Sweden: Panetoz are back and two more debuts at Melodifestivalen 2023!

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Aftonbladet, a while ago revealed three more names of Swedish stars, who according to sources will participate in Melodifestivalen 2023.

The new names

Panetoz

In both 2014 and 2016, they were successful in Melodifestivalen and reached the final with the songs “Efter solsken” and “Håll om mig hårt“. Now the boys of the Panetoz band hope to be at least as successful when they enter the competition for the third time. So according to well-informed sources, they confirm that the group, which scored a huge hit with “Dansa pausa” in 2012, has been awarded one of the coveted spots at Mello 2023.

The rock band “Smash into pieces”

The experienced rock band “Smash into pieces”, formed in 2008 and since then they have released seven studio albums, are making their debut at Melodifestivalen.
They are not completely unfamiliar with the competition, as the band’s guitarist Benjamin Jennebo, in 2020 co-wrote the song “Troubled waters” which was performed by Victor Crone and went directly to the final.

Melanie Wehbe

In 2020, Melanie Wehbe was the co-writer of Mamas’ “Move“, which won in Sweden but due to the pandemic, never had the chance to compete in the Eurovision Song Contest. Now Aftonbladet can reveal that Melanie Wehbe is making her debut as a performer in Mello.

Melanie Wehbe has released several singles under her own name, and earlier last autumn, she released her debut EP ‘Bloom’ and has since been featured as a guest on several TV programs including TV4’s ‘News Morning’ and ‘Go’kväll’ ” of SVT.
According to Aftonbladet, in addition to her own participation in the contest, she is also rumored to have written another song that was selected for the contest.

Artists that seem to be confirmed for Melodifestivalen 2023

  1. Nordman
  2. Loulou Lamotte
  3. Wiktoria Johansson
  4. Marcus & Martinus
  5. Emil Henrohn
  6. Theoz
  7. Melanie Wehbe
  8. Smash into pieces
  9. Panetoz

The dates of Melodifestivalen 2023

  • Heat 1: Gothenburg – Saturday 4 February 2023 (Scandinavium)
  • Heat 2: Linköping – Saturday 11 February 2023 (Saab Arena)
  • Heat 3: Lidköping – Saturday 18 February 2023 (Sparbanken Arena)
  • Heat 4: Malmö – Saturday 25 February 2023 (Malmö Arena)
  • Semi-final: Örnsköldsvik – Saturday 4 March 2023 (Hägglunds Arena)
  • Final: Stockholm – Satuday 11 March 2023 (Friends Arena)

We remind you that Melodifestivalen 2023 is scheduled to take place between February 4th to March 11th, while SVT has received 2824 songs. The list of participants will be published in November or December and will be hosted by Jesper Rönndahl and Farah Abadi.

Melodifestivalen 2022 was won by Cornelia Jacobs with the song “Hold Me Closer”, representing Sweden in Eurovision 2022 and coming 4th with 438 points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i777psA2gP4&feature=emb_title

Source: Aftonbladet

Who do you wanna see taking part in Melodifestivalen 2023? Tell us in the comments!

 

 

Sweden: Theoz is back and TikTok star Emil Henrohn debuts at Melodifestivalen 2023!

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Aftonbladet, a while ago dropped the names of two TikTok Swedish stars, that will be joining the line-up of Melodifestivalen 2023.

As it seems those two artists are Theoz, who does his highly anticipated comeback, after his success this year at the contest and Emil Henrohn, who does his debut at the contest.

Emil Henrohn

Emil did his break earlier this year, when one of his TikTok videos featuring a song he had written called “Jag är mamma“, became viral and gathered over four million views. Currently he is considered to be the most influencing Swedish person on TikTok for the year of 2022.

According to sources, Emil is confirmed to be competing in the contest next year and he feels thrilled that he finally gets the chance to be joining Mello, it is his dream come true.

