Sarah Engels

Sarah Engels is a German vocalist and television personality who gained widespread public attention through her appearances on national talent competitions. Born on October 15, 1992, Engels is of Italian heritage. She was formerly known by the surname Lombardi during her first marriage.

Her early career was defined by her participation in the reality singing competition Deutschland sucht den Superstar. After initially competing in season 7 and being eliminated during the recall stage following a duet with Eugen Flittner, she returned for season 8. Though initially voted off during the first live show of season 8, she was reinstated by television executive Tom Sänger to replace contestant Nina Richel, who left due to health concerns. Engels subsequently advanced through the competition, ultimately finishing as the season's runner-up in 2011.

Following her breakthrough, Engels represented Italy in the 2020 Free European Song Contest with the track "Te Amo Mi Amor," placing 13th out of 16 entries. Over the following years, she continued to release music and expand her performance portfolio into musical theater. In November 2025, she took on the stage role of Satine in the Cologne production of the musical Moulin Rouge!, an adaptation of Baz Luhrmann's 2001 feature film.

In August 2025, Engels launched her fourth studio record, Strong Girls Club. The release was structured as a double album split between German-language tracks and English-language material. The record debuted and peaked at number 53 on the German Albums Chart before falling off the chart in its second week, marking her lowest-charting album performance.

Engels won the German national selection contest in February 2026 with her song "Fire," earning the right to represent Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 held in Vienna. Because Germany is a member of the Big Four, her entry directly qualified for the grand final on May 16, 2026. In the final event, the performance received 12 points, placing 23rd out of 25 competing entries.

In her personal life, Engels married Pietro Lombardi in March 2013 and adopted his surname. The couple had a son named Alessio on June 19, 2015, before announcing their separation in October 2016. She later became engaged to soccer player Julian Büscher in November 2020. They married in May 2021, adopting Engels as their joint family surname, and welcomed their daughter Solea on December 2, 2021.