Sweden: A fifth semi final to replace Melodifestivalen's 'Andra Chansen' in 2022

Sweden: A fifth semi final to replace Melodifestivalen's 'Andra Chansen' in 2022
Tuesday, 19 October 2021

  • The Second chance round of Melodifestivalen 2022 will be replaced by a fifth semi final round with no competing duels. 

    Melodifestivalen’s project manager Anette Brattström has confirmed to Aftonbladet that the 2022 edition of Melodifestivalen will not see the 'Andra Chansen' round take place with a different fifth semi final heat introduced instead. 

    Melodifestivalen is going through a significant change since 2007 in its format. This can be counted as the biggest remake of the Melodifestivalen since 2007 when Andra chansen was issued with its own competition week with a live show from an arena. It also means that it is the end for the duels, which are hated by the artists, but for the audience nail-bitingly exciting.

     Anette Brattström states precisely about the change: 

    "The purpose of the Second Chance from the beginning was that the artist would have the opportunity to redo his number from the competition if you felt that there was something to do differently. But today, almost everything is scratched to perfection so there are no major changes made. Almost no one wants to make changes and then the idea of ​​Second Chance falls. This is what we have experienced that it has not really been an elevation before the final, but rather that it may have had a slightly worse tone."

    Anette Brattström, Melodifestivalen's project manager.

    Anette Brattström - Photo: Jimmy Wixtröm

     

    The new semi final heat

    Taking account the new semi final issued instead of the Second chance round,  two songs from each of the first four semi finals will go directly to the final, and two acts will instead go on to the new fifth semifinal. 

    In the new semi-final, the eight competing acts will be divided into two groups that compete with each other and the two songs that get the most votes in each group will advance from the semi-final to the final.

     

    Thus, Melodifestivalen, the format Sweden is using to select its Eurovision hopefuls, returns next year with a total of six shows to unfold from February 5 up to March 12, 2022. Oscar Zia will be the person to present us the next edition of Melodifestivalen, marking a change of direction, with one only host taking over the presentation of the show. 

    The Swedish national selection will be unfoldng at the following venus and over the dates in 2022 set as below: 

    • 05/02/2022 –  1st Semifinal (Malmo/Malmo Arena)
    • 12/02/2022 -  2nd Semifinal (Gothenburg/ Scandinavium)
    • 19/02/2022 -  3rd Semifinal (Linköping / Saab Arena)
    • 26/02/2022 -  4th Semifinal  (Lidköping / Sparbanken Arena)
    • 05/03/2022 -  Second  Chance Semifinal ( Örnsköldsvik – Hägglunds Arena)
    • 12/03/2022 - Grand Final ( Stockholm/ Friends Arena)

     

     

    Sweden in Eurovision

    Sweden has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 60 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 2019 John Lundvik represented the country with his song “Too Late For Love”,achieving another top 5 placing for Sweden as he  finished 5th overall with 334 points. Last year 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

    This 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. 

    News Source: Aftonbladet.se

    Photo credit: Fredrik Sandberg/TT