Culture Cuts for Eurovision? Austria’s ORF Faces Backlash from the Arts World
When 620 artists, authors, directors and institutions raise their voices in unison, you know something’s brewing – and it’s not a quirky new song for Eurovision 2026. Austria’s national broadcaster ORF is under fire for allegedly eyeing its cultural budget to foot the bill for next year’s song contest. Spoiler alert: the arts community is not amused.
Austria’s Eurovision Ambitions: At What Cost?
As Austria gears up to host Eurovision 2026, its public broadcaster ORF is facing a crescendo of criticism — and not the kind that gets you 12 points. An open letter signed by over 600 cultural figures and 90 institutions denounces what they fear is a looming sacrifice: public arts funding repurposed to cover the massive expenses of Europe’s favourite glitter-drenched spectacle.
The signatories include a who’s who of Austrian culture: Elfriede Jelinek, Michael Köhlmeier, and Cornelius Obonya, along with prestigious organisations like Wiener Festwochen, steirischer herbst, and several of the nation’s top literature houses. Their message? “Hands off our culture budget.”
Culture as a Bargaining Chip? Nein, danke.
The open letter highlights a troubling trend: years of budget tightening at ORF, worsened by a shift to household-based licence fees and costly digital upgrades. With Eurovision looming, there are fears that cultural programming could become collateral damage in internal financial negotiations.
Already, the signs are there. Beloved shows like Topos are at risk. Cultural news bulletins often sit empty. Experienced arts journalists are leaving, and new hires aren’t exactly rushing in. It’s the cultural equivalent of asking Conchita Wurst to perform with a dead mic — technically possible, but terribly misguided.
A Song Contest Worth Singing For?
To be clear, few in Austria’s cultural sector object to hosting Eurovision itself. The problem lies in what might be sacrificed to make it happen. The arts community is sounding the alarm: don’t fund the festival of pop at the expense of theatre, literature and serious journalism.
In a move that didn’t help the mood, ORF has already pulled the plug on Große Chance der Blasmusik — a music show — citing Eurovision-related financial pressures. Irony noted.
Can ORF Strike the Right Note?
If Austria wants to prove that it can do both — throw a Eurovision party and preserve its cultural soul — it will need to do more than rehearse a slick press release. It will need to reassure a creative sector that feels sidelined in the name of sequins and satellite feeds.
The question isn’t whether Eurovision 2026 will be spectacular. It’s whether Austria can pull it off without leaving its own culture in the wings.
Source: Kurier