Theoz

Theoz (Haraldsson) is a familiar face for those who follow Melodifestivalen, as he debuted at the contest this year with his song “Som du vill“. The song was written, among others, by Axel Schylström and Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt.

Theoz has almost two million followers on TikTok, which helped him place seventh, after making it through the finals from the fifth semi-final, what was formerly known as Second Chance.

Placing seventh is of course considered to be a success for such a young and debuting Melodifestivalen artist and it was expected for him to join the contest again, soon enough, as Aftonbladet sources say.

Artists that seem to be confirmed for Melodifestivalen 2023

  • Nordman
  • Loulou Lamotte
  • Wiktoria Johansson
  • Marcus & Martinus
  • Emil Henrohn
  • Theoz

The dates of Melodifestivalen 2023

  • Heat 1: Gothenburg – Saturday 4 February 2023 (Scandinavium)
  • Heat 2: Linköping – Saturday 11 February 2023 (Saab Arena)
  • Heat 3: Lidköping – Saturday 18 February 2023 (Sparbanken Arena)
  • Heat 4: Malmö – Saturday 25 February 2023 (Malmö Arena)
  • Semi-final: Örnsköldsvik – Saturday 4 March 2023 (Hägglunds Arena)
  • Final: Stockholm – Satuday 11 March 2023 (Friends Arena)

We remind you that Melodifestivalen 2023 is scheduled to take place between February 4th to March 11th, while SVT has received 2824 songs. The list of participants will be published in November or December and will be hosted by Jesper Rönndahl and Farah Abadi.

Melodifestivalen 2022 was won by Cornelia Jacobs with the song “Hold Me Closer”, representing Sweden in Eurovision 2022 and coming 4th with 438 points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i777psA2gP4

Source: Aftonbladet
Photo: SVT/Annika Berglund

Who do you wanna see taking part in Melodifestivalen 2023? Tell us in the comments!

Sweden: Marcus & Martinus are reportedly ready for Melodifestivalen 2023!

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We previously wrote about the first rumored names for Melodifestivalen 2023, as reported by Swedish Newspaper Aftonbladet. Moments ago, the newspaper revealed the fourth act to compete, and its a very popular duo!

Marcus & Martinus, the duo from Norway who became known after winning Melodi Grand Prix Junior 2012, became popular not only across Scandinavia but around the world as well. They have reportedly agreed to participate in Melodifestivalen 2023, making their debut to the popular show. The winner of Melodifestivalen will represent Sweden in the Eurovision 2023.

Artists that are so far confirmed for Melodifestivalen 2023:

  1. Nordman
  2. Loulou Lamotte
  3. Wiktoria Johansson
  4. Marcus & Martinus

The dates of the shows are:

  • Heat 1: Gothenburg – Saturday 4 February 2023 (Scandinavium)
  • Heat 2: Linköping – Saturday 11 February 2023 (Saab Arena)
  • Heat 3: Lidköping – Saturday 18 February 2023 (Sparbanken Arena)
  • Heat 4: Malmö – Saturday 25 February 2023 (Malmö Arena)
  • Semi-final: Örnsköldsvik – Saturday 4 March 2023 (Hägglunds Arena)
  • Final: Stockholm – Satuday 11 March 2023 (Friends Arena)

 

Are you excited to see Marcus & Martinus competing in Melodifestivalen 2023? Tell us in the comments!

Source: Aftonbladet

Eurovision 2023: 37 countries will join the 67th contest in Liverpool!

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Just moments ago, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) announced the countries that will take part in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool! 37 countries will be present in the contest, with three countries withdrawing, in contrast with the 40 countries last year in Turin.

These countries  withdrawing are Bulgaria, Montenegro and North Macedonia, which after their participation in Eurovision 2022, all three of them withdraw for financial reasons.

Martin Österdahl, Executive Supervisor of the Eurovision Song Contest, shared his thoughts on the line-up:

“We’re looking forward to welcoming artists from all 37 countries to Liverpool, the city of pop, next May. Next year’s competition promises to be an extra special one and we’re working hard with the BBC right now to ensure that hundreds of millions of viewers will enjoy the best Eurovision Song Contest yet, with Ukraine at the heart of the event.”

