Officials from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) have confirmed that the debut Eurovision Song Contest live tour has been put on hold.
This tour, which was announced last month, was scheduled to traverse 10 European countries throughout the summer. Its opening night was set for June 15 at London’s O2 Arena.
Martin Green, director of the renowned song contest, currently slated to take place in Vienna, Austria on Saturday, May 16, 2026, issued a statement on Friday. He explained that “unforeseen circumstances” had necessitated the “difficult decision” to cancel the planned tour.
“We regret to announce that we have made the difficult decision to postpone the Eurovision Song Contest Live Tour 2026,” Green stated.
He elaborated, “We have encountered unforeseen challenges which, despite the best efforts of our team, the producers, and promoters, we have been unable to resolve.”
Addressing ticket holders, Green added, “To the thousands of fans who purchased tickets, thank you. We will ensure you receive a full refund as soon as possible.”
Furthermore, he indicated that Eurovision intends to “relaunch” the live tour – which was originally conceived as part of the contest’s 70th-anniversary celebrations – once it can “ensure the world-class experience that our fans expect.”
“Our focus remains on delivering an incredible Eurovision Song Contest in May,” he emphasized.
According to an EBU statement released in January, the new show was intended to feature some of the competition’s most memorable past performers.
Past participants named for the tour included Johnny Logan, Katrina, Lordi, and Verka Serduchka.
The EBU, the governing body of Eurovision, had also previously confirmed that the tour lineup would include performances from 10 of this year’s national entrants.
However, the contest faced disruption last December. Iceland announced its decision to join Spain, Ireland, Slovenia, and the Netherlands in boycotting the 2026 competition.
This boycott stemmed from controversy surrounding Israel’s participation due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza, coupled with allegations of biased voting practices.
In response, the EBU announced it was implementing stricter voting rules for the competition to reduce governmental influence on the outcomes.
A majority of its member organizations voted that month to approve a series of reforms, which also permitted Israel’s continued participation.
As of now, the BBC has not yet revealed the name of the United Kingdom’s representative for this year’s event.