First Heat – 31st January:

1. Indra – “Beautiful Lie”
   Anderz Wrethov, Indra, Kristofer Strandberg, Laurell Barker, Robert Skowronski
2. Noll2 – “Drunk Words”
   Fredrik Andersson, Jakob Westerlund, Wilmer Öberg
3. Junior Lerin – “Copacabana Boy”
   Fredrik Andersson
4. Greczula – “Half Of Me”
   Dino Medanhodzic, Jimmy Jansson, Lina Hansson, Moa ”Cazzi Opeia” Carlebecker, Thomas G:son
5. A-Teens – “Iconic”
   Andreas Werling, Karl Ivert, Kian Sang, Greczula
6. Jacqline – “Woman”
   Dino Medanhodzic, Jimmy Jansson, Moa ”Cazzi Opeia” Carlebecker, Thomas G:son

Indra – 22 years old, participated in the Swedish “Idol” in 2020. Last summer, she signed with the indie label “Emperial,” which was previously responsible for successes in Melodifestivalen with artists like Meira Omar and Liamoo.

Noll2 – A pop duo consisting of Jakob Westerlund and Wilmer Öberg, both 23 years old. They met at school and started creating songs together in 2022. According to sources from the Swedish newspaper Expressen, the duo will compete in Melodifestivalen for the first time. In 2023, the duo made their debut with the single “Maja”, which garnered millions of streams on Spotify and was praised by local music journalists.

Junior Lerin – Born in Brazil, he will make his debut appearance in Melodifestivalen 2026. He is a photographer and well-known television personality in Sweden, who also recently participated in the Swedish version of “Dancing with the Stars” on the rival channel, TV4. Junior is married to the painter and author Lars Lerin and has participated in many of his husband’s productions, both in books and television shows.

Greczula, full name Kristofer Niklas Greczula, is a well-known and respected singer in Sweden who placed third in Melodifestivalen 2025 with the song “Believe Me”. In 2017, he began working as a soloist, and in 2022, he released his first album, “Live and Let Live.” That same year, he also participated in the popular Swedish summer show “Allsång på Skansen.”

A-Teens – Composed of Sara Lumholdt, Amit Paul, Marie Serneholt, and Dhani Lennevald, all aged 41-42, this successful Swedish pop band broke through in 1999 as a young tribute act to ABBA and quickly became recognized worldwide after releasing their major hit album in 2004. After four albums, the group broke up, but last year they reunited to mark 25 years since their formation.

Jacqline – Participated in Melodifestivalen 2024 and went straight to the final with the song “Effortless”, finishing ninth. The song later gained popularity among Eurovision fans across Europe. She took a break from her career to become a mother.

Second Heat – 7th February:

1. Klara Almström  – “Where the whole world is waiting”
   Fredrik Sonefors, Jimmy Jansson, Klara Almström
   
2. Arwin – “Glitter”
   Arwin Ismail. Axel Schylström. Dino Medanhodzic. Melanie Wehbe, Robert Skowronski
   
3. Robin Bengtsson – “Honey Honey”
   Gavin Jones, Pär Westerlund, Petter Tarland, Robin Bengtsson
   
4. Felicia – “My System”
   Audun Agnar, Emily Harbakk, FELICIA, Julie Bergan, Theresa Rex
5. Laila Adèle – “Oxygen”
   Jonas Thander, Laila Adèle, Marcus Winther-John
   
6. Brandsta City Släckers – Rakt in i elden
   Anderz Wrethov, Elin Wrethov, Kristofer Strandberg, Robert Skowronski
   

Klara Almström – 21 years old, will take part in Melodifestivalen for the first time. Note – she is not Klara Hammarström, who competed four times in Melodifestivalen despite the amusing similarity in names. Almström became known in Sweden through her participation in the show “Idol” in 2022, where she finished third.

Arwin Ismail – 17 years old, a rising young star in Sweden (using his first name Arwin as a stage name), who participated in the 2025 Swedish Eurovision preselection with the song “This Dream of Mine.” He reached the “Second Chance” round but did not qualify for the final.

Robin Bengtsson – 35 years old, who participated in Melodifestivalen four times, winning once in 2017 with the song “I Can’t Go On,” which earned him a respectable fifth place at Eurovision. He also competed in 2016, 2020, and 2022. Bengtsson will compete for the fifth time this year with a country song.

Felicia – Known for her alter ego Fröken Snusk, who hides behind a pink mask. She rose to fame in September 2022 after releasing the song “Ride mig som en dalahäst,” which gained over 20 million streams on Spotify. She competed in Melodifestivalen 2024 with the song “Unga & Fria,” which did not qualify for the final but still became a hit in Sweden.

