Full ESC Power: Alice Tumler and Cesár Sampson host "Vienna Calling – Who will sing for Austria?"
More than 500 entries from across Austria – from Schlager to pop, rock, and country, in various languages, from solo artists to bands – as diverse and colorful as the Eurovision Song Contest itself: “Who will sing for Austria?” and represent the country at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest, taking place on Saturday, 16 May 2026, at Vienna’s Stadthalle?
For around two and a half months, artists, singers, and bands had the opportunity to apply. More than 500 have already taken the first step towards the Wiener Stadthalle by sending in their songs. Now it’s about selecting the finalists for the ORF show “Vienna Calling.”
One thing is already certain: two stars who can rightly be called “Eurovision Song Contest” professionals will be there: Alice Tumler, who was part of the hosting quartet of ESC 2015 in Vienna, and Cesár Sampson, who represented Austria at the Song Contest 2018 in Lisbon, achieving third place, and who, together with Eberhard Forcher and Peter Schreiber, is acting as a scout in the current selection process.
As a hosting duo, the two will present "Vienna Calling – Who will sing for Austria?" on Friday, 20 February 2026, at 8:15 p.m., live on ORF 1 and ORF ON.
ORF Program Director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz: „Two ESC full professionals“
„The next big step towards ESC 2026 has been taken. I am very pleased about the many and very diverse song submissions. Now it's all about finding the perfect selection for 'Vienna Calling'. The first big ESC moment awaits many of the participants there. With Alice Tumler and Cesár Sampson, we have two ESC professionals on hand to support the local acts and the audience in this great emotional challenge.“
Alice Tumler: „The most exciting event of my life“
"Hosting ‚Vienna Calling’ means a lot to me. I am delighted to be part of the team again eleven years after the most exciting event of my life, the ESC 2015. I'm looking forward to Vienna, the ESC hype, the audience - and of course I'm very excited to see who will represent Austria at the home game in 2026."
Cesár Sampson: “Let’s catch the Eurovision fever!”
“As a scout, I’ve already had the chance to listen to all the acts. And as the host of 'Vienna Calling – Who Will Sing for Austria?', I’m really looking forward to sharing all of this with the audience, so everyone can get a clear picture of the artists we have at the starting line. 'Vienna Callingʻ, the decision show where we determine Austria’s Eurovision entry, is simply unmissable – let’s dive into the ESC fever!”
The Road to „Vienna Calling“
In the coming weeks, the ORF editorial team will face many “Listening Sessions” – all submitted songs will be listened to and evaluated. Together with the scouts (Cesár Sampson, Peter Schreiber, and Eberhard Forcher), a shortlist of the 30 best songs will be created. Once the list is finalized, these songs will receive the eagerly awaited news – the invitation to the internal live castings at the end of November at ORF.
There, the first trial awaits, as the musicians must perform live. The goal is to find twelve acts who can impress both the jury and the audience with outstanding stage presence and remarkable voices. For the first time since 2016, there will once again be a national pre-selection, in which viewers can help decide who will represent Austria in the competition.
(October 28, 2025)