Decision at ESC upcoming, absent Stewart Raab
In a significant shift for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), it has been announced that the ARD will host the preliminary round without the involvement of entertainer Stefan Raab and his channel RTL. The preliminary round is set to air at the end of February on the First Channel.
Stefan Raab, a prominent figure in the history of the German ESC, has been the driving force behind the preliminary round since 2010, selecting Lena Meyer-Landrut who brought Germany its first ESC victory since 1982. However, the ARD and RTL have jointly decided not to cooperate for the ESC preliminary round 2026.
The Southwest Broadcasting Corporation (SWR) will be responsible for the ESC preliminary round for the first time in 2026, with the partners involved in producing the preselection yet to be decided. The German preliminary round will not be a casting show with multiple rounds, but will feature only one show on the First Channel instead.
Stefan Raab, who finished fifth with 'Wadde hatte dudde da?' in the ESC in 1999, returned to the camera in September 2024 after largely withdrawing from the public in 2015. Despite his return and efforts to improve Germany's chances of success, he was not reintegrated into the German ESC selection process for 2026.
The next Eurovision Song Contest will take place in May 2026 in Vienna. The ARD will host the German preliminary round next year, marking a new era for the competition in Germany.
In the past, the North German Broadcasting Corporation managed the ESC preliminary round format for decades. The partners for the German preliminary round for the ARD have not yet been decided.
Notable winners from the ESC preliminary round led by Stefan Raab include the sibling duo Abor & Tynna, who emerged as victors in an unspecified year. Stefan Raab also composed the song 'Guildo hat dich lieb' for Guildo Horn in 1998, which finished seventh in the Grand Prix Eurovision de la Chanson.
Despite setting victory as the goal, the sibling duo Abor & Tynna only reached 15th place in the ESC. The German ESC preliminary round without Stefan Raab and RTL promises to be an exciting development in the competition's history.
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