The tour which was to mark 70 years of Eurovision and bring to the stage international music legends and 10 of this year’s contestants has been canceled for the time being, although thousands of tickets have already been sold.
The first Eurovision Song Contest Live Tour, designed to mark 70 years of the competition, has been temporarily cancelled, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced on Friday (13 February).
“The European Broadcasting Union regrets to announce that it has taken the difficult decision to postpone the Eurovision Song Contest 2026”, it is stated in a press release from the organizers.
According to them, the decision was taken due to “unforeseen circumstances” that made it impossible to carry out the tour according to the original plan, reports music-news, citing the press agencies.
The tour was to be a centerpiece of the anniversary celebration, with concerts scheduled between 15 June and 2 July in ten European cities, including London, Paris and other major capitals.
The premiere was planned at the O2 Arena in London, with an impressive line-up of artists such as Johnny Logan, Lordi and Verka Serduchka, along with ten of the contestants of the 2026 edition. The events were to give fans the opportunity to relive memorable moments in the history of the competition and celebrate with some of the most important performers of each era.
The director of the contest, Martin Green, expressed his regret for the postponement of the tournament and explained that despite the best efforts of the producers and promoters, the team faced logistical and organizational problems that could not be resolved within the stipulated period.
The EBU has assured that the tournament will resume when conditions allow it to deliver a world-class experience, but the organizers’ immediate focus remains on running the Eurovision 2026 final safely and at the high standards audiences have become accustomed to. In the meantime, fans who purchased concert tickets will receive full refunds.
“Thank you to all fans who purchased tickets. Full refunds will be made as soon as possible”, said Martin Green in an official statement.
The postponement of the tournament comes in an already complicated context for the European Broadcasting Union.
The organizers of the Eurovision 2026 contest, whose final is scheduled to take place in Vienna on May 16, have to manage several challenges: the conflict related to the boycott of countries such as Iceland, Ireland and the Netherlands due to Israel’s participation, new measures to limit government influence on the score and ensure transparency, but also to combine the huge expectations for the 70th anniversary with the realization of a live production involving several countries.
The postponement of the tournament is a turning point for the EBU, but the organization remains optimistic and focused on the success of the final in Vienna, despite the political and logistical challenges facing the anniversary edition.
