The Eurovision Song Contest, the European musical showdown known for its glittery outfits, unusual performances, and over-the-top fanfare, is returning in 2026 for its 70th year. To usher in the anniversary, the competition just unveiled a rebrand, and fans aren't thrilled.
Next May, Eurovision (which moves to a new city every year) will be held in Vienna, according to a recent Instagram announcement. There, it will officially roll out its new logo, custom font, and brand symbol, all of which were revealed on August 18 and have since begun to appear on the contest's social media accounts.
The new look, which apparently was designed to bring more cohesion to Eurovision's look and make the brand more versatile on digital platforms, has attracted droves of negative feedback from fans. Commenters across social media say the branding has veered into cartoonish territory, with some even implying that the new wordmark and logo were generated by AI rather than human artists.
Martin Green, director of Eurovision, says he was "not at all" surprised by the negative fan reaction, given that Eurovision has such a massive fanbase and "any form of creativity is ultimately subjective." While he says that none of the rebrand was generated by AI, he's actually encouraged to see fans advocating for artists over AI.