Tonight at 20:00 CET, the final of Melodifestivalen 2025 will take place, determining Sweden’s representative and song for the first semi-final of Eurovision 2025, scheduled for May 13 in Basel, Switzerland. After five heats and a second chance round, 12 songs have advanced to tonight’s final. The winner will be chosen through a combination of public voting (50%) and international jury voting (50%).

As in previous years, the international jury panel will include judging teams from eight European locations. This year’s judging countries are Serbia, Lithuania, France, Greece, Norway, Switzerland, Italy, and Ireland.

The final will begin at 21:00.
To watch the live broadcast – click here!

Sweden’s national broadcaster, SVT, has determined the performance order for the heats and final. As in previous years, SVT has released the order in which the finalists will perform. The song order is designed to create a musically diverse show that keeps viewers engaged, similar to the Eurovision approach. The competition hosts are Keyyo and Edvin Törnblom.

Top Contenders for Melodifestivalen 2025:

The main favorite to win is Sweden’s 2015 Eurovision representative, who has returned this year. Måns Zelmerlöw represented Sweden in Eurovision 2015 and made history by bringing the country its sixth victory with the song “Heroes” and one of the most memorable performances. Previously, he participated twice more in Melodifestivalen – in 2007, finishing third with “Cara Mia“, and in 2009, placing fourth with “Hope & Glory“. Besides competing in the national selection, he also hosted it in 2010 and 2021. Since then, he has hosted Eurovision 2016 in Stockholm, appeared in various Eurovision events, and participated in different performances dedicated to the Eurovision contest. The singer is leading in both betting odds and was chosen as the favorite by our readers.

In second place in the betting odds is the band KAJ, which leads by a huge margin in YouTube views – no less than 3 million views for their song “Bara bada bastu“. The band was chosen as the favorite by our website’s editorial team.

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

Click on the song names to listen!

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.