Sweden changes the format for Melodifestivalen 2024: 30 songs will compete
Five heats and one final will find the Swedish artist and song for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. A new "Final qualification" will be included in the last heat
28 songs become 30. Sweden's broadcaster SVT has revealed some changes for Melodifestivalen 2024.
Sweden's traditional selection for Eurovision, Melodifestivalen, has traditionally consisted of six shows: four heats, a "Second Chance" show, and a final.
SVT has struggled with declining viewership for the fifth show – the "Second Chance" show. Over the last couple of years, the fifth "Second Chance" show had changed its name to "Semi-final," although the concept was basically the same: Third and fourth places from each heat competed again getting another chance to qualify for the Final.
"Final qualification" included in Heat 5
In 2024 there will be five heats with six entries in each, so the entire competition will therefore consist of 30 entries. Two entries from each heat go straight to the Final, two remain in the competition, and two are eliminated.
Right after Heat 5, all the third and fourth place finishers from the five heats will compete in a "Final qualification" ("Finalkvalet").
Melodifestivalen 2024
- Heat 1: 6 songs (2 to Final, 2 to Final qualification)
- Heat 2: 6 songs (2 to Final, 2 to Final qualification)
- Heat 3: 6 songs (2 to Final, 2 to Final qualification)
- Heat 4: 6 songs (2 to Final, 2 to Final qualification)
- Heat 5: 6 songs (2 to Final, 2 to Final qualification)
- Final qualification: 10 songs (recap) (2 to Final)
- Final: 12 songs
The "Final qualification" will probably be around half an hour long. A quick recap of the remaining 10 performances (from the heats) will be shown, and the viewers can vote for their favorites. The top two will get a place in the Final.
The result in this new "Final qualification" will be based on the votes both from the heats and from the Final qualification round.
Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest
Since 1958, Sweden has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 62 times, and with great success. Together with Ireland, they hold the record of most victories in Eurovision:
- 1974: ABBA – Waterloo
- 1984: Herreys – Diggi-loo Diggy-ley
- 1991: Carola – Fångad Av En Stormvind
- 1999: Charlotte Nilsson – Take Me To Your Heaven
- 2012: Loreen – Euphoria
- 2015: Måns Zelmerlöw – Heroes
- 2023: Loreen – Tattoo
They came in last two times (1963 and 1977), and since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004 Sweden has managed to qualify for the Grand Final 18 out of 19 times (only failing to qualify in 2010)!
