Swedish media report that American K-pop artist AleXa, winner of the American Song Contest, is set to join Melodifestivalen 2026. Will Sweden bring a K-pop sound to Eurovision?
Melodifestivalen 2026, Sweden’s national final for Eurovision 2026, is already generating buzz across Europe as Swedish media reveal some of the artists expected to compete. Following reports of possible returns from familiar names such as Robin Bengtsson, Fröken Snusk, and Smash Into Pieces, local outlets now point to another exciting addition – an American K-pop star well-known to Eurovision fans.
K-pop comes to Melodifestivalen
AleXa – who now also performs under the stage name Kim Seri – is expected to participate in Melodifestivalen 2026. The artist, known for blending Korean pop with Western influences, represents one of the most intriguing entries of the year, combining K-pop’s signature energy and choreography with classic Swedish pop production.
AleXa rose to prominence after winning the American Song Contest in 2022, USA’s adaptation of Eurovision. Her victory brought her international attention, and her stage performances have since been praised for their powerful dance routines and futuristic aesthetics. Behind this year’s rumored participation stands the creative team of Swedish songwriter Cazzi Opeia, who, together with Andreas Carlsson and others, co-wrote AleXa’s winning entry “Wonderland”.
Born Alexaundra Schneiderman in the United States to a South Korean mother, AleXa has long embraced her multicultural identity. After her previous record deal ended earlier this year, she adopted the stage name Kim Seri, reflecting her Korean heritage while maintaining her international appeal.
Whether she competes under the name “AleXa” or “Kim Seri“, Swedish media describe her participation as one of the most exciting international highlights of Melodifestivalen 2026. According to insiders, the same Swedish songwriting and production team behind “Wonderland” is reportedly working with her again on a new song tailored for the competition.
Additional Contestants Revealed
These names join other rumored contestants recently mentioned by the Swedish newspapers Expressen and Aftonbladet. These artists have not been officially confirmed or announced, and the official contestant list is expected at the end of November.
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Sanna Nielsen, 40, is one of the most respected singers and presenters in Sweden. Eurovision fans remember her for representing Sweden in the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest with her entry “Undo”, which finished in third place, after seven attempts in Melodifestivalen. Her notable entries include “I går, i dag” (in English: “Yesterday, Today”) from Melodifestivalen 2001 (3rd place), “Empty Room” (2nd place, 2008), and “I’m In Love” (4th place, 2011). She first rose to fame aged 11 with the song “Till en fågel” (in English: “To a Bird”), which made her the youngest artist ever to top the Swedish charts. According to Expressen, she is expected to compete for the eighth time in Melodifestivalen.
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Emilia Pantic, also revealed by Expressen, is a 25-year-old pop artist who released her debut single “Roadkill” in 2022. Recently, she released “Han vill ha dig” (in English: “He Wants You”), a song tackling comparisons with her partner’s ex.
- Fröken Snusk rose to fame for her secret identity, always appearing behind a pink mask. She broke out in September 2022 with the track “Ride mig som en dalahäst”, which garnered over 20 million Spotify streams, and later competed in Melodifestivalen 2024 with “Unga & Fria”, though she did not reach the final. Despite this, her character and the song became nationwide hits. This time, she is expected to compete under her real name, Felicia.
- Greczula, whose full name is Kristofer Niklas Greczula, is a well-known and respected Swedish singer who placed third in Melodifestivalen 2025 with the song “Believe Me”. He began performing as a solo artist in 2017, and released his debut album “Live and Let Live” in 2022. That same year, he was featured on Sweden’s popular summer TV show, “Allsång på Skansen.”
- Manoel “Junior” Marques Lerin, born in Brazil, is set to make his Melodifestivalen debut in 2026. Known in Sweden as a photographer and television figure, he recently appeared on the Swedish version of “Dancing with the Stars” on TV4. Manoel is married to painter and author Lars Lerin, and has participated in numerous of his husband’s projects — both in his books and television shows.
- Medina, the duo that began their career in 2003, is a Swedish–Tunisian partnership featuring Sami Daniel Rekik, a former professional footballer in Tunisia, and Ali “Alibi” Jammali. Their music fuses hip-hop with Arab influences, a style they describe as “Hafla music”. The pair has achieved significant success and widespread love from audiences, placing third in Melodifestivalen 2022 with “In i dimman” and second in 2024 with “Que Sera”. a song that became a hit thanks to its heartfelt lyrics and genre-blending sound.
- Meira Omar – competed last year with “Hush Hush”, reaching the final via the second chance round and finishing tenth.
- Saga Ludvigsson – 19, placed twelfth at Melodifestivalen last year with “Hate You So Much” after a surprise direct qualification from her round, also known for second place in Swedish Idol.
- Smash Into Pieces – rock band with two recent Melodifestivalen runs: third place in both 2023 (“Six Feet Under”) and 2024 (“Heroes Are Calling”).
- Eva Jumatate – 17, rumored for her Melodifestivalen debut. Known as a prodigy in Sweden, she finished second on Swedish Got Talent at age 11 and has since appeared in musicals and TV series.
- Robin Bengtsson – 35, has previously competed in Melodifestivalen four times and even won the contest in 2017 with “I Can’t Go On”, taking fifth place for Sweden at Eurovision. He also entered the competition in 2016, 2020, and 2022. According to Expressen, Bengtsson is aiming for a fifth appearance – this time with a country song!
