Who is Sarah Engels? Meet Germany's Eurovision 2026 entry

This year's Germany representative is bringing the party to Eurovision as the first semi-final gets under way live from Vienna, Austria.

Hoping to climb to the top of the leaderboard is Sarah Engels, and the singer has big shoes to fill after Germany last won the competition in 2010, with Lena performing the absolute banger that is Satellite.

As Germany is part of the Big Four, Sarah has a guaranteed entry to the final, but thanks to new rules introduced in 2024 she will give audiences a taste of what to expect from her performance during the first semi-final.

With the excitement for this year's contest really ramping up, here's everything you need to know about Sarah Engels ahead of the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

Who is Germany Eurovision 2026 entry Sarah Engels?

Sarah Engels first came on to the music scene in 2011 at only 18 years old after she participated in Deutschland Sucht Den Superstar, a German reality talent show which translates to "Germany is looking for the Superstar" — a spin-off of the popular British show Pop Idol.

Over her career she has released six studio albums, the latest of which was dropped in 2025 entitled Strong Girls Club.

More recently, Sarah can be seen on stage in the lead role of Satine in the Cologne production of the musical Moulin Rouge.

She has one son with her previous husband and now shares a daughter with her current husband, German football player Julian Büscher, whom she married in 2021.

Sarah is representing Germany after winning the country's Eurovision pre-selection competition, thanks to nearly 40 per cent of the public vote.

How old is Sarah Engels?

The singer is 33 years old.

What nationality is Sarah Engels?

Sarah Engels is German, and is from Cologne, Germany.

What has Sarah Engels said about representing Germany at Eurovision 2026?

Sarah has said that performing at Eurovision is the "biggest opportunity" of her entire career and is excited to share her song's powerful message with the rest of Europe.

"The Eurovision Song Contest is for me a unique stage where people from all over Europe and the world are connected through music.

"Participating means sharing my message of empowerment, which comes deep from my heart, and conveying courage, cohesion, strength and belief in yourself through my music," she said.

What is Germany's Eurovision 2026 song called?

Sarah Engels will be performing the song Fire which she wrote herself, alongside Valentin Boes, Luisa Heinemann, Raphael Lott, and Dario Schürmann.

Where did Germany come in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest?

Last year, Germany was represented by brother and sister duo Abor & Tynna from Vienna, Austria. Their song Baller finished them in 15th place out of 26 countries, scoring a total of 151 points.

The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to take part in the event due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

This year, a number of countries will boycott the contest following the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to expel Israel from the competition.

At the EBU general assembly in December 2025, a vote was held to introduce new rules that would stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters. No vote was held on Israel’s participation.

The EBU said in a statement: "A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place."

Following this, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland confirmed they would not participate in this year’s Eurovision.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ said: "RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk."

The BBC, which broadcasts the competition in the UK, has said it supports the decision made by the EBU. "This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive," it said in a statement.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.

You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.