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A multitude of suggestions have been put forth by the Committee of the Regions.

German broadcaster ARD to take sole charge of the European Song Contest preliminary decisions starting from 2026, eliminating multiple shows. Stefan Raab will oversee this single, large-scale decision.

, and ASMedia

2025 September 19 . 10:15 PM

2 min read

Proposals have already been put forward by the Committee of the Regions.

A multitude of suggestions have been put forth by the Committee of the Regions.

The German preliminary round for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is undergoing a significant change in 2026. The ARD, a prominent German public-service broadcaster, will be organising the event, marking a departure from the previous format with RTL and entertainer Stefan Raab.

In a joint decision, ARD and RTL have decided not to cooperate for the ESC preliminary round in 2026. The ARD plans to hold a single large decision show without Stefan Raab or RTL, with the South West Broadcasting Corporation (SWR) managing the event for the first time.

The SWR, known for its music spectacles, will take sole responsibility for the German national selection for the ESC. This shift comes after Stefan Raab was reintegrated into the German ESC selection process in 2025 to improve Germany's chances of success, but will not be part of the 2026 preliminary round.

Stefan Raab, a significant figure in German ESC history, achieved fifth place with "Wadde hatte dudde da?" in 2000 and organised the preliminary round for the ESC in 2010, selecting Lena Meyer-Landrut who brought Germany its first ESC victory since 1982. However, despite Raab's announcement of victory as a goal, the siblings Abor & Tynna, who emerged victorious from the preliminary round led by Raab in 2025, only reached 15th place in the Eurovision Song Contest.

The preliminary round will no longer be a casting show with multiple rounds, and will instead consist of a single event. The preliminary round will be broadcast at the end of February on the First, with the partners for the ARD's preliminary round yet to be determined.

The next Eurovision Song Contest will take place in May 2026 in Vienna, and the German preliminary round will be organised without entertainer Stefan Raab and his channel RTL. The SWR announced that as of now, no cooperation with Stefan Raab is planned for the German preliminary round.

As the countdown to the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest continues, the changes in the German preliminary round promise an exciting new chapter in the competition's history. Stay tuned for more updates!