Sweden at Eurovision 2025: The Swedish national broadcaster, SVT, has released the full voting breakdown for Melodifestivalen 2025. How was Sweden’s representative really chosen? Discover the dramatic results!

Melodifestivalen 2025 concluded with a dramatic twist as KAJ emerged as the grand winner with their song “Bara Bada Bastu”. One of Europe’s most beloved music competitions delivered an intense battle, keeping fans on the edge of their seats until the final moment. This year, the results were more unpredictable than ever, as the gap between public votes and international jury decisions sparked significant debate. Behind the numbers lies a complex picture—while the public voted one way, the international jury had a different perspective, and the age-based voting breakdown revealed surprising generational divides. Read on for an in-depth analysis of the final results!

Listen to the Swedish song for Eurovision 2025:

Voting Results: Did the Public Truly Support KAJ?

The grand final took place at Friends Arena in Stockholm, featuring 12 contestants. A total of 26,072,328 votes were cast, with 1,152,754 individual voters—an impressive turnout compared to recent years. KAJ stunned Sweden with their victory, securing 164 points from the Swedish public and 74 points from the international jury, bringing them to a total of 164 points—well ahead of second place and significantly outpacing other competitors.

Their song had already gained traction on social media during the competition, but no one expected such a dominant win, especially against Måns Zelmerlöw, the strong favorite to win. The public votes showed enthusiastic support for KAJ, but the real battle lay in the international jury’s decisions, which, according to many, did not always align with public sentiment.

Final Vote Breakdown – Who Got What?

Rank	Artist	Total Votes	Public Points	Jury Points	Total Points
1	KAJ	4,305,774	90	74	164
2	Måns Zelmerlöw	3,278,385	81	76	157
3	Greczula	2,696,753	56	47	103
4	Klara Hammarström	2,461,721	43	34	77
5	Dolly Style	2,011,149	27	48	75
6	John Lundvik	1,578,564	25	49	74
7	Scarlet	1,943,638	33	31	64
8	Annika Wickihalder	1,370,687	18	36	54
9	Erik Segerstedt	1,615,974	27	24	51
10	Meira Omar	1,901,356	24	26	50
11	Maja Ivarsson	1,435,634	30	2	32
12	Saga Ludvigsson	1,472,693	10	17	27

Måns Zelmerlöw – The Biggest Miss of the Year

If there was one contestant who captured everyone’s attention, it was Måns Zelmerlöw, the Eurovision 2015 winner, who finished second with 157 points—just 7 points behind KAJ. He managed to win over the international jury, scoring 76 points, but the Swedish public awarded him only 81 points, leaving him in second place. Many wondered if this outcome was a true shock, as he was widely expected to win throughout the competition. Watch the performance:

A painful crash for the top contenders

Two of the contestants who had led the betting charts—Scarlet and Greczula, who entered with high expectations—had to settle for seventh and third places respectively. The biggest surprise came from Klara Hammarström, who had been a top contender for victory but finished only in fourth place.

Third place: Greczula – 103 points
Fourth place: Klara Hammarström – 77 points
Fifth place: Dolly Style – 75 points
Sixth place: John Lundvik – 74 points

Drama at the judges’ table: the significant differences between the audience and the judges

While the Swedish audience clearly favored certain contestants, the international judges had a completely different take. Scarlet, for example, received only 31 points from the judges compared to a slightly warmer reception from the local audience, who gave them 33 points. On the other hand, Måns Zelmerlöw and KAJ were the only contestants to earn strong support from both sides.

KAJ racked up most of their points thanks to the jury, who awarded them 74 points. However, it was the 90 points from the loyal Swedish audience that secured their first-place finish. This choice sparked an uproar on social media, as the contestants chosen by the audience didn’t always receive the anticipated backing from the judges. Conversely, Måns Zelmerlöw, widely expected to win, received a more modest 81 points from the audience. Yet the standout detail was the international judges’ votes, which amounted to 76 points, pushing him to second place. The gap between first and second was just seven points.

Dolly Style, who had particularly high expectations, managed only 27 points from the audience, leaving them far from first place. Klara Hammarström, one of the stronger contestants, was unable to secure a higher position and ended up in fourth place with 34 points from the judges and 43 from the audience.

How Did Different Age Groups Vote?

