceremony“ is the spectacular start of the Eurovision Song Contest. It will take place on Sunday, May 10, 2026, at Vienna's Rathausplatz – and live from 4:55 pm in "Welcome to Vienna – ESC Opening„ on ORF 1 and ORF ON. At the “Turquoise Carpet," all 35 delegations will move from the Burgtheater towards the Rathaus – welcomed by up to 10,000 fans and numerous media representatives from all over the world. The „Opening Ceremony“ not only marks the start of ESC Week for this year's participants but is also the opening of the Eurovision Village for fans at Vienna's Rathausplatz. For the ORF audience, the broadcast "Welcome to Vienna – ESC Opening" ushers in over 100 hours of live programming from the ORF glass studio at Vienna's Rathausplatz, bringing coverage from ORF 1, ORF 2, ORF III, Ö1, Ö3, FM4, ORF Vienna, and ORF Lower Austria.
Other ORF TV highlights on Sunday, May 10, include Andi Knoll's "Mr. Song Contest proudly presents – We Are Song Contest„ (7:00 pm, ORF 1) and “70 Years ESC – The Concert. Reloaded by RSO„ (9:50 pm, ORF 1). On ORF radio, catch “From the Archive: Eurovision Song Contest„ (6:15 pm, Ö1), “FM4 Favorite Songs„ with ESC host Michael Ostrowski (4:00 pm, FM4), and a new episode of “Bussi Bla Bla – The Podcast with Tom Neuwirth (Conchita Wurst) and JJ" (8:00 pm, FM4). Also, ORF ON, ORF KiDS, songcontest.ORF.at, and ORF social media channels are ready to embrace the ESC fever starting May 10.
„Opening Ceremony“ in the Eurovision Village on May 10 as the official start of ESC Week
On Sunday, May 10, the ESC show week 2026 officially opens with the „Opening Ceremony“ (entry at 2:00 pm, live from 4:55 pm on ORF 1) in the Eurovision Village at Vienna's Rathausplatz. The Eurovision Village sets the mood right from 2:00 pm with „The Great ESC Singalong“ with Monika Ballwein & The Voices of Volunteers. Around 4:00 pm, Austria's ESC star COSMÓ will host a Dance Lesson to create the „TANZSCHEIN“ together. Following the opening ceremony, starting at around 7:00 pm, Austria's former ESC participant Eric Papilaya & The Good Vibe Tribe along with Eurodance legend Haddaway will bring great vibes. This will be followed by a public viewing of "Udo Jürgens: The Last Concert – Zurich 2014" (around 9:30 pm). A strict No-Bag-Policy will apply in the Eurovision Village on May 10 and also on the final day, May 16. Bags, backpacks, fanny packs, and handbags are strictly prohibited. Only small personal items such as wallets, phones, and keys as well as clear containers in a maximum A6 format are allowed.
ESC highlights on ORF television on May 10
The start of ESC Week with over 100 hours of live programming from the ORF glass studio at Vienna's Rathausplatz begins with "Welcome to Vienna – ESC Opening„ (live from 4:55 pm, ORF 1). During the “Opening Ceremony,„ all ESC participants will walk over the “Turquoise Carpet," which leads from the Burgtheater across the Ring into the Eurovision Village to the main stage in front of the Rathaus, and will be celebrated by thousands of fans. Fanny Stapf and Max Bauer will host the show, while Philipp Maschl and Tina Ritschl capture voices and impressions from acts and the audience. The musical opening is provided by the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna under the direction of Christian Kolonovits with arrangements of Austrian ESC winning songs. The Woodstock Allstar Band welcomes each delegation with a musical quote from their country before delegations are officially greeted at Vienna's Rathaus.
„Mr. Song Contest“ Andi Knoll gives exciting insights behind the scenes in "Mr. Song Contest proudly presents – We Are Song Contest" (7:00 pm, ORF 1) and tells the story from JJ's celebrated victory in Basel, through the decision for the host city, to the preparations and setup in Vienna's Stadthalle.
In ORF III, the program „A Song Goes Around the World“ (8:10 pm) will be aired, which opens the „Erlebnis Bühne“ main evening. The broadcast looks back at the iconic title „Merci, Chérie“ by Udo Jürgens, celebrating the 60th anniversary of Austria's first ESC victory in 1966, which continues to captivate millions and helped the Austrian composer and singer achieve international breakthrough.