Laila Adèle – 47 years old, a musical theater star. She competed in Melodifestivalen 2006 with the song “Don’t Try To Stop Me” but did not advance to the final. Since then, she has had success in musical theater with roles in productions such as “Hairspray,” “Legally Blonde,” and others.

Brandsta City Släckers – A Swedish band formed in 1994 that competed in Melodifestivalen 2022 with the song “Kom och ta mig”. In the latest competition, they performed the same song as an interval act with host Edvin Törnblom.

Third Heat – 14th February:

1. Saga Ludvigsson – “Ain’t Today”
   Dino Medanhodzic, Jimmy Jansson, Johanna ”Dotter” Jansson, Saga Ludvigsson
   
2. Patrik Jean – “Dusk Till Dawn”
   David Lindgren Zacharias, Joy Deb, Melanie Wehbe, Patrik Jean
   
3. Emilia Pantić – “Nothing”
   Emilia Pantić, Fredrik Andersson, Jakob Westerlund, Theodor Ström, Wilmer Öberg
   
4. Crossed – “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll”
   Andreas Werling, Pedro Sanchez, Kristofer Strandberg, Stefan ”UBBE” Sjur
5. Eva Jumatate – “Selfish”
   Eva Jumatate, Herman Gardarfve, Marlene Strand, Ruth Lindegren
6. Medina – “Viva L’Amor”
   Ali ”Alibrorsh” Jammali, Anderz Wrethov, Dino Medanhodzic, Jimmy ”Joker” Thörnfeldt, Sami Rekik
   

Saga Ludvigsson – 19 years old, competed in Melodifestivalen last year with the song “Hate You So Much,” which advanced surprisingly straight from her heat to the final, finishing 12th. Saga became known when she reached second place in Swedish Idol.

Patrik Jean – A familiar name in the competition. He was one of the songwriters for “Move” by The Mamas, which won Melodifestivalen 2020 but did not represent Sweden at Eurovision due to the contest’s cancellation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Jean also competed in Melodifestivalen 2021 with the song “Tears Run Dry,” but did not reach the final.

Emilia Pantic – A 25-year-old pop artist who released her first single, “Roadkill,” in 2022. Recently, she released the song “Han vill ha dig”, which is about her comparison to her friend’s ex.

Crossed – A rock band formed in 2019 that will participate in Melodifestivalen for the first time this year.

Eva Jumatate – 17 years old, competing for the first time in the Swedish Eurovision preselection. Eva is already known in Sweden as a child prodigy; she competed on the Swedish version of “Got Talent” at age 11, finishing second, and has performed in musicals and TV series.

Medina – A duo that started in 2003, a Swedish-Tunisian pair consisting of Sami Daniel Rekik, a former football player in Tunisia, and Ali “Alibi” Jammali. Their music is a unique blend of hip-hop with influences from the Arab world, which they call Hafla music. They have experienced notable success and much love from the audience, placing third in Melodifestivalen 2022 with the song “In i dimman” and second with “Que Sera” in 2024, which became a hit due to its touching lyrics and rhythm blending styles from pop to hip-hop.

Fourth Heat – 21st February:

1. Meira Omar – “Dooest Daram”
   Anderz Wrethov, Jimmy ”Joker” Thörnfeldt, Laurell Barker, Meira Omar
   
2. Cimberly – “Eternity”
   Cimberly-Malaika Wanyonyi, David Lindgren Zacharias, Dino Medanhodzic, Melanie Wehbe
   
3. Erika Jonsson – “Från landet”
   Amir Aly, Erika Jonsson, Mikael Karlsson
   
4. Felix Manu – “Hatar att jag älskars dig”
   Axel Schylström, Felix Manu, Fernand MP, Karl Flyckt
5. Smash Into Pieces – “Hollow”
   Benjamin Jennebo, Chris Adam Hedman Sörbye, Per Bergquist, Philip Strand
6. Timo Räisänen – “Igenting är apter oss”
   Andreas ”Giri” Lindbergh, Jimmy ”Joker” Thörnfeldt, Joy Deb, Lina Räisänen, Linnea Deb, Timo Räisänen
   

Meira Omar – Competed in Melodifestivalen last year with the hit song “Hush Hush,” which advanced to the final via the Second Chance round and finished in tenth place.

Cimberly Wanyonyi (known as Kimberly) – 20 years old, participated in and won the Swedish “Idol” competition in 2023, defeating Saga Ludvigsson in the final. Both have secured their places in the local music scene, and their recurring competition is expected to be interesting. According to reports, Kimberly attempted to compete in the Eurovision preselection last year, but her participation was postponed to the upcoming season.

Erika Jonsson – 34 years old, known from the Swedish TV network series “Countrylandet Sverige,” which is about the country music scene in Sweden. She is expected to bring country music directly to the Eurovision preselection this year.

