Vienna authorities and the organizers of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 have presented a comprehensive package of security measures ahead of the May final at the Wiener Stadthalle. The ban will include bringing bags and backpacks larger than small document pouches. All persons entering the venue, including spectators, artists, and staff, will undergo mandatory screening through metal detector gates. Close cooperation with Austrian services is intended to ensure the smoothness and safety of the event, for which over 65,000 tickets have already been sold.
Bag and Backpack Ban
Organizers are introducing a ban on bringing bags and backpacks larger than small document pouches (max. dimensions: 21 cm x 15 cm x 5 cm). The goal is to speed up entry and eliminate potential threats. Permitted pouches will also be checked.
Metal Detector Screening
All participants, including spectators, artists, and staff, will undergo mandatory screening through metal detector gates. This is a key element of the comprehensive security plan developed with Austrian services.
Record Ticket Sales
Over 65,000 tickets have already been sold for the Eurovision 2026 concerts. This high attendance was one of the main factors shaping the tightened security measures and event logistics.
Cooperation with Local Services
The security plan was created in close coordination between the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Austrian authorities, including the police, special services, and the Wiener Stadthalle management. Enhanced police surveillance and monitoring will be implemented.
Vienna authorities and organizers from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have presented tightened security measures ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will take place in May at the Wiener Stadthalle. The main measure directly felt by the audience will be a ban on bringing bags and backpacks. Only small document pouches with maximum dimensions of 21 cm by 15 cm by 5 cm will be permitted, and these will also be subject to inspection. This decision aims to speed up the entry process and eliminate potential threats. All event participants – spectators, artists, delegation members, and technical staff – will be required to pass through metal detector gates. This is a response to the record ticket sales, which have already exceeded 65,000, and standard procedures for such large international events. The Eurovision Song Contest, organized by the European Broadcasting Union since 1956, is one of the world's largest non-sporting television spectacles, attracting over 180 million viewers annually. Due to its scale and international character, it has for years required advanced and costly security measures, especially in the context of contemporary terrorist threats. The comprehensive security plan was developed in close cooperation between the EBU and Austrian authorities, including the police, special services, and the venue management. Enhanced police surveillance and monitoring will be implemented around the Stadthalle, covering even the distant approaches to the hall. Organizers emphasize that the priority is the safety of the thousands of people gathered on-site and the millions watching the television broadcast. The tightened baggage regulations are also intended to streamline logistics and prevent delays that could disrupt the course of the spectacle. Detailed guidelines for ticket holders will be sent out several weeks before the start of the contest. Vienna, which last hosted Eurovision in 2015, is preparing to welcome delegations from dozens of countries and a global audience.