Gothenburg, 10 February 2024
Another Saturday of Eurovision selections, another night of Sweden’s selection Melodifestivalen. Organised by Swedish state broadcaster SVT, the upcoming Melodifestivalen contest will determine who gets to represent the defending champion at the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest, in Malmö. Sweden have earned an automatic pass to the finale due to their victory last year, meaning that whoever they choose doesn’t have to endure the agony of semifinals.
Melodifestivalen, which has been a prestigious music festival since 1966 and has functioned as Sweden’s selection method since, is held in venues all over the country. The first live show took place at the Scandinavium in Gothenburg (SE: Göteborg) where several past Melfest heats and handball tournaments have been held.
The show which was hosted by Carina Berg, saw the following artists compete for a spot in the Melodifestivalen Final on 9 March 2024:
- Maria Sur – “When I’m gone”
- Engmans Kapell – “Norrland”
- Dear Sara – “The silence after you”
- C-Joe – “Ahumma”
- LIAMOO – “Dragon”
- Fröken Snusk – “Unga & fria”
The songs that place 1st and 2nd at the end of the night will advance to the final. In a departure from recent editions, Melodifestivalen no longer has a proper Second Chance Round (refered to by fans as “Andra Chansen” although that name had been discontinued since 2022). Instead, it will hold a “run-off vote” between the 3rd and 4th placers in the other semifinals after the results of the fifth heat have been made public, which will produce the last two finalists. The songs that finish in 5th and 6th place are eliminated from the process with no chance at redemption.
At the end of the first round of voting, Liamoo was declared Direkt Til Finalen, having won the first vote with his song “Break a Broken Heart.”
After their reprise, a second round of voting opened to determine the second finalist: Maria Sur absolutely destroyed the App vote with a whopping 94 points out of a maximum 96. Dear Sara and Fröken Snusk placed 3rd and 4th respectively and get a second chance via week 5’s run-off vote. . C-Joe and Engmans Kapell have been eliminated.
Do #YOU agree with the Swedish choices? Which acts would #YOU have advanced to the final? Let us know in the comments, or join the discussion on our Forum or in our Discord!
