The audience celebrated the performance, but the criticism online was harsher.
Right after Denmark opened the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Sarah Engels had to represent Germany. The singer had previously been assigned the cursed second starting place at the ESC. It is so unpopular because in the history of the competition no country that came second has ever won. After a pompous start to the show, you quickly sink. In addition: Right after Sarah Engels comes the song from Israel, whose participation in the ESC this year is being boycotted by five countries.
“Half the SWR budget is wasted on stage,” confirmed Jan Böhmermann and Olli Schulz during the Austrians’ alternative moderation. Better that way, after all, the German contribution is also called “Fire”. The two were particularly enthusiastic about Sarah Engels’ little stunt, in which the singer fell backwards from a platform and was caught by her dancers.
How was Sarah Engels’ ESC appearance received by viewers?
The audience in the arena cheered enthusiastically after the performance – and the beaming singer actually seemed to collect a lot of sympathy points. But will it also be enough for a good ESC position? The viewers at home are much more critical.
After all: Someone even claims to have recognized a bit of Beyoncé:
The top favorite of the evening is Finland
The Finnish duo Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen have once again extended their lead with the bookmakers shortly before the ESC final in Vienna. According to the betting odds, with “Liekinheitin” the two now have a 43 percent chance of winning – the highest value for Finland in this competition so far. Starting position 17 should further support this role as favorites: placed in the second half of the field, Lampenius and Parkkonen have a good chance of lastingly being remembered by the audience and the juries.
Editorial recommendations
Australia is considered the strongest challenger. Delta Goodrem is entering the race with “Eclipse” and a quota of 15 percent. Behind them, the field is much narrower: Greece with Akylas and “Ferto” and Israel with Noam Bettan and “Michelle” are each at seven percent, Romania follows with Alexandra Căpitănescu and “Choke Me” at five percent. Denmark, Italy and Bulgaria are also given outsider chances. For Germany, however, things look bleak: Sarah Engels’ “Fire” is at less than one percent.
