2 bands, 10 soloists
These artists want to represent us at the ESC this year
The dozen are together: Since Monday, it has been official which acts will enter the ring at the ORF casting show "Vienna Calling" on ORF 1 on February 20 to get the ticket for the red-white-red entry at the home ESC in May 2026. Two bands and ten soloists were selected from the more than 500 applications received - here is a brief portrait of them.
From Vienna to Carinthia and Styria to Tyrol, from pop and rock to ballads: from more than 500 applications from all federal states, in different languages and across all genres, two bands and ten individual artists are now one step closer to their big dream of representing Austria at the 70th Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna on Saturday, May 16, 2026. These twelve acts impressed the ORF editorial team and the scouts with their outstanding stage presence and impressive voices at the live castings at the end of November and will face the jury and audience on February 20 at 8.15 pm on ORF 1.
For the first time since 2016, "Vienna Calling - Wer singt für Österreich?" will once again be a national preliminary decision in which viewers can help decide who will compete for Austria. The live show will be hosted by Alice Tumler, who was part of the moderation quartet at the 2015 ESC in Vienna, and Cesár Sampson, who came third for Austria at the 2018 Song Contest in Lisbon and acted as a scout for the current selection process together with Eberhard Forcher and Peter Schreiber.
Anna-Sophie, 25 years old, Styria / "Superhuman" (Pop, English)
"I wrote this song because I often feel very insecure. I like to listen to songs that motivate me and give me strength again. And that's exactly what the song is supposed to do and show that there's a Superhuman in everyone. The ESC is actually a huge party where there is no right or wrong. No matter how you express yourself musically or creatively - it's a celebration. And that's why I think it's so cool."
Bamlak Werner, 24 years old, Carinthia / "We Are Not Just One Thing" (Pop, English)
"My song is about being more than just one thing. It should give people the feeling that you can really be whatever you want. That's really important in this day and age. There is a lot of love and honest work in the song, I want to show that on a huge stage - and the ESC is such an incredible opportunity for that."
Cosmó, 19 years old, Vienna / "Tanzschein" (Pop, German)
"I had an experience in a club where I was so excited to finally go - and suddenly no one was dancing. And the song is about how clubs should be about dancing again and you can only get in with a 'dance license'. The ESC is a big dream for me. I watched Conchita Wurst win on TV as a child - and then last year when JJ won. Those were moments full of adrenaline and happiness for me."
David Kurt, 26 years old, Vienna / "Pockets Full Of Snow" (ballad, English)
"My song is about love and the feeling you get when you think about important moments in your life and realize that you can't go back to the past. The ESC is such a huge show, yet some always manage to create real emotion. I'm not a big showman, but that the audience feels something and that there is real honesty in the room - that's what I want to achieve with my song.
Frevd (five people), Vienna / "Riddle" (rock, English)
"We deal artistically with the world of Sigmund Freud's thoughts. Our music lies between reality and dream and is intended to encourage people to reflect on themselves. The song is about a person who is confronted with difficult decisions and disorientation and is looking for help to find their way out of this labyrinth. For us, the ESC is the biggest stage in the world, where different cultures and people come together and enjoy the depths and shallows of life together."
Julia Steen, 23 years old, Carinthia / "Julia" (German pop)
"My song is a tribute to showing empowerment and strength in life. I want to encourage people that the path they take is the right one and give them the strength to achieve anything if they really want to. I want to go to the ESC because I believe that music and this feeling connect people across language barriers and national borders. That is the top priority at the ESC."
Kayla Krystin, 31 years old, Tyrolean / "I brenn" (Austro-Pop)
"The song is about my journey from the shadows and self-doubt to getting back up and finding inner strength. I sing in dialect because I want to touch and reach people. It has always been a dream for me to be part of the ESC. You have the opportunity to reach and touch so many people - that's extremely important to me."
Lena Schaur, 22 years old, Tyrol / "Painted Reality" (Pop, English)
"My song is about striving for perfectionism and wanting or having to pretend for others. It's a topic that has been on my mind for a long time and is so present nowadays with social media. I would like to go to the ESC because I am very fascinated by it. I don't see it as a competition either, I want to be on this stage and celebrate cohesion and diversity."
Nikotin, Austria / "Immortal" (Pop, German)
"My song is about the duality of heaven and hell and never wanting to die. You could say it's a modern Frankenstein story or the search for the eternal. The ESC is the biggest music event in the whole world, where countries come together to spend time in peace and harmony and exchange art."
Philip Piller, 30 years old, Vienna / "Life is art" (Pop, German)
"My musical career is connected to the discrepancy that often arises in one's own reflection. It's about carrying both within you - the suffering and the beauty. And how important that is in order to grow from it. 'Life is art' sounds so universally true and is a good motto for me. I think the ESC is so nice because you have a certain amount of fool's freedom and courage often pays off. And it's also one of the biggest stages in the world."
Reverend Stomp (four people), Vienna / "Mescalero Ranger" (pop, English)
"The song is about a new world and saying goodbye. It's about coming to terms with things that I have in me from the past when I change my personality and being ready to take a new path. The big ESC stage would be a real challenge for us that we would love to take on. It would be something completely new for us."
Tamara Flores, 28 years old, Vienna / "Chingona" (Latin Pop, Spanish/German)
"The song has the message that you are good the way you are - as long as you are honest with yourself and go your own way, no matter what opinions may come from outside. I sing in Spanish and German because I grew up with both languages and I like to combine them because they are so incredibly different. For me, the ESC is a gathering of many different people celebrating music together."
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