Overview

• The TV Fastnacht classic 'Mainz bleibt Mainz, wie es singt und lacht' will continue airing annually under a new contract starting in 2026.
• ARD’s SWR and ZDF will alternate broadcasting the session each year on the Friday before Rosenmontag, maintaining a decades-long tradition.
• The renewed agreement spans four years, with an optional two-year extension, ensuring broadcasts through at least 2030 if the option is exercised.
• The program has been a staple of German television since 1955 and is widely regarded as a cultural institution of the Fastnacht season.
• This year’s broadcast, produced by SWR for ARD, will air on February 28 from the Kurfürstliches Schloss in Mainz.