It’s time for another weekly Eurovision update. The host city race for Eurovision 2026 is heating up in Austria, Eurovision 2025 champion JJ receives a prestigious honor in Vienna, and Swedish Eurovision icon Björn Skifs announces his retirement after a storied career.
Host City Battle: Innsbruck Council Backs Eurovision Bid
📷 Simon Legner, Wikimedia Commons
Innsbruck’s municipal council has officially approved funding for a potential Eurovision Song Contest 2026 host city bid, moving the host city battle into its final stage. The council voted 22–18 in favor of allocating a budget framework of nearly €20 million for hosting the contest. One-third of it would be covered by the city and the rest by regional tourism and business partners. Mayor Johannes Anzengruber welcomed the decision. He explained that with private partners contributing a larger share than the city, the plan is “manageable and feasible”. Otherwise Innsbruck alone could not afford to host.
Not everyone was on board: opposition parties in the council voted against the Eurovision bid. Some call it a “financial disaster” and criticize a lack of a transparent financial plan. Despite this, Innsbruck is now fully in the running and hopes to become the first city outside Austria’s capital to ever host the contest. The Tyrolean city’s proposal centers on the Olympiahalle arena and the slogan “Together on Top”. Innsbruck’s main rival Vienna has also submitted a strong bid (with the Stadthalle as venue). Broadcaster ORF is expected to decide between Vienna and Innsbruck by early August. source: vol.at
Eurovision 2025 Winner JJ Receives Goldener Rathausmann
📷 EBU/Corinne Cumming
Vienna honored its latest Eurovision hero this week. Mayor Michael Ludwig presented JJ (Johannes Pietsch) with the Goldener Rathausmann – a prestigious golden statuette awarded by the city – in recognition of his Eurovision victory for Austria. JJ won the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the power ballad “Wasted Love”. Mayor Ludwig praised the 24-year-old singer as an “exceptional talent”. He noted that JJ is the first Austrian artist to achieve over one million streams in one week. The mayor also stated that JJ now joins past Austrian Eurovision champions (Udo Jürgens and Conchita Wurst) who have received the same honor. JJ expressed gratitude for the award. He called it a milestone he’ll never forget. And, as a proud Viennese, he added that he’d love to see the Song Contest return to Vienna in 2026. source: ots.at
Björn Skifs Ends Music Career
Retirement
Swedish singer Björn Skifs – who represented Sweden twice at Eurovision – announced that he is retiring from music after an illustrious 50+ year career. The 78-year-old veteran revealed he has been diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia. In a heartfelt statement he admitted the news “is not easy to take in” for him or his loved ones. Skifs reflected that he has “lived a rich and amazing life, filled with music, love and laughter”. He thanked everyone who has been part of his journey, and said that now “it’s time to slow down and take one day at a time”.
Hooked on a Feeling
Skifs’s career began in the 1960s and reached global heights in the 1970s. As the lead singer of the band Blue Swede, he scored an international #1 hit in 1974 with the pop classic “Hooked on a Feeling” – making him one of the few Swedish artists to top the US charts. He also took part in Sweden’s Eurovision selection Melodifestivalen several times. In 1975, for example, he competed with the song “Michelangelo.” Despite finishing 5th in the national final, the song became a major hit that stayed at #1 on Sweden’s singles chart for seven weeks.
Björn Skifs in Eurovision
Skifs eventually went on to represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest twice. He won Melodifestivalen 1978 and performed “Det blir alltid värre framåt natten” at Eurovision in Paris, finishing 14th. He returned to the Eurovision stage in 1981 with “Fångad i en dröm”, this time achieving 10th place in Dublin.
Even outside of Eurovision, Björn Skifs remained an active and beloved entertainer. He appeared as “The Arbiter” on the original 1984 concept album of the musical Chess, and in 2010 he performed the duet “When You Tell the World You’re Mine” with singer Agnes at the royal wedding of Sweden’s Crown Princess Victoria. More recently, Eurovision fans saw Skifs return to the spotlight at the Eurovision 2024 Grand Final in Malmö – he made a surprise appearance performing “Hooked on a Feeling” as part of the opening act of the show. With his retirement, Skifs leaves behind a remarkable legacy in music and in Eurovision history.
That’s all for this weekly update. Stay tuned for another roundup next week. The road to Eurovision 2026 continues!
