Swedish music, artists, Melodifestivalen and concerts.
Smash Into Pieces frontman Chris Adam had a stomachache and was about to faint during the performance that took them straight to the Melodifestivalen final. I felt it moving under my feet.
MusicDebutant Cimberly rocked; her "Eternity" joins veterans Smash Into Pieces in the final of Melodifestivalen. "It feels crazy. It was nothing I expected," she says with tears of joy. The qualifying spot in the fourth round in Malmö went to Meira Omar.
MusicSmash Into Pieces once again hopes to advance to the final of Melodifestivalen. According to preliminary speculation, they are favorites in the semi-final in Malmö despite illness and technical difficulties. "It has to be fixed. This is important to us," says the band's guitarist, Benjamin Jennebo.
MusicThe band Terra is ready for the Way Out West festival in Slottsskogen.
MusicThis year, Ted Gärdestad would have turned 70, and it will be celebrated in the fourth round of Melodifestivalen in Malmö with a special interlude. Artist Oskar Linnros will perform an interpretation of one of Gärdestad's most famous songs, "The Sky Is Innocently Blue".
MusicFour artists are making their debut in Melodifestivalen's fourth round in Malmö - but during Thursday's rehearsal, it was the most experienced ones who encountered challenges. "There's a lot going on in my act," says Meira Omar, who is competing for the second time.
MusicGina Dirawi and E-Type will perform a "high-flying" interlude together in the fourth round of Melodifestivalen. Set to the tune of the hit song "Angels Crying," it will be an "experience beyond the ordinary," SVT promises in a press release.
MusicThe Smash Into Pieces singer, who had a stomachache, was absent from Thursday's rehearsal for the fourth round of Melodifestivalen in Malmö.
MusicCimberly won "Idol" 2023 to a standing ovation. She herself had a hard time fully feeling joy - and that's what her entry in Melodifestivalen is about. "Did I deserve this?" Those were the kinds of feelings and thoughts that swirled around, she says.
MusicU2 released new music on Wednesday for the first time in nearly a decade. The standalone EP, "Days of Ash," includes collaborations with Ed Sheeran and Taras Topolia, a Ukrainian musician who is now fighting against the Russian army.
MusicStarting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on March 31, Bruce Springsteen and his E Street Band will embark on an arena tour of the United States.
MusicAnnouncements about discontinued programs are made throughout the year, but "On Track" remains unthreatened as SVT is to save 355 million SEK this year.
MusicThe last time rapper J. Cole visited Sweden was in 2017 for a sold-out concert. Live Nation announced in a press release that he will return to Sweden as part of his new world tour.
MusicA 21-year-old man has been charged with planning a terrorist attack targeting a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna in 2024, AFP reports.
MusicMelodifestivalen and the Winter Olympics continue to dominate the charts. Here are last week's most-watched programs.
MusicThe first Eurovision Song Contest live tour was scheduled to visit ten countries, including a stop at the Avicii Arena this summer. Now the tour has been "postponed," according to the BBC.
MusicWhat happens if Julia doesn't die in Shakespeare's classic drama? That question is central to the musical "& Julia", which uses only songs by Max Martin. His songbook is incredible. Actually, it's completely insane, says Viktor Norén, who plays one of the main roles.
MusicHip-hop duo Medina put on a great love parade and became the clear winner in Melodifestivalen's third round. But the question is whether they can make it all the way to Eurovision or whether the pre-selected Felicia has already decided the competition.
MusicThe pre-selected Medina and Saga Ludvigsson did it again and went straight to the final in Melodifestivalen's third round in Kristianstad. Debutant Eva Jumatate took third place and thus advanced to the final qualifying round.
MusicThe Royal Opera in Stockholm is celebrating the royal couple's golden wedding anniversary this summer. On June 13, there will be a special golden wedding concert on the main stage.
MusicConcerns about confetti, sound problems and untapped energy potential. Ahead of the third round of Melodifestivalen, not everything is quite in place - but the audience in Kristianstad has already had its say.
MusicKneecap is coming to Sweden for a gig this fall. On November 9, the rappers from Belfast will play at B-K in Stockholm.
MusicBjörn Dixgård and Viktor Norén are teaming up to perform a concert of the Beatles' love songs in Stockholm in May.
MusicLykke Li releases new single "Lucky Again" - and a brand-new album is coming this spring.
MusicThe youngest participant in Melodifestivalen hopes to win the hearts of the Swedish people with a ballad that has a "great recognition factor." "This song means a lot to me," says Eva Jumatate about the entry "Selfish."
MusicArtist Nanne Grönvall celebrates 40 years in Melodifestivalen with a medley in the third round of this year's contest. She has also canceled a planned tour after undergoing surgery for breast cancer.
MusicIn March, Veronica Maggio will release the second part of the double album “Sciura.” It has only one guest artist - Jonatan Leandoer, better known as Yung Lean.
MusicThe singer of Korslagda is afraid of getting sick before Melodifestivalen, nervous about taking the stage, and describes himself as an "introvert". But he has a trick to remedy that. "I put on my sunglasses," says the 52-year-old fire alarm technician from Älvdalen.
MusicArtists Felicia and Laila Adèle have violated SVT's rules for Melodifestivalen. They have been forced to remove social media posts in which they promoted collaborations.
MusicMelodifestivalen is changing the voting rules for selecting the finalists, Aftonbladet reports.
MusicPolice are investigating a suspected murder in Ludvika municipality. A woman is dead, and a man has been arrested.
CrimeA ten-year-old boy has been injured in an accident at a motocross track outside Kalmar. He has been admitted to the intensive care unit, Barometern reports.
