Germany: Here's the lineup for Das deutsche Finale 2026

German broadcaster SWR has just revealed the lineup for Das deutsche Finale 2026.

Nine acts have been selected by German broadcaster SWR, to compete in Das deutsche Finale 2026 in Germany. One of them will represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna.

Das deutsche Finale 2026

Das deutsche Finale 2026 takes place on Saturday 28 February 2026 and will be hosted by Barbara Schöneberger, as usual, alongside Hazel Brugger.

There will be two rounds of voting. In the first round, all nine acts perform on stage and are judged by an expert jury. The best three advance to the Superfinal, where it is entirely up to the German public to decide the winner.

Germany in the Eurovision Song Contest

Germany is a grand old country in the Eurovision Song Contest. They have participated 68 times since the beginning in 1956.

The only year Germany didn't participate was in 1996. Prior to the competition in 1996, 30 countries had signed up for participation, so the EBU had to make a selection. Judges from the participating countries made a secret vote, where the top-22 songs qualified. During this vote, the judges only listened to, but didn't watch, the contestants. This turned out to be highly unpopular, and it was also the only time this method was used. The result of the vote was that Germany was ruled out. This was the first and only time Germany didn't participate in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Germany's best results are two victories: in 1982 (Nicole - "Ein Bißchen Frieden") and 2010 (Lena - "Satellite"). Their worst results are nine last place finishes. Germany is a member of the "Big-5," which means they don't have to go through the Semi-final round and are automatically qualified for the Grand Final. They are also a member of "Club Nul Points," with zero points in 1964, 1965 and 2015.