Norway: MGP 2022 Semifinals and Second chance round to take place without audience

Norway: MGP 2022 Semifinals and Second chance round to take place without audience
Thursday, 16 December 2021

  • The Norwegian national broadcaster, NRK, has announced that no audience will attend the semifinals and the second chance round of Melodi Grand Prix 2022, the show that will determine Norway's Eurovision 2022 hopeful.

    With the covid-19 still around and  Europe facing the new varioant of 'Omikron' countries around the contitent are implementing measures in order to avoid a new wave of the pademic. 

    Under these circumstances, the organisers of Melodi Grand Prix have decided to scale down the presence of the audience in the national selection shows. This means that all semi final shows along with the second chance round will take place without any audience present. 

    Stig Karlsen, Head Producer of Melodi Grand Prix, says on the decision:

    “Unfortunately, we are in a far more demanding situation than last time, and are now taking a number of measures to limit the risk of infection and quarantine. We therefore find ourselves forced to run MGP completely without an audience during the semi-final and second chance round.

    MGP is Norway’s largest music show, and a very important event for the Norwegian people through January and February. We must as far as possible minimise the risk associated with the implementation of the TV show.”

     

    Nevertheless, the organisers are optimistic that an audience will be able to attend the Grand final, but still it is too early to confirm such things. People that have bought tickets for the semi finals and the second chance show will be fully refunded over the next 6-8 weeks. 

    Melodi Grand Prix 2022 is set to kick off on January 15,2022 and will unfold over six shows, four semifinals, a second chance heat and the Grand final.  Precisely these are the scheduled dates for MGP 2022: 

    • 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

     

    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

    Image: enroute-eurovision.fr