German Eurovision Selection Faces Rule Change and Jury Shake-Up Ahead of Final

The audience's role in the final decision has been reduced, while Conchita Wurst and Nico Santos join the jury for Saturday's live show.

The German Eurovision selection process, 'Chefsache ESC 2025,' has introduced a new rule where the jury will decide which five acts advance to the final voting round, reducing audience influence.
The audience will only vote on the winner after the jury selects the top five finalists from the nine acts competing on Saturday.
Elton, a long-standing jury member, will not participate in the final due to a private commitment and is being replaced by Conchita Wurst and Nico Santos.
Conchita Wurst, a Eurovision winner from 2014, brings significant expertise to the jury alongside returning members Stefan Raab and Yvonne Catterfeld.
The final show will air live on March 1 at 8:15 PM on ARD, with Barbara Schöneberger hosting as nine acts compete to represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel this May.