Europe’s largest and most beloved Eurovision national selection, Melodifestivalen 2026, gears up with its second heat! This round will take place at the iconic Scandinavium arena in Gothenburg — the same venue that hosted Eurovision 1985.

Six songs will compete on the Melodifestivalen stage tonight. The two songs receiving the most votes will advance directly to the grand final, scheduled for March 7th in Stockholm. Another song from each heat will qualify to a “Second Chance” round at the end of the fifth heat on February 28th, a week before the final, for another opportunity to reach the grand final.

The winner of the final will represent Sweden in the first half of the first semi-final of Eurovision 2026, in Vienna, Austria.

The heat will begin at 20:00 CET.
To watch the first heat of Melodifestivalen 2026, click here!

Second Heat Contestants and Songs:

1. 1. Arwin – “Glitter”
      
   2. Laila Adèle – “Oxygen”
   3. Robin Bengtsson – “Honey Honey”
      
   4. Felicia – “My System”
   5. Klara Almström – “Där hela världen väntar“
   6. Brandsta City Släckers – “Rakt in i elden”

Click on the song title to listen!

Familiar Names From The Second Heat:

• Arwin Ismail – 17 years old, a rising young star in Sweden (using his first name Arwin as a stage name), who participated in “Melodifestivalen 2025” 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 qualify 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.

First Heat Results:

In the first heat, held last Saturday, January 31st, the two artists who topped the votes and advanced directly to the final were Greczula with the song “Half Of Me”, and the band A-Teens performing “Iconic”. The artist who came third was Jacqline with her song “Woman”, who qualified for the “Second Chance” round that will take place on February 28th, where she will compete again for a spot in the grand final.

Melodifestivalen 2026 Schedule:

• 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.