ARD's 'Immer wieder sonntags' Schlager Show Set to End in September

The long‑running German Schlager television program "Immer wieder sonntags", broadcast on ARD since 1995, will conclude after this season. The final episode airs on 6 September, followed by a recap of highlights on 13 September. In 2025 the show still attracted over one million viewers per episode, but the Südwestrundfunk (SWR) cited a strained financial situation as the reason for ending the series, reallocating the freed budget to develop new digital entertainment formats.

Singer Bernd Ulrich Ulrich of the duo Die Amigos criticised the decision, saying, "Es gibt immer mehr Reality‑Shows und ich finde das schade," and added that audience demand remains strong: "Die Hallen sind voll – auch die Arena in Rust – und der Bedarf ist noch da." Program director Clemens Bratzler explained that the SWR’s economic constraints left them with no alternative.

The cancellation marks the loss of a staple of ARD’s summer programming, ending a two‑decade tradition of live Schlager performances on German television.