Sweden: SVT issues changes to the 5th semi-final format for Melodifestivalen 2023

• The Swedish national broadcaster, SVT, has announced that they will be implementing changes in the 5th semi-final heat of Melodifestivalen 2023. 

  Melodifestivalen is Sweden's iconic music competition through which the country selects their Eurovision hopefuls. While in last year's edition of Melodifestivalen  in the last semi-final ( the so-called in the past second chance semi) the songs that came 3rd and 4th in the previous four heats competed in two groups of four with two of them from each one advancing to the final show next year this won't be the case. 

  In the 2023 Melfest edition the the eight entries from the previous four semifinals will compete all in one group against each other with the four top acts filling in the last spots of the Grand final show. The points will be awarded from the voters in age groups via the official Melodifestivalen app and phone voting.

  In addition, sometime in the middle of the show results will go public showing which acts at that time are in the four qualifying with another round of voting following. The final outcome will be released live on air with the top acts in each age group. 

   

  Melodifestivalen 2023

  A total of 28 acts will compete in next year's Melfest competition with 14 of them coming from the public submissions and 14 from SVT's direct invitations to specific artists. 

  Melodifestivalen is set to unfild over six shows, five qualifying rounds and a grand final show. The Melfest schedule will take place according to the following schedule: 

  • Heat 1 – Malmö (Feb.4, 2023)
  • Heat 2 – Linköping (Feb. 11, 2023)
  • Heat 3 – Lidköping (Feb. 18, 2023)
  • Heat 4 – Malmö (Feb.25, 2023)
  • Semi-final – Örnsköldsvik (March 4, 2023)
  • Final – Stockholm (March 11, 2023)

   

  Sweden in Eurovision

  Sweden has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 58 times since making its debut in 1958, missing only three contests (1964, 1970 and 1976). At the 1997 contest, Sweden was one of the first five countries to adopt televoting. Sweden is the only country to have hosted the event in five different decades, three times in Stockholm (1975, 2000, 2016), twice in Malmö (1992, 2013) and once in Gothenburg (1985).

  Sweden is one of the most successful competing nations at the Eurovision Song Contest, with a total of six victories, just one win behind Ireland. The country has the most top five results of the 21st century, with thirteen. In total, Sweden has achieved 24 top five results in the contest. After finishing second with Lill Lindfors and Svante Thuresson in 1966, Sweden went on to achieve its six victories with ABBA (1974), Herreys (1984), Carola (1991), Charlotte Nilsson(1999), Loreen (2012) and Måns Zelmerlöw (2015).

  In 2020 The Mamas won the Melodifestivalen 2020 and earned the right to represent Sweden in Rotterdam with their entry "Move" . Unfortunately for them, the contest was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak and The Mamas never had the chance to perform in Rotterdam Ahoy. Last year Tusse won Melodifestivalen 2021 with his song 'Voices' and went on representing the Nordic country in Rotterdam. After qualifying from the 1st semi final, he finished 14th in the Grand final with a total of 109 points in the overall score. 

  This year Cornelia Jakobs defended the Swedish colors in Turin singing 'Hold me closer' which after qualifying 1st from the 2nd semi-final, finished 4th in the Grand final adding one more top-5 placing in the country's Eurovision history. 

   

  News Source:  Aftonbladet/Eurovoix
  

  Image: EBU/Nathan Reinds

   

   

   

   

AUTHORS

Angelos D.
Loyal follower of the Eurovision Song Contest since 1987, I've made the competition one of the stories of my life. After attending as accredited press the event for 13 consecutive years along with the 2017-2024 JESC editions, I also enjoy the last three years sharing more Eurovision music through the Eurofans radio's project.