Proposals have already been put forward by the Committee of the Regions.
The Southwest Broadcasting Corporation (SWR) will be the new German broadcaster responsible for organizing the national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) next year, marking a significant change from the North German Broadcasting Corporation (NDR) who had been in charge of the format for decades.
In 2026, the German pre-selection will take place without entertainer Stefan Raab and his channel RTL. Raab, considered one of the most important figures in German ESC history, organized the pre-selection in 2010 and selected Lena Meyer-Landrut, who brought Germany its first ESC victory since 1982. However, Raab's return to the German ESC selection process in 2025 did not result in a better placement for Germany in the contest.
Last year, Raab largely withdrew from the public eye, but he returned to the camera in September 2024. Despite his goal of setting a winning precedent, the sibling duo Abor & Tynna, who emerged as the winners of the pre-selection led by Raab in 2025, finished 15th in the Eurovision Song Contest.
The pre-selection will be broadcast at the end of February in the first channel, with the format featuring a single national final show on ARD planned for February 2026. The partners for the German pre-selection are still not determined.
Guildo Horn, who participated in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1998 with a song composed by Raab, finished seventh. Raab himself finished fifth in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1999. Raab was previously the chief juror in the format with several shows.
The German pre-selection in 2026 will no longer be a casting show with multiple rounds. This change is set to bring a fresh approach to the selection process, as the Southwest Broadcasting Corporation (SWR) takes over for the first time.
The next Eurovision Song Contest will take place in May 2026 in Vienna. The excitement is already building as the German pre-selection process gets underway, promising an exciting journey towards the international stage. Stay tuned for more updates on the German pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
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