Germany at Eurovision 2026: Sarah Engels discusses her dream to participate in Eurovision which comes true, her favourites songs and the plans for Vienna 

Watch the full interview:

In the interview, Sarah says she didn’t plan on signing up for the German national selection at all: “It was another decision of… we first of all we had the song so we were working on “Fire” in the studio and then we thought, oh maybe this could be a really nice Eurovision song, so yes, that was the way it was” she shared. Alongside this, Sarah shares that she had dreamed of the big stage for years: “I watched it every year also as a little girl, but I think it was so far away that it was more than a dream because it was ever a dream to become a singer and a songwriter, but this was something it was not too… not to catch, to realize, you know.”

As mentioned, Sarah said the song was not originally written for Eurovision, but rather as her personal story: “I wanted to write a song about my experience as a woman, that was the idea of it and then we thought it could be a very strong message also for every woman out there and yes, that was the writing session. I have a very nice team in Berlin and there we are working on Fire.“

The Eurovision Experience – Different from Any Other Competition

The competition stage is not at all foreign to Sarah. In her past, she participated in the German reality competition “you can’t compare it to anything because it’s something magical. And I love to connect also with the other people, with the other cultures, hear the other songs. And it feels like a… it is like a huge party where everyone is invited to and it’s so nice that music is something you can tell the people your own story or to connect with them with your emotion… yes, we’re human so it’s something on stage you can bring to everyone and it’s so nice.”

On the weekend preceding the interview, Sarah participated in the “Nordic Eurovision Party” in Oslo. There, she met some of the competition participants for the first time. She says: “It was crazy. It was such a great experience and also, it’s something new for me because I’m… yes I have my career here in Germany, I know how it is on stage, but I don’t know how it is like internationally with other people and it’s so great. There are so many nice people and I love every song. I think it’s a very good year. I think there are so nice songs this year .”

She further shared that she connected with several representatives: “I love to connect with other people. I mean I have a family and we love to travel all around the world, so I love to connect with the other cultures. I met Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Australia. They all seem very nice.”

Preparations for Vienna: “Good Music is Not Enough“

In the past, Sarah mentioned in a press conference that she plans to upgrade the performance and the song ahead of the competition in Vienna. In the interview, she said: I don’t want to tell you too much, but yes we want to create something special. I think Fire and dancing and good music will be not enough for the Eurovision, so you have something that the people can remember – oh that was the girl which blah blah blah, I don’t know. And yeah we want to create something very nice and I hope that I can show it. And my wish for the Eurovision is also to bring the inner strength, the inner fire from everyone back, because sometimes you lost it for ever every reason and it’s so important to get it back.”

Despite the anticipation, Sarah notes that she will not sing part of the song in German. Regarding this, she says: “I love to sing in German, especially when I sing the emotional slow parts, but I think there is… I want to understand everyone and that’s in English it’s something easier. I think it should be in English.”

Did you get to hear some of the songs this year? “I heard them all”

As befitting a contestant in the Eurovision Song Contest, Sarah shared that she heard all the songs participating alongside her in the competition: “I heard them all. It’s hard to say what I liked most because every song has its own story. I loved Australia, Bulgaria has a catchy song, and Greece and Cyprus are also good. I also loved the Israeli song, Michelle; it’s very nice!”

Sarah Engels – Who Are You?

Sarah Engels is a German pop singer of Italian descent who first gained recognition in 2011 when she finished as the runner-up on the German talent show “Deutschland sucht den Superstar” (in English: “Germany Seeks the Superstar”). In 2020, Engels represented Italy in the international competition “Free European Song Contest“ with the song “Te Amo Mi Amor”, where she placed 12th out of 16 participants. Her music career includes several successful albums and singles – among them “Heartbeat” and “Im Augenblick” – both of which reached top chart positions in Germany and Austria.

Germany at Eurovision 2026

“Fire” is the song to be performed by Sarah Engels, representing Germany at Eurovision 2026, which will take place in Vienna, Austria on May 12th, 14th, and 16th. The song was co-written by Engels together with Dario Schürmann, Luisa Heinemann, Raphael Lott, and Valentin Boes. The song “Fire” tells the story of a woman freeing herself from a burdensome and confining relationship, rediscovering her inner strength and confidence. Its message comes to life on stage through Sarah’s expressive freedom, powerful vocals, and commanding presence. Germany is ranked 21th in the betting odds these days.

Eurovision 2026: This will be Germany’s 69th participation in Eurovision. Germany joined the competition in 1956, was one of the seven founding countries, and has won twice over the years. Germany’s last victory was in Eurovision 2010 with the song “Satellite” performed by singer Lena Meyer-Landrut.