The contest was held on 14 February 2008 at the TUI Arena in Hanover, Lower Saxony,[1] following Oomph!

Marta Jandová's win in the 2007 contest in Berlin with the song "Träumst du?".

[2] The show was hosted by Stefan Raab, Johanna Klum, and Elton in the green room.

Peter Brugger returns as a member of Sportfreunde Stiller, having previously appeared in the band TipTop in 2006, both for Bavaria.

Favourites, established groups, and artists such as Sportfreunde Stiller, Laith Al-Deen, and Culcha Candela did not fare well compared to many newcomers to the contest.