Why Melodifestivalen Is So Popular In Sweden

In Sweden, it is not just the Eurovision Song Contest that gets people excited. We also have Melodifestivalen - our own national song competition that is just as big of a deal. Melodifestivalen is where Sweden’s best artists compete for the chance to represent the country on the Eurovision stage, all while delivering unforgettable performances along the way.

» Published: January 16 2025

Melodifestivalen is Sweden’s own competition for determining our country’s representative for the Eurovision Song Contest. Whilst some countries simply pick a representative artist, in Sweden we instead have Melodifestivalen.

The interest for Melodifestivalen is bigger than ever, and you could even say we have our own culture around Melodifestivalen and Eurovision. For Swedes, Melodifestivalen means inclusion, sparkles, family fun, and of course - schlager music.

Maybe the number one reason why Swedes love these musical competitions is because of their love for - you guessed it - the music. Traditionally, Melodifestivalen and Eurovision Song Contest mainly had one type of music genre and that was schlager. Schlager music is a type of European popular music focusing on love and feelings. This music is still very popular in Sweden and a big reason for Melodifestivalen being so popular.

Many of Sweden’s most popular artists gained fame and recognition through Melodifestivalen, for example music artist Carola, who won Melodifestivalen three times!

A fun family-friendly activity is watching one of the rehearsals for one qualifying round of Melodifestivalen. Since the competition takes place in six of Sweden’s largest cities, it is an accessible activity for the whole family.

2025 Melodifestivalen - dates to keep in your calendar

Qualifying Round 1: Saturday 1 februari 2025, Coop Norrbotten Arena, Luleå
Qualifying Round 2: Saturday 8 februari 2025, Scandinavium, Gothenburg
Qualifying Round 3: Saturday 15 februari 2025, ABB Arena, Västerås
Qualifying Round 4: Saturday 22 februari 2025, Malmö Arena, Malmö
Qualifying Round 5: Saturday 1 mars 2025, Husqvarna Garden, Jönköping
Final: Saturday 8 mars 2025, Strawberry Arena, Solna, Stockholm

Eurovision Song Contest success

Sweden has won Eurovision Song Contest seven times, two times by artist Loreen (Lorine Zeineb Nora Talhaoui) in 2012 and 2023 with the songs "Euphoria" and "Tattoo".

Swedish winners in Eurovision: