Norway: NRK confirms Melodi Grand Prix 2022 dates

Norway: NRK confirms Melodi Grand Prix 2022 dates
Saturday, 27 November 2021

  • The Norwegian national broadcaster, NRK, has confirmed the dates of Melodi Grand Prix 2022, the show that will select the country's Eurovision 2022 hopeful. 

    With the tickets of the show going on sale, NRK released today the dates on which the six shows of the Norwegian national selection will be taking place.  The first show of Melodi Grand Prix 2022 is set for January 15, 2022 while the Grand final show will be held on February 19, 2022. 

    While in the last edition the competing acts were presented progressively each Monday before the live shows, next year the 21 contestants will be presented on January 10, 2022 during a special event. 

    Norway's Head of Delegation Stig Karlsen gives us a hint on what to expect to see in the next MGP: 

    In all modesty, the level is sky high! We have also found the strongest vocalists MGP has ever had. It does not help with good songs, if you do not have artists who can deliver them.

    Melodi Grand Prix 2022 will unfold according to the following scheduled show: 

    • January 15 – Semi-Final One
    • January 22 – Semi-Final Two
    • January 29 – Semi-Final Three
    • February 5 – Semi-Final Four
    • February 12 – Second Chance Round
    • February 19 – Grand Final

    Therefore  next national selection will consist of six shows, five semi final rounds and one Grand final show, one show less than the previous edition. Also a bigger percentage of the availiable space of Fornebu’s H3 Arena will be used for next year's shows which means a bigger venue comparing to the last edition of the show. 

     

    Norway in Eurovision 

    Norway has been taking part in the Eurovision Song contest since 1960 and has won the contest three times, in 1985, 1995 and 2009. However the country has marked some records , as it has finished in the last place most times than any other country, finishing in the last placing on the scoreboard 11 times. A total of four times it has received zero points, while in 2009 victory it received the remarkable number 16 sets of 12 points and was voted by every single country, reaching the impressive winning score of 387 points! Norway hasn’t qualified two times in the final the last decade, in 2011 with Stella Mwangi and in 2016 with Agnete

    In 2018 the country was represented for the second time by Alexander Rybak and his song That’s How You Write A Song, which finished in the 15th place of the grand final. Last year the three member group KEiiNo with their entry “Spirit in the Sky” defended the Norwegian colors in Tel Aviv achieving a remarkable 1st place in the televoting while they finished 6th on the overall scoreboard.

    Ulrikke won Melodi Grand Prix 2020 and was set to go on and represent Norway at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam with her entry “Attention” . Unfortunately the contest was cancelled due to the covid-19 pandemic  and the female act never saw her Eurovision journey completed.

    This year TIX was crowned winner in the national final with his song 'Fallen Angel' which he performed on Rotterdam Ahoy's stage achieving to qualify to the grand final, where he finished 18th. 

     

    News Source: NRK