Over the last few years, Melodifestivalen – the Swedish national selection for Eurovision – saw a few changes in its rules. SVT is now ready to open submission for the 2025 edition and has a few new changes in mind, one of which may change the balance of the show.
All songs to be released before their show
In the past few years, there was a very clear process in the way songs competing in Melodifestivalen were revealed. Small snippets were published a few days before each heat, and after each show, the songs that did not make it to the final could be commercially released. This was because five weeks separated the first heat from the final, and releasing every song after their semi-final would give more exposure to the songs performed in the earliest shows.
This concern may not be as strong today. Indeed, next year, songs will be released the day before the heat in which they will be performed. While keeping a tight control on the release dates, SVT’s decision puts it closer to its Norwegian neighbour, for example, where Melodi Grand Prix songs are also released together a few days before each heat.
A revamped “Last Qualifier” round
Last year, the semi-final (previously known as the “Andra Chansen” second-chance show) was scrapped and replaced by a fifth heat. The principle of giving a second chance to songs that did not make it to the final was however kept, with the introduction of “Finalkvalet”. This “Final qualifier” show took place after the fifth heat, and was contested by entries that had reached third and fourth place in their respective heat. It combined results from the previous heat with a new round of voting to qualify two songs to join the ten direct qualifiers in the final.
Last year’s Finalkvalet did not convince the public, nor the papers. Indeed, the two songs that qualified were the two that finished third and fourth in the fifth Heat, only a few minutes before Finalkvalet. Melodifestivalen project manager Anders Wistbacka revealed the new format, which will be more easier to understand and smaller in size.
- Only five songs will compete for the two last slots in the final : those that came third in each heat
- The song that got the most votes in its heat, compared to the others, will automatically go to the final
- The last four songs will compete for the last slot, with a new round of voting
- The final qualifier will be the song with the most points after combining the votes from their heat and the votes from the Finalkvalet round of voting
This will ensure that at least one song from the first four heats will get a last qualifier’s spot.
In the end, there will be 12 songs in the Final, with 30 songs competing in total, 6 in each heat. Submissions will open tomorrow, on August 23rd, and the window will close on September 14th. Submissions can be sent at this adress.
What do you think about these changes? Are you happy with them? Should SVT try a format for a few years before changing the rules again? What would you change? Tell us more in the comments below or on social media at @escextra.
