Overview

• The live ARD/ORF event aired on October 18 from Dortmund’s Westfalenhalle with Florian Silbereisen hosting and a star lineup including Andrea Berg, Roland Kaiser, Maite Kelly, Unheilig, No Angels and more.
• Post-show figures cited by DWDL reported about 3.92 million viewers overall, a 19.9% market share, and a 12.7% share in the 14–49 demographic equating to roughly 454,000 viewers.
• On-air mishaps drew attention, including Andy Borg’s sound problem that caused a missed playback entry and Silbereisen misnaming Anna-Maria Zimmermann before apologizing on camera.
• Silbereisen used a “ticket buzzer” to start 2026 sales, but many fans complained tickets had appeared earlier on Eventim and were largely gone within minutes.
• Audience reaction ranged from praise to criticism, with some pushback over a comedic duet by Mickie Krause and Cindy aus Marzahn, while Roland Kaiser used the broadcast to deny any cancellation of his 2026 Kaisermania shows in Dresden.