After Nearly 30 Years, the Curtain Falls on “Immer wieder sonntags”

After nearly three decades, “Immer wieder sonntags” will appear on Germany’s Das Erste for the final time. The live schlager show from Europa-Park in Rust became part of the summer routine for millions of viewers, but ARD and SWR are ending it as they cut costs and pursue new digital formats.

The decision comes despite solid ratings. An average of 1.26 million people watched the program last year, giving it a market share of about 17 percent. SWR said the show’s stable audience masked a structural problem: it now reaches roughly 30 percent fewer people than it did ten years ago because fewer viewers watch linear television.

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I won’t miss anything because I know it’s continuing.

Stefan Mross, who has hosted the program since 2005, does not intend to let the format disappear. “I won’t miss anything because I know it’s continuing,” he told the German Press Agency. “There is optimism that it will continue.” Mross said he has already held talks with broadcasters interested in taking it forward, though he gave no details.

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There is optimism that it will continue.

He has kept the usual May-to-September broadcasting period open in his calendar for 2027. Born in Traunstein, Bavaria, Mross gave the program its current identity through his trumpet playing and close contact with the audience. He said the cancellation remained difficult to understand and that, from his perspective, the show could have continued for another ten years.

Even Mross did not know exactly what the final episode would bring because he was not allowed to attend rehearsals. He knew only that Andy Borg and Stefanie Hertel would appear. The final 30 seconds, he said, were expected to be special.

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From my perspective, it could have continued for another ten years.