Less than a day after Sweden officially revealed its 2026 Melodifestivalen lineup, producers are investigating a contestant over a possible rule breach. Could the contestant be possible disqualified?
Yesterday (Tuesday), the Swedish national broadcaster SVT unveiled the 30 contestants competing in Melodifestivalen 2026 – Sweden’s traditional national final. However, during press interviews, one newcomer, Junior Lerin, may have, allegedly, breached one of the contest’s fundamental rules.
While speaking with Sweden’s news channel, TV4, Lerin asked the interviewer, “Do you want to sing with me?” before singing the words “Copacabana Boy” – the title of his entry. The reporter appeared surprised, seemingly aware the move could get him into trouble later on.
Possible Rule Breach Under Investigation
“It’s unfortunate,” said Melodifestivalen project manager Anders Wistbacka, adding that the case will be investigated thoroughly. Lerin told TV4 News that “it was just for fun” and insisted he merely said “Copacabana Boy” rather than performing it. He added, “A lot happened during the press conference, and if I did sing it, I didn’t mean to.”
Wistbacka stated that only unpublished music is eligible for Melodifestivalen. All artists sign agreements forbidding public performances of their entries ahead of the show. While he had already listened to Lerin’s track, Wistbacka admitted it was unclear from the interview whether what Lerin sang matched the original melody. Still, he emphasized that producers take the matter seriously: “I think the damage is limited, if that was even his song. If it was, then it’s unfortunate.” Organizers will meet with Lerin to hear his account.
Lerin later told TV4 he felt terrible about the incident: “That wasn’t the point. I even lost my appetite, my stomach hurt. I thought, ‘Oh my God, what’s happening?’”
Performing a song publicly before Melodifestivalen violates the competition rules. However, in this case, it remains uncertain whether Lerin truly sang a snippet of his entry or merely quoted its title to a random melody. Disqualification decisions are made individually, and even if a brief portion was sung, it’s likely Lerin will remain in the contest.
Watch the full interview here.
Who is Junior Lerin?
Junior Lerin, born in Brazil, is set to make his Melodifestivalen debut in 2026. He is a well-known TV personality and photographer in Sweden, who recently appeared on the Swedish edition of “Dancing with the Stars” on TV4. He is married to painter and author Lars Lerin, having featured in many of his husband’s creative projects, including books and TV programs.
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
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:
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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.
Melodifestivalen 2026 Schedule
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Saturday, January 31st, 2026 – Semi-final 1.
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Saturday, February 7th, 2026 – Semi-final 2.
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Saturday, February 14th, 2026 – Semi-final 3.
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Saturday, February 21st, 2026 – Semi-final 4.
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Saturday, February 28th, 2026 – Semi-final 5.
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Saturday, March 7th, 2026 – Grand Final.
Sweden at Eurovision 2025:
“Bara bada bastu” (in English: “Just take a sauna”) is the title of the song which was performed by the 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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Noy Yehoyada is an Israeli journalist and content creator at the EuroMix team since 2024, bringing a personal, feminine, and LGBTQ+ voice into the Eurovision sphere. A devoted Eurovision fan since the age of 16, she plays an active role in covering the contest—including on-site reporting at Eurovision 2025 in Basel and across European pre-party events. Alongside her writing and commentary, Noy plans the editorial schedule for the website, closely tracks national selections and song reveals, participates in live broadcasts, and creates digital content focusing on representation, musical diversity, and emotional connections.
Beyond her work at EuroMix, Noy has over six years of experience in the cosmetics and pharma industries, with a background in sales, personal consulting, and managing beauty departments. She enjoys pop, rap, contemporary art, and traveling in Europe—and especially loves songs that make her want to dance, as well as those that tell a story.
