Sweden: Oscar Zia and Lisa Ajax to the final

This years Melodifestivalen continued with the third heat (deltävling), and once again, the bookmakers predicted the two winners directly qualified for the final: Oscar Zia and Lisa Ajax and two acts for the "second chance": SaRaha and Boris René.

Like the previous years the votes will not be unveiled before the Final of Melodifestivalen 12 March 2016.

The third show was hosted by Gina Dirawi with the help from Swedish comedian Henrik Schyffert. He also hosted the second deltävling of Melodifestivalen 2005.

Melodifestivalen 2016 Heat 3

Deltävling 3, Norrköping, 20 February 2016

• Oscar Zia – "Human" (Finalist)
• Lisa Ajax – "My Heart Wants Me Dead" (Finalist)
• SaRaha – "Kizunguzungu" (Second chance)
• Boris René – "Put Your Love on Me" (Second chance)
• SMILO – "Weight of the World"
• Swingfly feat. Helena Gutarra – "You Carved Your Name"
• After Dark – "Kom ut som en stjärna"

Melodifestivalen 2016

• 6 February: Melodifestivalen Deltävling 1, Gothenburg (Scandinavium)
• 13 February: Melodifestivalen Deltävling 2, Malmö (Malmö Arena)
• 20 February: Melodifestivalen Deltävling 3, Norrköping (Himmelstalundshallen)
• 27 February: Melodifestivalen Deltävling 4, Gävle (Gavlerinken Arena)
• 5 March: Melodifestivalen Second Chance, Halmstad (Halmstad Arena)
• 12 March: Melodifestivalen Final, Stockholm (Friends Arena)

All the shows are hosted by Gina Dirawi accompanied by various guest hosts.
The format for Melodifestivalen 2016 is the same as last year:
Each of the 4 heats qualifies 2 songs directly to the final
Each of the 4 heats qualifies 2 songs to the "second chance"-show
In the "second chance" 4 songs will be selected for the final

Sweden in Eurovision Song Contest

Since 1958 Sweden has participated 55 times in Eurovision Song Contest with great succes. They have won the contest 6 times:

• 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"

They came last two times ( 1963 and 1977), and since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004 Sweden managed to qualify for the Grand Final 11 out of 12 times! (only skipped the qualification in 2010).