A demonstration with around 3,000 expected participants from the pro-Palestinian environment has been announced for May 16th. Here is a demo in Berlin, May 2024. IMAGO / Rolf Zöllner
ESC
The police are expecting disruption and blockades, especially on the final day of the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) in Vienna.
May 5, 2026, 2:36 p.mMay 5, 2026, 2:36 p.m
A demonstration with around 3,000 expected participants from the pro-Palestinian environment has so far been registered for May 16th, said the head of operations at the Vienna State Police Directorate, Xenia Zauner. However, further actions can be expected. Demonstrators would also probably arrive from abroad.
The police have taken extensive precautions to ensure the safety of ESC visitors and ESC delegations, according to the authorities. Several hundred police officers in uniform and in plain clothes are on duty every day. The forces of the Cobra special unit should also provide protection.
The FBI is also helping
In the area of cybersecurity in particular, the Austrian authorities would work with the FBI, which has its own task force in New York for the ESC week, said the vice president of the state police directorate, Dieter Csefan.
The atmosphere around the song contest has been charged for months. In protest against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and its participation in the ESC, five countries are boycotting this year’s competition.
16,000 people checked
In order to minimize the risk of an attack or disruption, the police say they will have checked around 16,000 people who have some connection with the mega event by the start of the ESC. This applies especially to employees of private security services, said Csefan.
The town hall as the location of the shows has been a high-security zone comparable to an airport for some time. Explosive detection dogs were and are in use. The police are also paying attention to the garages in the vicinity of the event locations. Drivers who want to use these garages and parking garages must expect controls.
Up to 30,000 people are expected in the ESC Village on Rathausplatz on the days of the semi-finals and especially the ESC final. Here too, visitors are not allowed to bring bags with them on these days.
Austria has the second highest security level
Since the terrorist attack by the Islamist Hamas and other groups on Israeli citizens in October 2024, Austria has had the second highest level of security. But there is no concrete terrorist threat, it was said.
The 70th ESC practically begins with the delegations moving into the ESC Village on May 10th. The semi-finals will take place on May 12th and 14th. The finale is on May 16th, which experience has shown to be watched by around 170 million viewers on TV.
After countertenor JJ’s victory in Basel, Vienna is the venue for the music spectacle for the third time. This time Austria is sending the 19-year-old singer Cosmó into the race with the song “Tanzschein”. Germany is represented by the singer Sarah Engels and the song “Fire”. (sda/dpa)