Sweden Melodifestivalen 2024: Smash Into Pieces and Ajax to the Final
Tonight the first heat of Melodifestivalen 2024 took place in Malmö, Sweden. Six acts performed live, and two qualified directly for the Final: Smash Into Pieces with "Heroes Are Calling" and Lisa Ajax with "Awful Liar." Two songs also progressed to the "Final qualification"
Nu kör vi!
The first deltävling (heat) of Melodifestivalen 2024 took place tonight. The two winners were Smash Into Pieces and Lisa Ajax, who go straight through to the Final, with Adam Woods and Elisa Lindström qualifying for the "Final qualification" in four weeks’ time.
The first deltävling was held in Malmö Arena – the venue for Eurovision 2024. It's the 21st time Melodifestivalen has visited Malmö, mainly in Malmö Arena but also in the Malmö Opera.
After tonight’s first heat in Malmö, the show will visit Göteborg, Växjö, Eskilstuna, and Karlstad before heading to Stockholm for the Final on 9 March.
Melodifestivalen 2024 – Heat 1
Melodifestivalen 2024
3 February: Heat 1, Malmö- 10 February: Heat 2, Göteborg
- 17 February: Heat 3, Växjö
- 24 February: Heat 4, Eskilstuna
- 2 March: Heat 5 + Final qualification, Karlstad
- 9 March: Melodifestivalen Final, Stockholm
All shows are presented by Carina Berg.
The format for Melodifestivalen 2024 will be modified a bit compared to previous years:
There will be five heats with six entries in each. 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" round.
The heats and "Final qualification" are 100% public vote, while the Final will be decided by 50% public vote and 50% jury vote.
Voting system
In all five heats of Melodifestivalen 2024 there are two rounds of voting:
First round of voting:
Viewers can vote for all six participants via app/telephone. The song that receives the most votes (Smash Into Pieces) qualifies directly for the Final of Melodifestivalen.
Second round of voting:
Viewers can vote on the remaining five participants via app/telephone. The votes from the first round are added. All the app votes are divided into seven voting groups determined by age, and in addition an eighth voting group consisting of votes from telephone. Each of the voting groups' votes are converted into points (12-10-8-5-3-1) for the remaining five artists.
The artist with most points (Lisa Ajax) qualifies for the Final, while the artists with the 2nd and 3rd most points qualify for the "Final qualification" (previously known as "Second Chance") of Melodifestivalen.
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)!