In detail, the countries that are going to take part are:

  • Albania – RTSH
  • Australia– SBS
  • Armenia– AMPTV
  • Austria – ORF
  • Azerbaijan – Ictimai TV
  • Belgium – RTBF
  • Croatia – HRT
  • Cyprus – CyBC
  • Czech Republic – CT
  • Denmark – DR
  • Estonia – ERR
  • Finland  – YLE
  • France – FT
  • Georgia – GPB
  • Germany – ARD/NDR
  • Greece – ΕΡΤ
  • Iceland – RUV
  • Ireland– RTE
  • Israel – IPBC/Kan
  • Italy– RAI
  • Latvia – LTV
  • Lithuania – LRT
  • Malta – PBS
  • Moldova – TRM
  • Netherlands – AVROTROS
  • Norway – NRK
  • Poland – TVP
  • Portugal – RTP
  • Romania – TVR
  • San Marino – RTV
  • Serbia – RTS
  • Slovenia ​​- RTVSLO
  • Spain  – TVE
  • Sweden – SVT
  • Switzerland – SRG / SSR
  • Ukraine – UA: PBC
  • United Kingdom – BBC

Martin Green, BBC’s Managing Director of the Eurovision Song Contest added:

“We are incredibly proud to be hosting the Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of Ukraine and welcoming delegations from 37 countries to Liverpool next year. The BBC is committed to making the event a true reflection of Ukrainian culture and showcasing British creativity to a global audience.”

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in Liverpool!

Sweden: The first names of Melodifestivalen 2023!

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Aftonbladet revealed a couple of minutes ago the first three potential Melodifestivalen 2023 contestants!

Usually they manage to guess most of the artists that compete each year in the national selection procedure of Sweden for Eurovision Song Contest.

A few days after the announcement of the two hosts of the show Jesper Rönndahl and Farah Abadi, the first contestant names for Melodifestivalen 2023 have started to emerge. These artists are adding to the potential lineup that will compete in the hopes of getting selected to represent Sweden next year, at the Eurovision Song Contest to be held in Liverpool, UK. The following artists are more or less known to the fanbase, each of them having competed more than once at Melfest in the past.

Nordman

Nordman had split for a while but got reunited during the summer. They started their carrer back in 1994 and had numerous hits such as “Förlist“, “Vandraren” and “Be mig“.

They’ve competed twice in Melodifestivalen, once in 2005 with the song “Ödet var min väg” and once in 2008 with the song “I lågornas sken“. Both their participations gave them a “ticket” directly to the finals of each year. The sources said that they have a great song in hand that they co-wrote with Jimmy Jansson which they will compete with at Melodifestivalen 2023

Loulou Lamotte

Loulou is well known as a member of the group The Mamas. According to Aftonbladet, she will compete at Melodifestivalen 2023, not as a group but as a solo artist, with a song she wrote herself!

As a member of The Mamas, she did backing vocals for John Lundvik who represented Sweden back in 2019 with the song “Too Late For Love” and got selected to represent Sweden at the (cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak) Eurovision Song Contest 2020 with the song “Move“. The following year, in 2021, the group directly qualified to the finals of Melodifestivalen with the song “In the middle“.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EpSBDPlZn4

Wiktoria Johansson

The fan-favourite Wiktoria Johansson, made her debut at the Melodifestivalen in 2016 with the song “Save me” and then two more participations followed. One in 2017 with the song “As I lay me down” and another one in 2019 with the song “Not with me“. All three times she directly qualified to the finals of Melodifestivalen.

According to industry sources, some artists have already been announced of their participation at Melodifestivalen 2023, but not to all of them, lots of them are still waiting for a definite answer.

