Sweden: KAJ wins Melodifestivalen 2025 with "Bara bada bastu"

After five weeks of shows, it was time for the sixth and final week of Melodifestivalen 2025. The Final was aired live from Strawberry Arena in Stockholm, and was hosted by Keyyo and Edvin Törnblom.

From 30 songs and six shows, all was concluded tonight when the results of the Swedish public and eight international juries were in: The trio KAJ will be the Swedish representatives at Eurovision 2025 with their song "Bara bada bastu."

"Bara bada bastu" was written by Anderz Wrethov, Axel Åhman, Jakob Norrgård, Kevin Holmström, Kristoffer Strandberg, and Robert Skowronski.

KAJ

KAJ is a Finnish-Swedish music and comedy group from Vörå in Ostrobothnia consisting of Kevin Holmström, Axel Åhman and Jakob Norrgård.

The group was formed in Vörå, Finland in 2009 and has released seven albums as well as written and performed two musicals at the Swedish-language Wasa Theatre in the Finnish city of Vaasa combining humor and music.

KAJ sings in the Vörå dialect. The group members belong to a Finnish Swedish minority that uses special words, a lot of diphthongs and extra vowels. Their biggest hit, before "Bara bada bastu" is "Jåo nåo e ja jåo YOLO ja nåo" from 2014.

When the artists for Melodifestivalen were presented, Jakob Norrgård from KAJ said:

– We have been watching Mello for years and always dreamed of being there, but it has been a bit too big a dream, so we haven't really dared to hope for it. But now we are here, and it feels powerful.

– We are basically a comedy group, so humor plus music in dialect is our thing, said Jakob Norrgård.

Melodifestivalen 2025

• 1 February: Heat 1, Luleå
• 8 February: Heat 2, Göteborg
• 15 February: Heat 3, Västerås
• 22 February: Heat 4, Malmö
• 1 March: Heat 5 + Final qualification, Jönköping
• 8 March: Melodifestivalen Final, Stockholm

All shows were presented by Keyyo and Edvin Törnblom..

A total of 30 acts competed in five heats. Two entries from each heat went straight to the Final, one remained in the competition (Final qual), and three were eliminated.

Right after Heat 5, all the third place finishers from the five heats competed in a "Final qual" round.

The heats and "Final qual" were 100% public vote, while the Final was decided by 50% public vote and 50% international jury vote.

Sweden in Eurovision

Since 1958, Sweden has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 63 times, and with great success. Together with Ireland, they hold the record of most victories in Eurovision:

• 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
• 2023: Loreen – Tattoo

They came in last two times (1963 and 1977), and since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004 Sweden has managed to qualify for the Grand Final 19 out of 20 times (only failing to qualify in 2010)!