Eurovision Song Contest Live Tour 2026 Postponed
The inaugural Eurovision Song Contest live tour has been postponed, European Broadcasting Union (EBU) officials have confirmed. The tour was announced last month and was scheduled to visit 10 countries across Europe this summer, beginning at London's O2 Arena on 15 June.
Martin Green, director of the Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in Vienna, Austria on Saturday 16 May 2026, issued a statement on Friday explaining the decision. He cited "unforeseen circumstances" that led to the difficult choice to shelve the additional new tour.
"We regret to announce that we've made the difficult decision to postpone the Eurovision Song Contest Live Tour 2026," he said.
"We have encountered unforeseen challenges that despite the best efforts of our team, the producers, and promoters we have been unable to resolve," he added.
Green also addressed the fans who had purchased tickets for the tour, assuring them that refunds would be processed promptly.
"To the thousands of fans who bought tickets, thank you, we will ensure you will be refunded in full as soon as possible."
He further stated that Eurovision intends to relaunch the live tour, initially planned as part of the contest's 70th birthday celebrations, once it can guarantee the "world-class experience that our fans expect."
"Our focus remains on delivering an incredible Eurovision Song Contest in May," Green noted.
The new show was designed to feature some of the most memorable performers from Eurovision's history, according to the EBU's announcement in January. Performers included Johnny Logan, Katrina, Lordi, and Verka Serduchka.
The EBU also confirmed that the tour would showcase performances from 10 of the entrants participating in the 2026 contest.
Last December, the Eurovision Song Contest faced disruption when Iceland joined Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands in announcing a boycott of the 2026 competition. This decision was linked to controversy surrounding Israel's participation amid the war in Gaza, as well as allegations of unfair voting practices.
In response, the EBU announced measures to tighten the competition's voting rules to reduce government influence on results. A majority of EBU members voted in favor of reforms that would also permit Israel to remain in the contest.
The BBC has not yet revealed the United Kingdom's entrant for this year's competition.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 is set to take place in Vienna, Austria, following Austria's JJ triumph in Basel, Switzerland at Eurovision 2025.
