ht before the fifth heat on Saturday, SVT has published an 1-minute preview of this week’s songs. Below, you can enjoy this little preview:
1. AleXa – “Tongue Tied“
Text & music: AleXa, Moonshine (Jonatan Gusmark & Ludvig Evers), Sunshine (Ellen Berg & Moa “Cazzi Opeia” Carlebecker)
2. JULIETT – “Långt från alla andra“
Text & music: David Själin, Elias Kask, Herman Gardarfve, Ludvig Alamanos, Romeo Er-Melin, Valter Wigren
3. Bladë – “Who You Are“
Text & music: Isa Tengblad, Josefina Carlbom
4. Lilla Al-Fadji – “Delulu“
Text & music: Daniel Réhn, Edward af Sillén, Lilla Al-Fadji, Fredrik Sonefors, Melanie Wehbe, Mikaela Samuelsson
5. Vilhelm Buchaus – “Hearts Don’t Lie“
Text & music: David Zandén, Isa Molin, Vilhelm Buchaus
6. Sanna Nielsen – “Waste Your Love“
Text & music: Jimmy Jansson, Peter Boström, Thomas G:son
Dates and cities of Melodifestivalen 2026
Heat 1 – LINKÖPING, 31st JanuaryHeat 2 – GOTHENBURG, 7th FebruaryHeat 3 – KRISTIANSTAD, 14th FebruaryHeat 4 – MALMÖ, 21st February- Heat 5 – SUNDSVALL, 28th February
- Final – STOCKHOLM, 7th March
The 2026 format
Melodifestivalen consists of five heats, one finalkval and one final. A total of 30 entries compete – six in each heat, five in the finalkval and twelve in the final.
Heats
In each heat, six entries compete and two advance directly to the final. This means that a total of ten entries from the heats qualify directly for the final. A third entry in each heat advances to the finalkval.
Finalkval
The last two finalists are selected in a finalkval that is broadcast live immediately after Heat 5. Viewers then have the opportunity to vote again, via the app and by phone, for their favorites among the entries that placed third in the heats.
All competing artists are present in the broadcast, and viewers get to see a short replay of their performances from the heats. The result in the finalkval is based on a combined total of the number of votes in the heats and the number of votes in the finalkval.
Final
In the final, twelve entries compete. Here, viewers account for half of the votes, via app and phone, and the other half of the votes are cast by an international jury.