- Arwin Ismail – 17, a young and rising Swedish star known simply as Arwin, competed at Melodifestivalen 2025 with “This Dream of Mine,” advancing to the “second chance” round but missing the final.
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Jacqline Moss competed in Melodifestivalen 2024 and reached the final directly with “Effortless”, finishing ninth. The song later gained traction among Eurovision fans across Europe. After taking a career break to become a mother, Jacqline is reportedly ready for her comeback.
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Patrik Jean, a familiar name, co-wrote “Move” by The Mamas, which won Melodifestivalen 2020 but never represented Sweden after Eurovision’s cancellation due to COVID-19. He competed in 2021 with “Tears Run Dry”, but failed to reach the final.
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Felix Manu, a young and promising artist regarded as an emerging name on the Swedish music scene, is also expected to participate — seen as an ideal opportunity to reach a wider audience.
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The pop group A-Teens, composed of Sara Lumholdt, Amit Paul, Marie Serneholt, and Dhani Lennevald, all aged 41–42, remains one of Sweden’s most successful pop collectives. Originally formed in 1999 as a youthful tribute band to ABBA, they quickly gained worldwide fame and released their major hits album in 2004. After four studio albums, the group disbanded, but last year, they reunited to mark the 25th anniversary of their debut.
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Vilhelm Buchaus, 24, began his Eurovision journey at the age of 12, competing twice consecutively in Sweden’s Junior Eurovision selection. Both times he placed second, the latter as part of a group. Last year, Buchaus competed at Melodifestivalen with the song “I’m Yours”, which did not make the final but was warmly received by Swedish audiences and became a radio hit.
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Erika Jonsson, 34, who rose to fame through the Swedish national broadcaster’s series “Countrylandet Sverige” – a show exploring the country music scene in Sweden – plans to bring authentic country sounds to this year’s Melodifestivalen.
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Cimberly Wanyonyi, 20, known by her first name Cimberly, won Sweden’s “Idol” competition in 2023 by defeating Saga Ludvigsson in the final. Both cemented their place in Sweden’s music scene, and their renewed rivalry at Melodifestivalen 2026 is expected to draw attention. Reports indicate that Cimberly had attempted to participate last year, but her involvement was postponed to the upcoming season.
- The band Korslagda has also submitted a song that received positive feedback from SVT and the competition’s jury, but no final decision has been announced on their participation.
So… What’s Next?
The national broadcaster continues to review the 3,888 songs submitted for Melodifestivalen 2026. Only 30 will be selected — 15 chosen by a professional jury and another 15 chosen internally by SVT.
Previous announcement dates were as follows:
- Melodifestivalen 2025 – November 26th, 2024.
- Melodifestivalen 2024 – December 1st, 2023.
- Melodifestivalen 2023 – November 29th, 2022.
- Melodifestivalen 2022 – November 26th, 2021.
- Melodifestivalen 2021 – December 1st, 2020.
- Melodifestivalen 2020 – November 26th, 2019.
Format and Expected Changes for Melodifestivalen 2026
Melodifestivalen 2026 will once again run for six weeks, featuring five heats and one big final. Each heat will be hosted in a different city across the country, while the grand final will, as tradition dictates, take place at Friends Arena in Stockholm. From each heat, the two top-ranked songs will advance to the final, which will feature 12 songs. The winner will be determined by a 50/50 combination of jury votes and public televoting. The Melodifestivalen winner will then represent Sweden at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria.
SVT confirmed that the format changes introduced two years ago will remain in 2026, following overwhelmingly positive feedback from viewers. These include:
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A “Second Chance” round: This gives participants who placed third or fourth in the semi-finals another opportunity to reach the final. Introduced in 2024, the system was praised as fair and exciting, giving popular songs another shot at the big stage.
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Early song releases: Instead of waiting until the end of the semi-finals, all songs in each semi-final will be released on streaming platforms one day in advance. This allows fans to enjoy the music early, form opinions, and engage with the entries ahead of the live shows.
Sweden at Eurovision 2025:
“Bara bada bastu” (in English: “Just take a sauna”) is the title of the song which was performed by band KAJ, who represented Sweden in Eurovision 2025, in Basel, Switzerland – Placing 4th with 321 points. The song was written by the band members – Kevin Holmström, Axel Åhman, and Jakob Norrgård – along with Anderz Wrethov, Kristoffer Strandberg, and Robert Skowronski.
The song led the betting predictions throughout the competition, reaching a peak of 49% winning probability, but ultimately finished in fourth place with 321 points – 126 points from the juries, ranked sixth, and 195 more points from the public, ranked third.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Sweden’s 65th appearance in the competition. Sweden joined Eurovision in 1958 and has won the contest seven times over the years. The country’s most recent victory came in 2023, when Loreen won with the song “Tattoo”.
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Neta Geffen is a respected journalist at Euromix, Israel’s leading news site for Eurovision coverage. Since 2010, Neta has been closely following the Eurovision Song Contest, bringing with him extensive experience, profound knowledge, and a broad understanding of the history, politics, and cultural influences that shape the event every year.
Neta publishes articles, analyses, and up-to-date reviews on all Eurovision developments, including musical trends, format changes, political influences, and audience reactions across Europe and Israel. Thanks to a deep connection to the contest’s history, Neta provides readers with wide-ranging context—from the impact of political events on results, to in-depth analyses of songs and languages within the competition. Neta specializes particularly in the Eurovision rock genre, Balkan ballads, and native language entries, with a special focus on Italian and Greek songs.
