The grand and beloved precursor to Eurovision, Melodifestivalen 2025, is approaching its climax, with the grand finale scheduled for next Saturday (March 8) at Friends Arena, Stockholm. The winner of this finale will represent Sweden in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2025, taking place on May 13 in Basel, Switzerland. After five heats and a ‘second chance’ round, 12 songs have made it to the final stage. The winner will be determined by a combination of public votes (50%) and international jury votes (50%).

As every year, the Swedish national broadcaster SVT sets the performance order for the heats and the final. This year, ahead of the final, the broadcaster has published the order in which the qualifying songs will appear. The song order is strategically set by the production team to create a musically diverse show that keeps viewers glued to their television screens, similar to what is done in Eurovision.

1. John Lundvik – “Voice Of The Silent”
2. Dolly Style – “YIHAA”
3. Greczula – “Believe Me”
4. Klara Hammerstrom – “On and On and On”
5. SCARLET – “Sweet N’ Psycho”
6. Erik Segerstedt – “Show Me What Love Is”
7. Maja Ivarrson – “Kamikaze Life”
8. Meira Omar – “Hush Hush”
9. Mans Zelmerlow – “Revolution”
10. Saga Lundvigsson – “Hate You So Much”
11. Annika Wickihalder – “Life Again”
12. KAJ – “Bara bada bastu”

Click on the song names to listen!

According to statistics from the last decade, since the number of finalists increased from 10 to 12, the song placed as number 10 in the performance order has the highest chances of winning. In four out of nine competitions (2015-2023), the song in this position won—Loreen in 2023, Cornelia Jakobs in 2022, John Lundvik in 2019, and Frans in 2016. It is also noted that all these songs finished in the top five positions at Eurovision.

In the current competition, Saga Lundvigsson is positioned at number 10 with her song “Hate You So Much“, although betting sites place her ninth with only a one percent chance of winning. The uncontested leader according to betting odds tables is Eurovision 2015 winner, Måns Zelmerlöw, with the song “Revolution“, followed by a significant gap for the band KAJ with their song “Bara bada bastu“. Both songs are in the latter part of the final, and their memorable performances may be further highlighted by the judges and audience close to voting.

Among the finalists, there are many familiar names:

• John Lundvik began his Eurovision journey in 2014 when he composed the song “Natural,” performed by Anton Ewald, which advanced directly to the final of Sweden’s national selection. Lundvik debuted as a singer in Melodifestivalen in 2018 with the song “My Turn.” The following year, he made a triumphant return, winning the competition with “Too Late for Love” and representing Sweden at Eurovision, where he placed fifth in the grand final with 334 points! In 2022, Lundvik returned to Melodifestivalen, this time with a Swedish-language song, “Änglavakt.” Notably, every time Lundvik has competed in Melodifestivalen, he has qualified directly for the final. He was also one of the co-writers of “Bigger than Us,” the song that represented the United Kingdom at Eurovision 2019, which finished in last place.
• Klara Hammarström returns for her fourth participation in Melodifestivalen, having previously competed in 2020, 2021, and 2022. In 2020, she attempted to represent Sweden with “Nobody” but did not reach the final. In 2021, she came back with “Beat of Broken Hearts“, successfully advancing from the second chance round to finish sixth in the final. In 2022, she matched this result with “Run to the Hills“, though she qualified directly from her semi-final.
• Erik Segerstedt is no stranger to Melodifestivalen. He finished third in 2009 as part of the band EMD and competed again in 2013, advancing to the second chance round with Tone Damli.
• Annika Wickihalder rose to prominence in 2021 as a semi-finalist on the music reality show Idol. If her name sounds familiar, it might be because she finished eighth in Melodifestivalen 2024 with “Light” after advancing from the second chance round.
• Dolly Style is a girl group known for their unique and colorful appearance. The group originally consisted of three members, has competed in Melodifestivalen three times in the past and has never qualified for the final – in 2015 with “Hello Hi“, in 2016 with “Rollercoaster” and in 2019 with “Habibi“. They have since expanded to include four members.
• Måns Zelmerlöw represented Sweden at Eurovision 2015, making history by securing the country’s sixth victory with his unforgettable performance of “Heroes“. Before this, Måns competed in Melodifestivalen twice: in 2007, finishing third with “Cara Mia“, and in 2009, finishing fourth with “Hope & Glory“. Beyond competing, he has also hosted Melodifestivalen in 2010 and 2021. Måns later co-hosted Eurovision 2016 in Stockholm and has appeared in various Eurovision-related performances since.
• SCARLET is a Swedish metal female duo formed in 2018, known for their heavy rock style that blends elements of pop with modern metal. The duo brought a unique flair to Melodifestivalen 2024 with their song “Circus X” and is characterized by their heavy skull makeup and anonymity. Although they did not qualify directly for the final, they reached the second chance round, where they placed fourth.

Melodifestivalen 2025 – What We Know So Far

Full List of Cities and Dates for Melodifestivalen 2025

• Semi-Final 1: February 1, Coop Norrbotten Arena, Luleå
• Semi-Final 2: February 8, Scandinavium, Gothenburg
• Semi-Final 3: February 15, ABB Arena, Västerås
• Semi-Final 4: February 22, Malmö Arena, Malmö
• Semi-Final 5 & Second Chance Round: March 1, Husqvarna Garden, Jönköping
• Grand Final: March 8, Friends Arena, Stockholm

Song Submission and Selection

The song submission window for Melodifestivalen 2025 opened on August 23 and closed on September 13. According to official information from SVT, a record 2,794 songs were submitted. Out of these, 30 songs were selected to compete in the contest, with one ultimately chosen to represent Sweden at Eurovision 2025, to be held in Basel, Switzerland.