After several years of a multi-show format, Melodi Grand Prix will come back to a single-show selection in 2025. This was announced earlier today by Norwegian broadcaster NRK, who also revealed some more informations on the calendar of the selection and its hosts.
A change in format, with a change in leads
Since 2020, Norwegian national selection Melodi Grand Prix (MGP) had been organised over several weeks, with songs qualifying to the Grand Final from heats (with a few songs “pre-qualified” for the final in the 2020 and 2021 editions). Next year, however, the selection will come back to what has been considered its “traditional” version : one show, with 10 entries, competing for the right to represent Norway at Eurovision.
The show itself will take place on February 15, in Oslo Spektrum arena (which hosted Eurovision in 1996, as well as the MGP final in the 2010’s, before a move to Trondheim). The lineup will be revealed on January 16, a month in advance.
These changes are in part due to rising prices, but are also part of a wider change in MGP’s brand and production, under the new leadership of Tarjei Strøm and Mads Tørklep. Speaking to our friends from the Euro Trip Podcast, they explained that, for example, the “postcards” for each entry will be closer in style to Eurovision postcards, and will have no more interviews with the artists. NRK is trying to reach new audiences, as well as get the show’s atmosphere closer to that of the main contest.
This is also shown in the choice of hosts.
A hosting trio of varying backgrounds
NRK confirmed that the show will be hosted by three presenters: Markus Neby, Marte Stokstad and Tete Lidbom.
Markus Neby
Markus was involved in MGP last year, as a support host. You may remember him as the driver of the “pop-corn kart” during the Grand Final, who made pop-corn rain on the public and the floor of Trondheim Spektrum.
Marte Stokstad
Marte Stokstad is the NRK commentator for Eurovision, as well as the host of MGP 2012. She is a TV and radio host, and will host as well as commentate on the show for NRK (like Graham Norton did in Eurovision 2023).
Tete Lidbom
Tete Lidbom is perhaps the most interesting choice of the three. Coming from the world of radio hosting, he’s mainly associated with football broadcasts, and hosts the “Heja Fotball” podcast. He is also a “juror/detective” on Norway’s The Masked Singer, and has worked in the music industry. With such a mixed background, he is expected to bring some new audiences to the selection. He himself stated that “MGP is not just pink glitter […] there is place for everything in MGP”.
The last time MGP used a one-show format, Norway topped the televote in Tel-Aviv by bringing us Keiino, who never really left the Eurovision bubble. What do you expect for 2025? Can Norway bring the trophy back 16 years after Alexandr Rybak’s landslide victory? Tell us more in the comments below or on social media at @escxtra!