We remind you that Melodifestivalen 2023 is scheduled to take place between February 4th to March 11th, while SVT has received 2824 songs. The list of participants will be published in November or December and will be hosted by Jesper Rönndahl and Farah Abadi. The final list of artists will be announced in November or December as usual.

Melodifestivalen 2022 was won by Cornelia Jacobs with the song “Hold Me Closer”, representing Sweden in Eurovision 2022 and coming 4th with 438 points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i777psA2gP4&feature=emb_title

Source: Aftonbladet

Who do you wanna see taking part in Melodifestivalen 2023? Tell us in the comments!

Sweden: Jesper Rönndahl and Farah Abadi to host Melodifestivalen 2023!

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Moments ago, the Swedish Public Broadcaster SVT announced the hosts of Melodifestivalen 2023!

Jesper Rönndahl and Farah Abadi will host the program according to the official announcement. Jesper is a comedian and presenter while he is also a writer and producer. He is hosting for the first time the show along Farah Abadi, radio and tv presenter, who is returning as the host of the program, after co-hosting last year with Oscar Zia.

Melodifestivalen 2023 is scheduled to take place between February 4th to March 11th, while SVT has received 2824 songs. The list of participants will be published in November or December.

Do you like the hosts of Melodifestivalen 2023? Tell us in the comments!

 

Sweden: 2824 songs submitted to Melodifestivalen 2023!

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Today 16/9 was the last day of application for Melodifestivalen 2023. Through the contest’s official Instagram account, SVT confirmed that Melodifestivalen had accepted 2824 applications to participate in the show. Of the proposals submitted, only 14 will be selected through a professional jury, while another 14 will be selected by SVT and will directy participate at the semifinals.

Last year, around 2500 applications were submitted to the competition, which is about 300 fewer than this year. The list of participants will be published in November or December.

The dates of the shows are:

  • Heat 1: Gothenburg – Saturday 4 February 2023 (Scandinavium)
  • Heat 2: Linköping – Saturday 11 February 2023 (Saab Arena)
  • Heat 3: Lidköping – Saturday 18 February 2023 (Sparbanken Arena)
  • Heat 4: Malmö – Saturday 25 February 2023 (Malmö Arena)
  • Semi-final: Örnsköldsvik – Saturday 4 March 2023 (Hägglunds Arena)
  • Final: Stockholm – Satuday 11 March 2023 (Venue TBC)

Source: SVT

Eurovision 2023: National broadcaster participation window closing today!

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The national broadcasters from the countries having an active EBU membership, have a deadline until today (15/9), in order to confirm their participation in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest.

We might not know the city at United Kingdom that we are going to travel to for Eurovision 2023 yet, but today is the deadline for the national broadcasters-EBU members to confirm their participation in the contest.

Until October 11th, according to the rules, the possibility of withdrawal is provided without the imposition of a fine. From this date on, the broadcasters that applied for participating and are willing to withdraw, are going to face the imposition of a fine, which is varying, depending on the time of withdrawal (before or after the semi-finals draw etc.).

31 countries, with one way or another, have announced their will to participate in Eurovision 2023. Among them there’s Greece, and Cyprus too. Those countries are:

  • Albania
  • Australia
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Cyprus
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Iceland
  • Ireland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Malta
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Romania
  • San Marino
  • Serbia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • The Netherlands
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

The number from the countries above is expected to grow, because nine countries that participated in this year’s contest, haven’t clarified their intentions yet. Those are:

  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Moldova
  • Montenegro
  • North Macedonia
  • Slovenia

There’s always a chance, although slight, for a country to return or for another one to debut. The participating countries and their exact number will be confirmed through EBU’s official announcement. The respective announcement for Eurovision 2022 was made on October 20th.

 

Eurovision 2023: The new season has just started!

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For many, including us on Eurovisionfun, Eurovision never ends! However, September 1st is a special date. Any song that is released after that date is eligible to be chosen to take part in the next years contest. Therefore, any song from now on can be a potential Eurovision 2o23 entry!