The public votes, categorized by age groups, reveal distinct patterns:

Ages 3-9: Highest points to KAJ (12 points) and Dolly Style (10 points), showing a clear preference for fun, youthful pop.
Ages 10-15: Top picks were KAJ (12 points) and Måns Zelmerlöw (10 points)—a blend of modern electronic pop and classic Melodifestivalen hits.
Ages 16-29: KAJ (12 points) and Greczula (10 points) dominated, reflecting a preference for fresh, innovative sounds.
Ages 30-44: KAJ (12 points) and Greczula (10 points) led, with strong support also for Måns Zelmerlöw (8 points).
Ages 45-59: Måns Zelmerlöw (12 points) received the highest votes, followed by KAJ (10 points).
Ages 60-74 & 75+: Overwhelming support for Måns Zelmerlöw (12 points) and KAJ (10 points).

Judges vs. the audience

The difference between audience votes and those of the judges placed KAJ in a very strong position, thanks to broad audience support that secured them the top spot. Although the gap between audience and judges wasn’t as large as in previous years, it was still noticeable:

If the audience alone had decided, KAJ would still have won, as they earned 90 points compared to Måns Zelmerlöw’s 81 points—a larger gap than with the judges.
If the judges alone had decided, Måns Zelmerlöw would have taken first place, but with a smaller margin, as he received 76 points from the judges compared to KAJ’s 74 points.

In other words—it was very close!

The fascinating gaps between the audience and the judges

Looking at the voting, it’s intriguing to observe the judges’ preferences. The four judges who awarded the most points to KAJ were those from Italy, Ireland, Norway, and Greece, whereas the judges from Switzerland, France, and Serbia favored Måns Zelmerlöw.

Country	Points for Kai	Points for Måns Zelmerlöw
Lithuania	4	7
Italy	12	6
Switzerland	5	12
Ireland	12	7
France	10	12
Norway	12	10
Greece	12	10
Serbia	7	12

A shock in Melodifestivalen history – was this vote too close to call?

The criticism from competition fans against the international Eurovision juries hasn’t let up since the contest ended. Many argue that the international judges’ votes carry more weight than meets the eye. Swedish fans have exerted more influence than ever before on the final results, and they haven’t hesitated to voice their opinions—even during the competition itself. After the winner was announced, a wave of reactions swept social media. Angry fans claimed that the scoring differences seemed “suspicious,” raising the question once again: do international juries have too much say in the results at the expense of public opinion?

Some fans suggest that the new voting system—which allows fewer votes in the final round compared to previous years—worked in Kai’s favor, giving them an edge. On the other hand, others see their win as entirely justified, pointing to their song as a strong contender for Eurovision.

Will KAJ Succeed at Eurovision?

Now that the drama of Melodifestivalen is over, bigger questions arise: Why is Sweden leading the Eurovision betting odds? Are KAJ truly the best choice to represent Sweden at Eurovision?

Within the Swedish Eurovision community, opinions are divided. Some believe KAJ bring a refreshing energy, while others feel that the voting system was “manipulated by the jury” in favor of a more “Eurovision-friendly” act.

Sweden has a strong Eurovision legacy with numerous victories and impressive performances. Can KAJ continue this tradition and bring home another win? Only time will tell.

Sweden at Eurovision 2025:

“Bara bada bastu” (in English: “Just take a sauna”) is the title of the song that will be performed by band KAJ, who will represent Sweden in the first semi-final of Eurovision 2025, taking place on May 13 in Basel, Switzerland. The song was written by the band members – Kevin Holmström, Axel Åhman, and Jakob Norrgård – along with Anderz Wrethov, Kristoffer Strandberg, and Robert Skowronski.

Wrethov is no stranger to the Eurovision world, having written numerous Eurovision songs, including “We Will Rave” by Kaleen, who represented Austria in Eurovision 2024, “Fuego” by Eleni Foureira, who represented Cyprus in Eurovision 2018 and finished in second place, and “Voices” by Tusse, Sweden’s representative in Eurovision 2021. The song is performed in Finnish and Swedish.

KAJ – Who Are You?

KAJ is a Swedish-Finnish music and comedy group from Vörå, Ostrobothnia, Finland, consisting of Kevin Holmström, Axel Åhman, and Jakob Norrgård. The group’s name is derived from the initials of its members’ first names. They are known for their humorous performances and songs primarily in Swedish, particularly in the Vörå dialect.

The group has released several albums, including “Professionella Pjasalappar” (2012), “Lokalproducerat Pjas” (2014), “Kom ti byin” (2016), “Gambämark” (2018), “Botnia Paradise” (2021), and “Karar i arbeit” (2024).

Sources: Melfe.st.

Eurovision 2025: This will be Sweden’s 63rd participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Sweden joined the competition in 1958 and has won it seven times over the years. Sweden’s most recent victory was at Eurovision 2023 with the song “Tattoo,” performed by the singer Loreen.