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It wouldn’t be the Eurovision-on season without a healthy dose of Melodifestivalen drama, and Sweden is already firing on all cylinders for 2025. After a spectacular hosting gig in Malmö for Eurovision 2024, the Swedish broadcaster SVT is gearing up for Basel 2025 by announcing the return of its beloved national selection show, Melodifestivalen—and it’s bringing some fresh twists.
A six-week extravaganza across Sweden
As usual, Melodifestivalen will run for six weeks, starting on February 1, 2025, with a grand finale set for March 8, 2025, in Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena. But it wouldn’t be Melodifestivalen without a nationwide tour: the contest kicks off in Luleå before heading to Gothenburg, Västerås, Malmö, and Jönköping.
This year’s edition will showcase 30 brand-new songs across five semi-finals, with the top two from each semi-final going straight to the final. But here’s where it gets spicy: only the third-placed song from each semi-final will be given a second chance to join the finalists. Gone are the days of 10-song second chances—this year, it’s just five tracks vying for the last two spots.
The new rules: Finalkvalet shake-up
In 2025, finalkvalet (the second-chance round) will feature just five entries. The third-placed songs from each semi-final get to battle it out, but here’s the twist: the highest-scoring third-place song from all the semis will automatically be sent to the final. The remaining four will then fight for the last spot, with the public deciding who earns that coveted 12th ticket. And no, that doesn’t sound overly complex, at all. Shut up.
For Eurovision fans, this means more pressure, more suspense, and, let’s be honest, probably more key changes and ticker tape parades.
All about transparency: Songs released early
Another big change for 2025 is when we’ll get to hear the songs far sooner. In previous years, SVT kept the tracks under wraps until all the semi-finals had aired. Not anymore. This time, each set of six songs will be released the day before their semi-final on Fridays. So, you’ll have a full 24 hours to obsess over your faves before they hit the stage on Saturday night.
Record-breaking submissions
If you thought Sweden was tired after hosting Eurovision 2024, think again. The submission window for Melodifestivalen 2025 has just closed, and a whopping 2,794 songs have landed on the SVT doormat. That’s 170 more than last year. Clearly, Sweden’s still got that Eurovision magic flowing.
Dates for your diary
- 01/02: Deltävling 1 (Luleå)
- 08/02: Deltävling 2 (Göteborg)
- 15/02: Deltävling 3 (Västerås)
- 22/02: Deltävling 4 (Malmö)
- 01/03: Finalkvalet (Jönköping)
- 08/03: Final (Stockholm)