What we know so far

After the landslide victory of Ukraine and Kalush Orchestra in Turin, EBU has already announced that due to the ongoing war since the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the contest will be held in the United Kingdom instead, to ensure safety of everyone involved in the production.

During August, BBC announced a shortlist of seven cities that will compete to host the contest next year, while the deadline to submit the finalized bids is set for September 8th. BBC and EBU representatives will visit these cities to inspect the facilities and discuss with local authorities on the proposed bids.

Around late September/early October and after there is potentially a dialogue with the British government, BBC and EBU will announce the Eurovision 2023 hosting city.

The shortlisted cities are:

  • Birmingham
  • Glasgow
  • Leeds
  • Liverpool
  • Manchester
  • Newcastle
  • Sheffield

Betting odds are every year a topic of discussion within and outside the Eurovision fandom. As of the time of writing, the odds about which city will host Eurovision 2023 predict Glasgow as the hosting city, with 65% chances, indicating a one-horse race for the hosting of the contest next year.

Participating countries

As of now, 27 countries have officially or unofficially confirmed that they will take part in Eurovision 2023. These are:

  • Albania
  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Cyprus
  • Denmark
  • Estonia
  • Finland
  • France
  • Georgia
  • Germany
  • Greece
  • Iceland
  • Israel
  • Italy
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Romania
  • San Marino
  • Serbia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • Switzerland
  • Ukraine
  • United Kingdom

Within the next months more countries are expected to confirm their participation, with the goal to have 40 countries as in 2022. Russia and Belarus are not eligible to take part in the contest, since their broadcasters are not EBU members anymore.

Certain countries have already announced that they will not take part in Eurovision 2023, with some of them extending their long-lasting absence from the contest. Andorra, Monaco, Luxemburg, Liechtenstein, Slovakia, Maroco and Hungary will not be present in the 67th Eurovision Song Contest, while Turkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina are yet to announce their plans but the chances to see them returning are low for various reasons.

Until March 14th the announcement of all the entries

It won’t be before March 14th until we know all competing artists and entries for 2023, since on that day is the meeting of the Head of Delegations where all entries will be officially submitted. However, Israel has already selected its artist and its Noa Kirel, a local superstar with many of her songs conquering the charts.

Albania and Ukraine will be the next to select their entries before the end of 2022, unless there is a surprise as with Czech Republic last year.

Join us on the road to Eurovision 2023!

Eurovisionfun will bring you Eurofun-tastic news throughout the season, while you should be ready for exclusives and surprises! Our 24/7 coverage in Greek and English includes articles, reactions, discussions and many more!

Don’t forget to follow us on our social media, we are always online and we love interacting with you! You can check us out on:

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Let the Eurovision 2023 season begin! Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun!

 

 

 

Sweden: Submissions for Melodifestivalen 2023 open

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The Swedish Public Broadcaster SVT annοunced the beginning of the submission period for potential Melodifestivalen 2023 entries. The winner of the contest will represent Sweden in the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.

Those interested to submit entries can do so until 16 September through the online submission page. The shows dates and venues are:

  • Heat 1: Gothenburg – Saturday 4 February 2023 (Scandinavium)
  • Heat 2: Linköping – Saturday 11 February 2023 (Saab Arena)
  • Heat 3: Lidköping – Saturday 18 February 2023 (Sparbanken Arena)
  • Heat 4: Malmö – Saturday 25 February 2023 (Malmö Arena)
  • Semi-final: Örnsköldsvik – Saturday 4 March 2023 (Hägglunds Arena)
  • Final: Stockholm – Satuday 11 March 2023 (Venue TBC)

Melodifestivalen 2022 was won by Cornelia Jacobs with the song “Hold Me Closer”, representing Sweden in Eurovision 2022 and coming 4th with 438 points.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i777psA2gP4

Who do you wanna see taking part in Melodifestivalen 2023? Tell us in the comments!