Sweden: Here are the hosts of Melodifestivalen 2021

The Swedish national broadcaster, SVT, has revealed the hosts of Melodifestivalen 2021, who will present the 28 songs for six Saturdays in February and March 2021. Melodifestivalen is a national selection used to select the Swedish song and artist for the Eurovision Song Contest.

The 2021 edition of Melodivestivalen will be different in terms of shows as the 6 week tour has been scrapped and without an audience due to Covid-19. Another different element will be in terms of hosting.

The revamped Melodifestivalen turns 20 this year. For the same length of time, Christer Björkman has been the mind of the revamped competition, therefore he will be the main host over the whole six weeks together with a different artist on a weekly basis.

Christer Björkman will be accompanied by the following Melodifestivalen 2021 hosts:

• Deltävling 1: Lena Philipsson
• Deltävling 2: Anis Don Demina & Oscar Zia
• Deltävling 3: Jason Diakité
• Deltävling 4: Per Andersson & Pernilla Wahlgren
• Andra Chansen: Shirley Clamp
• Final: Måns Zelmerlöw & Shima Niavarani

During the reveal, Björkman stated:

– It is so incredibly honouring to get the question so I felt that I just have to say yes. But after 20 years with the project, I also know what it is I have agreed to, so it is with horror-mixed delight and great respect that I step into the program.

Melodifestivalen 2021 starts on Saturday 6 February at 20.00 on SVT. All six programs are broadcast from Annexet, one of the venues in Stockholm Globe City. All artists were revealed back in December 2020.

Sweden in Eurovision Song Contest

Since 1958 Sweden has participated 59 times in Eurovision Song Contest with great succes. They have won the contest 6 times:

• 1974: ABBA – Waterloo
• 1984: Herreys – Diggi-loo Diggy-ley
• 1991: Carola – Fångad Av En Stormvind
• 1999: Charlotte Nilsson – Take Me To Your Heaven
• 2012: Loreen – Euphoria
• 2015: Måns Zelmerlöw – Heroes

They came last two times (1963 and 1977), and since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004 Sweden managed to qualify for the Grand Final 15 out of 16 times! (only skipped the qualification in 2010)