Sweden: Melodifestivalen to see format changes in 2022

Sweden: Melodifestivalen to see format changes in 2022
Thursday, 08 October 2020

  • Melodifestivalen, the show that determines every year Sweden's ESC entry,  will see some significant changes in its format from the 2022 edition. 

    In 2022 is it is very possible we see a different format of Melodifestivalen hitting our screen according to what the competition's Executive producer , Anette Helenius, stated to Dagens Nyheter. The changes to be inplemented will not be revealed currently but are under consideration by the Production Team. 

    The main objective of the changes will be to create a format that will be more supportive to new talents entering the competition as at the moment one only wildcard is given to the one act from the P4 Nasta contest. Last time we saw Melfest introduce new elements was back in 2002 with the introduction of the 4 semi finals and the Second Chance heat. 

     

    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). Since 1959, the Swedish entry has been chosen through the annual televised competition, named since 1967 as Melodifestivalen. 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.

    This 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. 

     

    Source : Eurovoix

    Cover photo: ESCsverige.blospot.com