EBU ‘postpones’ Eurovision Song Contest live tour due to ‘unforeseen challenges’

The first ever official Eurovision Song Contest live tour has been “postponed”, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has announced.

The tour was due to visit 10 countries across Europe this summer, kicking off at London’s O2 Arena on 15 June.

In a statement, the EBU said it had made the “difficult decision” to “postpone” the Eurovision Song Contest Live Tour 2026 due to “unforeseen challenges”.

“We have encountered unforeseen challenges that despite the best efforts of our team, the producers, and promoters we have been unable to resolve,” the statement reads.

“To the thousands of fans who bought tickets, thank you, we will ensure you will be refunded in full as soon as possible.”

The EBU promised that the tour, which was announced as part of Eurovision’s 70th anniversary celebrations, would be relaunched when it “can ensure the world class experience that our fans expect”.

The statement rounds off by assuring fans that the EBU will continue focussing on “delivering an incredible Eurovision Song Contest” in May in Vienna.

The Eurovision Song Contest Live Tour 2026 was due to visit London, Hamburg, Milan, Zürich, Antwerp, Cologne, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Paris in June, before rounding off in Stockholm on 2 July.

When the first-of-its-kind tour was announced last month, organisers promised “world-class performances” from Eurovision legends from throughout its 70-year history, which would be “delivered with the scale, spectacle and spirit”.

Acts who were set to appear on the tour included 2006 winner for Finland Gordi, the UK’s 1997 winner Katrina and the Waves, Ukraine’s legendary 2007 runner-up Verka Serduchka, and two-time winner for Ireland, Johnny Logan.

On X, formerly Twitter, Eurovision journalist GJ Kooijman shared screenshots purporting to show the seating maps for the tour dates in Zurich, Milan, Hamburg and Cologne, reportedly captured yesterday (12 February). The maps appear to indicate that many tickets for the dates had yet to be sold. The events had gone on sale at the beginning of the month.

The EBU did not provide further detail on the “unforeseen challenges” that led to the tour’s indefinite postponement.

General admission tickets started at £72 for the London date, according to ticket seller Eventim.

The Eurovision Song Contest is set to kick off with the first and second semi-finals on 12 May and 14 May, with the grand final taking place on 16 May.

This year mark’s the song contest’s 70th anniversary, yet the celebrations have been starkly undermined by five countries – Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, Iceland and the Netherlands – boycotting this year’s contest.

The boycott comes after the EBU decided not to ask its members to vote on the inclusion of Israel in the song contest. Instead, it introduced new rules that are designed to prevent governments from disproportionately influencing the public to vote for their country’s act.

Israel’s continued inclusion in Eurovision despite the country’s ongoing military action in Gaza has proven to be increasingly contentious for fans of the song contest.

At the end of last year, 2024 winner for Switzerland Nemo announced that they would be returning their trophy to the EBU in protest against the EBU allowing Israel to compete.

This is a breaking news story and is being updated.