Eurovision, the world's largest live music event, to take place in Vienna next year

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Eurovision, the world's largest live music event, to take place in Vienna next year

2025-08-20 17:03 Last Updated At：17:10

VIENNA (AP) — The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place in Vienna.

Austria's public broadcaster ORF, which will organize the world's largest live music event, announced the location Wednesday morning.

Following Austrian singer JJ’s victory with “Wasted Love” in Basel this spring, the music competition will be held in May 2026 at the Wiener Stadthalle.

“After thorough examination and based on a unanimous jury assessment, ORF has concluded that Vienna’s bid is the most attractive not only in terms of infrastructure and logistics, but also economically," ORF Director General Roland Weissmann said.

Innsbruck also applied to host the event. It will be Vienna's third time as host, following 1967 and 2015.

“As mayor of Vienna, I am naturally delighted that Vienna has prevailed and will once again represent Austria next year. I am convinced that we will have a wonderful May together,” Mayor Michael Ludwig wrote on X.

Eurovision's finale will take place May 16 after the semi-finals are held May 12 and 14, 2026.

JJ, whose winning song combined operatic, multi-octave vocals with a techno twist, and who also sings at the Vienna State Opera, won the contest in May.

JJ, whose full name is Johannes Pietsch, was Austria’s third Eurovision winner, after Conchita Wurst in 2014 and Udo Jürgens in 1966. The song contest is always held in the country whose singer won the competition the previous year.

The last Eurovision song contest, which has been uniting and dividing Europeans since 1956, was watched by 160 million viewers.

Wembanyama returns from injury scare to fuel Spurs past Bucks, 119-101

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Victor Wembanyama returned from a first-quarter injury scare to score 22 points and grab 10 rebounds and lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 119-101 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday night.

Stephon Castle added 19 points and 10 assists and Julian Champagnie had 13 points and 11 rebounds for San Antonio. The Spurs led by 39 points early in the fourth quarter.

Giannis Antetokounmpo had 21 points as Milwaukee suffered its third straight loss.

It was the Bucks' second straight lopsided loss after being booed at home during a 139-106 setback to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday.

Wembanyama startled the sellout crowd at the Frost Bank Center and it had nothing to do with his freshly shaved scalp.

He returned to the court after making knee-to-knee contact with Antetokounmpo's left leg under the Bucks basket with 9:18 remaining in the first quarter. Wembanyama dropped to the court in pain before rising and hobbling unassisted in a half sprint toward the locker room.

The 7-foot-4 center from France suffered a hyperextended knee on Dec. 31 in the fourth quarter against the New York Knicks in a similar play. He returned to watch from the bench on New Year's Eve but missed the next two games.

Wembanyama returned to the bench at the close of the first quarter Thursday, but this time he went back on the court to start the second quarter.

Wembanyama had 11 points, six rebounds and a blocked shot while playing 12 minutes, 27 seconds in the second quarter.

San Antonio outscored Milwaukee 35-26 during the second quarter in taking a 66-53 lead at the half. The lead expanded to 37 points in the third quarter as both teams sat their starters to open the fourth.

Kyle Kuzma had 18 points and Bobby Portis added 13 points for the Bucks.

Bucks: At Atlanta on Monday night.

Spurs: Host Minnesota on Saturday night.

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA