Sarah Engels really heats up the Wiener Stadthalle with her “song” Fire.Image: APA/APA
ESC
Sarah Engels sang in the ESC semi-finals and the audience in the Wiener Stadthalle went wild. But online viewers are also enthusiastic about Germany.
May 12, 2026, 11:33 p.mMay 12, 2026, 11:33 p.m
Ricarda Heil / t-online
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 has started. The world’s largest music competition started with the first semi-final on Tuesday evening. 15 countries are fighting for a place in the final. Germany also appeared, but does not have to face the competition and has already qualified for the final.
At 10:05 p.m. Sarah Engels took the stage in a white dress and brown leather boots. She performed her song “Fire” for three minutes. She danced, changed her outfit into a gold glittering bodysuit and threw herself from a two-meter-high box into the arms of her dancers.
The audience cheered in the Vienna Stadthalle. And online viewers also seem to be very enthusiastic about the German artist’s performance. “The best song that Germany has submitted in years,” commented one fan on X, for example. “Germany brought fire to the ESC. What a performance,” said another. “Germany is going for the top 10 this year,” wrote someone else. Also to be read: “Hey Germany, we love this song!”
“No more contributions to be ashamed of”
The German fans are also impressed by their performance. “You can say what you want about Sarah and the song, but you have to give her one thing: she can simply sing and dance,” said one viewer. «Wow, I was really skeptical before the preliminary decision, but I have to say: Great performance by Sarah Engels. No matter how it ultimately turns out in the finale, there will finally be no more contributions to be ashamed of.”
The positive votes come as a surprise. Germany is currently only in the lower midfield with “Fire” among betting providers and in online voting. In recent weeks, however, the song has been the most searched ESC post on Google.
Sources used:
- ONE: Eurovision Song Contest from May 12, 2026
- x.com: Hashtag #ESC2026