Felix Manu – A young and promising singer considered a rising name in the Swedish music scene. His participation in Melodifestivalen will be an excellent opportunity to reach a broader audience.

Smash Into Pieces – A band that competed two years in a row: in 2023 with the song “Six Feet Under,” which became a huge hit in Sweden and finished third in the preselection, which also included Eurovision winner Loreen; and in 2024 with the song “Heroes Are Calling,” which also finished third.

Timo Räisänen – 46 years old, guitarist in the backing band of Swedish musician Håkan Hellström. He co-wrote his Melodifestivalen song with Linnea Deb, one of the most successful Melodifestivalen songwriters, who also won Eurovision 2015 as the writer of “Heroes.” This will be Räisänen’s first participation in Melodifestivalen.

Fifth Heat – 28th February:

1. Lilla Al-Fadji – “Delulu”
   Daniel Réhn, Edward af Sillén, Lilla Al-Fadji, Fredrik Sonefors, Melanie Wehbe, Mikaela Samuelsson
2. Vilhelm Buchaus – “Hearts Don’t Lie”
   David Zandén, Isa Molin, Vilhelm Buchaus
3. Juliett – “Långt från alla andra”
   David Själin, Elias Kask, Herman Gardarfve, Ludvig Alamanos, Romeo Er-Melin, Valter Wigren
4. AleXa – “Tongue Tied”
   AleXa, Moonshine (Jonatan Gusmark & ​​Ludvig Evers), Sunshine (Ellen Berg & Moa ”Cazzi Opeia” Carlebecker)
5. Sanna Nielsen – “Waste Your Love”
   Jimmy Jansson, Peter Boström, Thomas G:son
6. Bladë – “Who You Are”
   Isa Tengblad, Josefina Carlbom
   

Lilla Al-Fadji – originally named Felipe Andres Leiva Wenger. He is a comedic character who previously succeeded as part of the hip-hop duo Ison & Fille. He is 45 years old and, through his comedic persona, has managed to attract a wider audience. This year, Al-Fadji teamed up with Edward af Sillén, who will write his song. Sillén is a longtime commentator of Eurovision, Melodifestivalen, and other pre-Eurovision events, a scriptwriter in these competitions, and co-wrote the song “Love Love Peace Peace” at Eurovision 2016 – a song that became much more than just an interval act. This will be Sillén’s first time writing a song for the competition itself, not just working behind the scenes as a commentator or writer.

Vilhelm Buchaus – 24 years old, started his journey toward Eurovision at just 12 years old, competing two years in a row in the Swedish Junior Eurovision preselection. Both times, he finished second, with the second as part of a band. Last year, Buchaus competed in Melodifestivalen with the song “I’m Yours,” which did not qualify for the final but was beloved by the Swedish audience and became a radio hit.

Juliett – previously known as J1. The five-member band gathered over a million Spotify streams for their summer hit last year titled “Varje efterfest”.

AleXa – also known by the stage name Kim Seri, won the 2022 American Song Contest (a local version of Eurovision). She is expected to bring the energetic choreography unique to the successful K-pop genre. According to Swedish media, the move is supported by the management and production team of Swedish artist Cazzi Opeia, who co-wrote AleXa’s winning song “Wonderland” together with Andreas Carlsson and other collaborators.

Sanna Nielsen – 40 years old, one of the most respected singers and hosts in Sweden. She is well known to Eurovision fans through her seven participations in Melodifestivalen, including one win representing Sweden at Eurovision 2014 with the song “Undo,” where she finished third. Her known songs from Melodifestivalen participation include “I går, i dag” from 2001 (3rd place), “Empty Room” from 2008 (2nd place), and “I’m In Love” from 2011 (4th place). She became known at age 11 with the song “Till en fågel”, making her the youngest ever to top the Swedish charts.

Bladë – 27 years old, participating for the third time in Melodifestivalen: in 2015, she sang “Don’t Stop,” reached the final, and finished seventh; in 2016, she sang “I Will Wait” and was eliminated in the Second Chance round. She also co-wrote “I Do Me” by Malou Prytz for Melodifestivalen 2019, which reached the final but finished last in 12th place. From 2020 – 2023, Tangblad took a step back to serve as a backing vocalist on six songs competing in Melodifestivalen and now feels ready to return to the front.

Format and 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:

• 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.

• 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.

Melodifestivalen 2026 Schedule

• Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 – Artist reveal.

• Saturday, January 31st, 2026 – Semi-final 1.

• Saturday, February 7th, 2026 – Semi-final 2.

• Saturday, February 14th, 2026 – Semi-final 3.

• Saturday, February 21st, 2026 – Semi-final 4.

• Saturday, February 28th, 2026 – Semi-final 5.

• Saturday, March 7th, 2026 – Grand Final.