The six songs competing in the first heat of Melodifestivalen 2026, Sweden’s Eurovision national selection, were revealed. The contest will begin tomorrow evening
This Saturday (tomorrow) marks the beginning of the first heat of Sweden’s Eurovision national selection – Melodifestivalen 2026, in the city of Linköping. As part of the selection process, 30 songs will compete in five heats, one semi-final (“Second Chance”), and a final where Sweden’s representative for Eurovision 2026 will be chosen.
First Heat Contestants and Songs:
- Greczula – “Half Of Me“
- Jacqline – “Woman“
- Noll2 – “Berusade Ord“
- Junior Lerin – “Copacabana Boy“
- Indra – “Beautiful Lie“
- A-Teens – “Iconic“
Click on the song’s title in order to listen!
Familiar Names From The First Heat:
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.”
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.
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.
Melodifestivalen 2026 Schedule
-
Tuesday, December 2nd, 2025 – Artist reveal.
-
Saturday, January 31st, 2026 – Heat 1 in Saab Arena, Linköping
-
Saturday, February 7th, 2026 – Heat 2 in Scandinavium, Göteborg
-
Saturday, February 14th, 2026 – Heat 3 in Kristianstad Arena, Kristianstad
-
Saturday, February 21st, 2026 – Heat 4 in Malmö Arena, Malmö
-
Saturday, February 28th, 2026 – Heat 5 and Final qual in Gärdehov Arena, Sundsvall
-
Saturday, March 7th, 2026 – Grand Final in Strawberry (Friends) Arena, Stockholm
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, as tradition dictates, will 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.
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”.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +972-50-9441919
Tal Dahan – Journalist, radio broadcaster, and Eurovision content creator.
Tal Dahan is an Israeli journalist and editor specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest, working with the EuroMix editorial team for four years. Since 2022, she has provided regular on-site coverage of Eurovision from the host city, and from 2023 has also reported directly from the press room—offering the Israeli audience live updates, exclusive interviews, and in-depth commentary.
Tal is a member of the Eurovision tribute and parody band “EuroFalsh,” a radio broadcaster, and a student of political science and communications.
She is considered one of Israel’s leading young Eurovision experts. In addition to covering the main contest, Tal has reported from Eurovision pre-parties and national selection events across Europe (in Thessaloniki, Stockholm, Madrid, and more), been interviewed by major media outlets in Israel and internationally, and presented Eurovision-themed podcasts and radio shows.