SwedenThe Left Party will not back down from its demand to join a red-green government, the party’s vice chairwoman, Ida Gabrielsson, says on X.
Swedish politicsAfter decades of deforestation, drought and fires, the Amazon rainforest is now emitting more carbon dioxide than it absorbs, a new study shows.
SwedenThe scent of grazing crustaceans can be used in a warning system for toxic algal blooms. The method could provide up to seven weeks’ advance warning of outbreaks.
SwedenA man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of rape in Umeå, police said.
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President Ilijana Jotova looks set to win Bulgaria’s election. According to two exit polls, she is expected to receive between 51 and 53 percent of the vote.
ConflictsThe rival political sides in Israel must accept the election results and do what they can to avoid a snap election, President Isaac Herzog says.
World politicsThe flare-up in fighting between Saudi Arabia and the Iran-backed Houthi movement has forced more than 300,000 people to flee their homes in Yemen, according to the UN.
ConflictsBritish police have arrested 325 people in connection with a demonstration on Saturday in support of the pro-Palestinian group Palestine Action.
ConflictsFrench prosecutors have decided to open an attempted murder investigation after a Molotov cocktail was thrown at gendarmes during clashes at a large demonstration in Paris.
WorldPortuguese police have stormed tent camps in Lisbon and Porto set up in protest against soaring housing prices. Thirteen people have been arrested, and several are reported to have been injured.
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The stock market has turned downwards after several AI-linked companies failed to meet expectations. Tech giants have invested trillions in a short time, and investors now want to know whether it is worth it. “The big cloud of concern is the enormous investments American companies are currently making in data centers and AI,” says Maria Landeborn, a savings economist at Danske Bank.
TechnologyHandelsbanken's currency forecast suggests the euro and US dollar could weaken against the Swedish krona by summer 2027, potentially making holidays abroad somewhat cheaper for people spending kronor. The forecast is conditional, not a promise.
BusinessThe number of bankruptcies fell by 15 percent in October compared with the same month last year, according to statistics from credit reporting company Syna.
BusinessThe decision will be made on Tuesday. Donald Trump could then lose the midterm elections. A setback for the Republican president could lead to new threats of tariffs, analysts say. But it’s not certain that a Democratic victory in Congress would calm things down, says SEB chief economist Jens Magnusson.
BusinessThe European Commission, the Council president, the European Parliament and scores of member states are pushing for new EU revenue to secure agreement on a new long-term budget. Sweden is firmly resisting - but for how long?
BusinessBinance announces that withdrawals from the crypto exchange will gradually resume on Sunday. At the same time, the FBI says North Korean hackers are behind the multi-billion-dollar heist targeting the crypto platform.
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Reigning champions Arsenal sit alone at the top of the Premier League. The London club beat Liverpool, featuring Alexander Isak, 1-0 - Arsenal’s first win at Anfield in 14 years.
FootballAndreas Almgren has won the New York Marathon - on his marathon debut. It’s practically impossible, says running icon Anders Gärderud to Radiosporten.
SportsThe Swedish football derby between Häcken and IFK Göteborg was halted after unrest broke out in the stands. Several people were arrested.
FootballVäxjö are 12th in the SHL standings after 14 games. The Småland club is now taking action: coach Björn Hellkvist has been fired.
Ice hockeyAndreas Almgren wins the New York Marathon. The Swede dominated the race, winning the major event in his marathon debut in 2:06:01. The victory also qualifies him for the marathon at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
SportsHammarby beat Swedish champions Uppsala 7–0 away, as expected. Despite the win, Häcken can secure the league title on its own on Monday.
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Radio personality David Druid is taking a break from hosting “Morgonpasset i P3” after video clips of him were shared on social media.
EntertainmentAmerican film director Michael Mann has accidentally shot himself in the leg, according to TMZ.
TV & filmThe year's best book for nine- to twelve-year-olds has been chosen. “Smoke” by Linda Johansson has won the Children's Radio Book Prize.
EntertainmentHeidi Klum is known for her spectacular Halloween costumes, and this year was no exception. The supermodel was unrecognizable at her annual party, where she appeared as a giant severed hand.
EntertainmentThere has been quite a storm surrounding “Married at First Sight XL”. This week, two of the show’s experts announced that they would not return for the next season. Now the couple Max Turpeinen and Belinda Hillman are being asked to leave the SVT production mid-season.
TV & filmAfter two weeks of duels, “Idol” has now started its “real” Saturday finals.
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Sweden's All Saints' Day (Alla helgons dag) is a public holiday and falls on Saturday, October 31, the same day as Halloween. The Church of Sweden observes All Souls' Day (Alla själars dag) the following day, Sunday, November 1.
Living in SwedenIn Sweden, All Saints' Day is a time to remember those who are no longer with us and place a candle at their graves.
Living in SwedenSweden has been named the country with the world's strongest passport in the Global Passport Report 2026
SwedenThere are a few things that Swedes don't really want to compromise on when it comes to their Midsummer table. Pickled herring, new potatoes, sour cream, chives, and of course strawberries.
SwedenSwedish Pick and mix candy has gone from being an integral part of Saturday treats to becoming an international sensation. On TikTok, feeds are filled with colorful bags, foam skulls, sour bottles, and Americans discovering that candy doesn't have to taste like it was designed in a laboratory with neon lights.
Living in SwedenSweden is entering the 2026 World Cup with a strong offense that will likely keep many defenders up at night. Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres are the big stars in the squad, Victor Nilsson Lindelöf is the team captain with extensive experience, and Graham Potter has assembled a team with maximum Premier League weight.
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