"Vienna Calling – Who sings for Austria?": Caroline Athanasiadis, Elton, and Luca Hänni comment in the studio
The tension is rising – soon the big question "Vienna Calling – Who sings for Austria?" will be decided, when on Friday, February 20, 2026, live at 8:15 PM on ORF 1 and ORF ON, twelve acts will present their songs for the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. It will then be time to convince the international expert jury and the audience to secure the ticket for the world's largest music competition in the first national preliminary decision since 2016.
Help with this difficult decision comes from Caroline Athanasiadis, Elton, and Luca Hänni, who accompany the performances as a commentator panel in the studio. They do not award points, but they are absolutely knowledgeable about the Song Contest and provide entertaining context for the performances, expertise, fun facts, and much more.
Cabaret artist and „Smart10“ host Caroline Athanasiadis is considered one of the biggest Eurovision Song Contest fans. Moderator and show star Elton was not only directly involved as the German points announcer in 2023, but also participated in numerous preliminary rounds in Germany. Swiss singer and songwriter Luca Hänni represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Tel Aviv in 2019, achieving a sensational fourth place - concentrated ESC expertise gathers in the „Vienna Calling“ studio. The show is hosted by Alice Tumler and Cesár Sampson.
Caroline Athanasiadis: "I’m really looking forward to the national final. I’ve been a huge Eurovision fan for years and always watch the other countries’ entries beforehand. That's why I'm very curious about what we have to offer this year. Our music scene is extremely diverse and often underestimated. But I know we have great musicians and internationally successful bands that the general public often doesn't know about. I'm letting everything come to me spontaneously and hope that we can send an innovative entry into the competition."
Luca Hänni: “The Eurovision Song Contest holds a very special place for me – which makes me all the more delighted to be part of the commentary panel this year. I am looking forward to the acts and am excited to share my experiences."
Elton: „It is an incredible honor for me that the reigning European champion has engaged me and appointed me to their staff. For me, as probably the biggest living Austrian fan outside of Austria, a dream comes true. And I promise: I will bring all my passion, my entire know-how, and my complete expertise to ensure that you start the mission of title defense with the best possible squad. And then I'm sure that in the end, Austria will be celebrating! Over a really good second place behind Germany.“
(February 10, 2026)