Overview
- RTL will air HeidiFest live from the Münchner Hofbräuhaus on 17 September and stream the show on RTL+.
- ProSieben opted not to stage a live HeidiFest this year and says Germany’s Next Topmodel will remain on its schedule, with season 22 production set to begin in September.
- RTL said RTL Studios will produce an expanded, 'bigger and louder' edition and called Klum a major entertainment draw while stopping short of confirming longer-term deals for her other projects.
- Broadcasters have pointed to weak 2025 ratings for the first HeidiFest—about 760,000 viewers and modest market share among 14–49-year-olds—as a reason to repackage the format.
- The switch arrives as commercial tie-ins such as Leni Klum’s premium Dirndl line and local criticism over the authenticity of celebrity Wiesn events renew debate about the commercialization of Oktoberfest traditions.