Overview

• Florian Silbereisen hosted the live ARD show from Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle before roughly 15,000 attendees, with a star lineup including Andrea Berg, Roland Kaiser, Maite Kelly, Thomas Anders and more.
• Silbereisen and Dutch singer Marco Schuitmaker introduced their German duet 'Schutzengel' based on Schuitmaker’s hit 'Engelbewaarder', positioning the collaboration for the German-language market.
• A live 'ticket-buzzer' to launch 2026 sales triggered backlash as many fans said tickets were already available earlier and large blocks appeared sold out immediately after the on-air promo.
• Live-production hiccups drew notice, including Andy Borg’s sound/monitor problem that caused a missed playback entry and Silbereisen misnaming Anna-Maria Zimmermann before apologizing on air.
• Viewer reaction online was polarized, with praise for the spectacle alongside criticism of artist choices and sound, and Mickie Krause’s duet with Cindy aus Marzahn drawing derision, while Kaiser reaffirmed Kaisermania will take place in 2026.