Sweden: Frans wins Melodifestivalen

Tonight Sweden picked their song for Eurovision Song Contest 2016 in Stockholm. After six amazing shows

all over Sweden with 37 contestants, the Swedish public and an international jury voted for Frans. He will represent Sweden with the song "If I Were Sorry". After four Semi-finals and a Second Chance-show 12 songs were selected to compete in the Final of Melodifestivalen, the biggest television show in Sweden.

The show was broadcasted live from Friends Arena in Stockholm and hosted by Gina Dirawi with the help from William Spetz. William is a 19 year old Swedish comedian. He became known through his YouTube blog and has since made several humor series on SVT.

"If I Were Sorry" is written by Frans Jeppsson-Wall, Oscar Fogelström, Michael Saxell and Fredrik Andersson.

Oscar Zia got most points from the international juries. Frans got 14.4% of the viewers votes.

Melodifestivalen 2016

• 6 February: Melodifestivalen Deltävling 1, Gothenburg (Scandinavium)
• 13 February: Melodifestivalen Deltävling 2, Malmö (Malmö Arena)
• 20 February: Melodifestivalen Deltävling 3, Norrköping (Himmelstalundshallen)
• 27 February: Melodifestivalen Deltävling 4, Gävle (Gavlerinken Arena)
• 5 March: Melodifestivalen Second Chance, Halmstad (Halmstad Arena)
• 12 March: Melodifestivalen Final, Stockholm (Friends Arena)

All the shows were hosted by Gina Dirawi accompanied by various guest hosts.
The format for Melodifestivalen 2016 was the same as last year:
Each of the 4 heats qualified 2 songs directly to the final
Each of the 4 heats qualified 2 songs to the "second chance"-show
In the "second chance" 4 songs were selected for the final

Sweden in Eurovision Song Contest

Since 1958 Sweden has participated 55 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 11 out of 12 times! (only skipped the qualification in 2010).