"70 Years ESC – The Concert. Reloaded by RSO" (9:50 pm, ORF 1) presents a dazzling journey through the moving history of the Eurovision Song Contest. In the Grand Hall of the ORF RadioKulturhaus, Christian Kolonovits conducts the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna. The glamorous concert evening featuring ESC and music stars Johnny Logan, Nicole, Nino de Angelo, Juliette Khalil, and Drew Sarich is hosted by ORF presenter Teresa Vogl and actress Lilian Klebow, who will also showcase their musical sides.
ESC programming on ORF radio on May 10
On Ö1, a recording from the ORF RadioKulturhaus will be heard: „From the Archive: Eurovision Song Contest“ (6:15 pm) explores Austria's ESC entries from past decades with Christian Reichhold, Regina Nassiri, Marianne Mendt, Gary Lux, Timna Brauer, and Cesár Sampson.
In „FM4 Favorite Songs“ (4:00 pm), ESC host Michael Ostrowski talks about the nervousness of hosting the world's largest music show, how the Protest Song Contest prepared him for ESC 2026, and about the songs that have shaped and surprised him. Among pop, indie, and unexpected curiosities, a very personal mixtape of the ESC host is created. Additionally, there is a new episode of "Bussi Bla Bla – The Podcast with Tom Neuwirth (Conchita Wurst) and JJ" (8:00 pm, FM4). In a total of 20 episodes, the two discuss pop culture, queerness, fame, fashion, and personal chaos – unfiltered, fun, and surprisingly honest. Every Sunday on the radio from 8:00 pm and as a video podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and ORF Sound.
ORF KiDS in ESC fever starting May 10
ORF KiDS is also all about the Song Contest: In the first episode of the format „Our Music Diary“ (from 8:40 am, ORF 1 and ORF KiDS), ESC winner JJ talks about his journey into music, the creation of his winning song „Wasted Love,“ and his Song Contest experiences. Austria's ESC representative this year, COSMÓ, shares in „Hello, what are you doing?“ (8:55 am, ORF 1 and ORF KiDS) how and where his song „TANZSCHEIN“ came into being, and in „Mini Special“ (9:15 am, ORF 1 and ORF KiDS) he reveals what lies behind the blue star and the call for a dance permit. Additionally, the first two episodes of „Mini Special AURI“ with Esther Csapo and the ESC mascot Auri are available on ORF KiDS, covering the topics „Who are you?“ (from May 1) and „How do you speak?“ (from May 9). The third episode „Show me your world“ follows on May 14.
The Eurovision Song Contest on ORF ON and online
ORF ON brings the Eurovision Song Contest where the fans are: live, up close, and always on-demand. All performances are available via live stream and catch-up in real-time, along with exclusive videos in a dedicated ON collection.
With exciting stories about the world's largest TV entertainment event, exclusive interviews, pictures, and videos, live tickers during the shows, and a social wall with posts from the entire ESC universe, the ORF website songcontest.ORF.at offers a comprehensive view of the events. The newly launched ORF website for ESC is the main source of information for the Eurovision Song Contest.
Social media users are also provided with diverse content related to acts, shows, and events. Hosts Felicia Lu Kürbiß, Josefine Palla, and Paul Pongratz have been taking fans from around the world into the colorful ESC universe for months and will also be present during the show week with creative content on the social media platforms Instagram and TikTok.
The Eurovision Song Contest in ORF TELETEXT – join in and discuss
Fans can follow their comments at the TV screen during the live shows on ORF TELETEXT this year as well. The special „TXT meets ESC“ service for the Eurovision Song Contest makes it possible. How does it work? Simply post on debatte.ORF.at and join the discussion. The most original contributions will be featured on air. Additionally, ORF TELETEXT provides ongoing news about artists and shows – available on „ESC 2026“ (page 450) and „Culture and Show“ (pages 107, 110 or from page 190).
The Eurovision Song Contest barrier-free
This year, ORF offers a comprehensive barrier-free service around the Eurovision Song Contest – on TV as well as online. All three live shows feature subtitling, audio description, ÖGS interpretation, and specially produced sign performances. Additionally, all broadcasts on ORF ON with all barrier-free services are available live and on-demand.
The show "Welcome to Vienna – ESC Opening" will be broadcast comprehensively barrier-free. For deaf and hearing-impaired viewers, live subtitles are available in ORF TELETEXT on page 777 and on ORF ON. For blind and visually impaired audiences, the show will be made experienceable with a live spoken audio commentary. The audio version can be heard by switching to the second audio channel (TV device) or on ORF ON (stream). The barrier-free broadcasts are available on on.ORF.at as video-on-demand.
(May 05, 2026)