Germany will once again choose its Eurovision act through a televised national final, as ARD and SWR officially announce “Eurovision Song Contest – Das Deutsche Finale 2026″.
A fully confirmed national final for 2026
Back in September, sources suggested that SWR (now the lead broadcaster for Germany’s Eurovision project) was developing a new multi-stage selection, potentially culminating in a national final. With the reveal of Das Deutsche Finale 2026, that plan is now official.
SWR has run songwriting camps, worked with international producers, and assessed candidates through a combination of industry experts, an international jury, and public jurors. The most promising acts will advance to the live final, where Germany’s representative for Vienna will be selected.
The show will take place on 28 February, live on Das Erste and the ARD Mediathek.
New leadership for Germany’s Eurovision journey
This marks the first Eurovision season under the leadership of Tina Sikorski, Germany’s new Head of Delegation, who oversees both the artistic and organisational direction for 2026.
Sikorski described the national final as a chance to find the act best suited for the Contest’s 70th anniversary edition, promising “great performances” and a renewed approach to Germany’s Eurovision strategy.
More information about the line-up of competing acts, the format of the show and press accreditatio will be announced in January 2026.
The winner of Das Deutsche Finale 2026 will represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna.
Germany’s Eurovision History
Germany has been part of Eurovision since the beginning, debuting in 1956. Their debut entries were Walter Andreas Schwarz’s “Im Wartesaal zum großen Glück” and Freddy Quinn’s “So geht das jede Nacht”. Germany has appeared at every Eurovision except for 1996, which means they have been at more Contests than any other country. They have a long history of success in Eurovision, finishing in the top 3 an impressive 13 times. Germany has won the contest twice: Nicole won in 1982 with her song “Ein bißchen Frieden”, taking home 161 points. Their second win came in 2010, when Lena scored 246 points with her song “Satellite”.
Germany’s most recent Eurovision entry was Abor & Tynna with “Baller”. As Germany is part of the Big 5, they automatically qualified for the Grand Final. In the Final, the song received 151 points and finished in 15th place.
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News Source: PressePortal
Photo Credit: Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU
Euan T