For six Saturday nights each winter, Sweden watches the same show. Here is what Melodifestivalen is, why it matters so much to Swedes, when and where the 2027 tour runs, and how to get into the arena yourself.
When you need this
You are in Sweden on a Saturday in February or March and the whole country seems to be watching one TV show. Friends invite you over for “Mello”. Your hotel in Karlstad, Gothenburg or Malmö is suddenly full one weekend. Or you are a Eurovision fan who wants to see the Swedish selection live.
What Melodifestivalen is
Melodifestivalen (“the melody festival”), nicknamed Mello, is the song contest that public broadcaster SVT uses to choose Sweden’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. It has been held almost every year since 1959. Since 2002 it has been a touring show, with heats in different cities before a final in Stockholm.
It is the biggest thing on Swedish television in late winter. The 2026 final, on 7 March, was watched by an average of 2,785,000 people and was the most-watched program of the week. FELICIA won it with “My System”, scoring 161 points ahead of Greczula’s “Half of Me” on 134; 962,495 people voted.
Mello is also a music-industry event. SVT received a record 3,888 song submissions for 2026, and “My System” topped the Swedish singles chart for several weeks. The contest’s traditional sound is schlager, light and catchy pop, but the lineup now spans many styles.
How the contest works
The rules are SVT’s own, not law, and they change a little most years. In 2025 and 2026 the format was:
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Heats (deltävlingar) | Five Saturday shows, six songs each, 30 songs in total |
| Straight to the final | The top two songs in each heat |
| Finalkval (final qualifier) | Each heat’s third-placed song; the best-scoring of the five goes through, and the public picks one more |
| Final | 12 songs; the public vote and an international jury count 50% each |
The six songs in each heat are released on the Friday before the show. SVT has confirmed the same basic structure for 2027: five heats and a 12-song final.
Format tweaks can cause real arguments. In 2026 SVT moved the finalkval announcement from SVT1 to streaming on SVT Play, then moved it back after viewers complained.
Why Sweden takes it so seriously
The short answer: Sweden is very good at Eurovision. With seven wins it shares the all-time record with Ireland:
| Year | Artist | Song |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | ABBA | “Waterloo” |
| 1984 | Herreys | “Diggi-Loo Diggi-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” |
Sweden has also hosted the contest seven times: in Stockholm (1975, 2000, 2016), Malmö (1992, 2013, 2024) and Gothenburg (1985). ABBA’s 1974 win in Brighton has its own section at ABBA The Museum in Stockholm.
Winning is not automatic, and that keeps the debate alive. In Vienna on 16 May 2026, Bulgaria won Eurovision with Dara’s “Bangaranga” on 516 points. Sweden’s FELICIA finished 20th with 51 points, the country’s first result outside the top ten since 2021. Eurovision 2027 goes to Burgas, Bulgaria, and Melodifestivalen 2027 will pick the Swedish entry.
The 2027 tour
The tour changes every year. In 2026 it visited Linköping, Gothenburg, Kristianstad, Malmö and Sundsvall; in 2027 it goes no farther north than Karlstad:
| Show | Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat 1 | Saturday 6 February 2027 | Karlstad | Löfbergs Arena |
| Heat 2 | Saturday 13 February 2027 | Gothenburg | not confirmed in our sources |
| Heat 3 | Saturday 20 February 2027 | Malmö | Malmö Arena |
| Heat 4 | Saturday 27 February 2027 | Halmstad | Halmstad Arena |
| Heat 5 | Saturday 6 March 2027 | Norrköping | Himmelstalundshallen |
| Final | Saturday 13 March 2027 | Stockholm | Strawberry Arena |
The final is in Stockholm, not in the last heat city. Each heat brings a busy arena weekend to its host city, with three shows in two days, so book a hotel early if your trip overlaps. Our city guides to Karlstad, Gothenburg, Malmö, Linköping and Norrköping and Stockholm help with the rest of the weekend.
Tickets and rehearsal shows
Anyone can buy a ticket. The tour is produced by All Things Live together with SVT, and for the 2025 tour Ticketmaster.se was the authorized seller for every show, with sales opening on 6 November 2024 at 11:00. Expect a similar release in late autumn, and buy only through the authorized channel; any other seller is outside the official system and you take the risk.
Every heat city runs three shows:
- Friday evening: genrep. A full dress rehearsal in the arena.
- Saturday afternoon: matinégenrep. A second full rehearsal.
- Saturday evening: the live heat (in Stockholm, the final), broadcast on SVT1.
A rehearsal is not a lesser show. You see the same artists and songs on the same stage; only the live broadcast and the voting are missing. If the Saturday evening show is sold out, a rehearsal ticket is the obvious fallback. Ticket prices vary by show and seat and change every year, so check the seller.
For big-arena practicalities such as bag rules and getting in, our guide to watching sports in Sweden covers how Swedish arenas run event nights.
Watching on TV
You need no ticket to join in. The heats and the final are broadcast on SVT1 and streamed on SVT Play, starting at 20:00 Swedish time on Saturdays; SVT offered international streaming of the 2026 final. Which programs stream abroad can vary, so check SVT Play before the night.
If Swedish friends invite you to a Mello evening, expect the TV on from 20:00. It sits naturally next to Friday’s fredagsmys, Sweden’s weekly cozy night in. And expect the charts to follow the show: the songs you hear in shops in March are often from the contest.
The yearly rhythm, if you want to follow along:
- Late August to September: SVT opens song submissions (for 2027, from 21 August 2026).
- Late autumn: the 30 acts are announced and tour tickets go on sale.
- February to mid-March: five heats and the final.
- May: Eurovision, with the Mello winner representing Sweden.
Practical information
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| 2027 heats | Saturdays 6, 13, 20 and 27 February and 6 March |
| 2027 final | Saturday 13 March, Strawberry Arena, Stockholm |
| Start time | 20:00 Swedish time |
| Shows per heat city | Friday genrep, Saturday matinégenrep, Saturday live heat |
| Tickets | Authorized seller only (Ticketmaster.se for the 2025 tour); release expected in late autumn |
| Ticket prices | Vary by show and seat; check the seller |
| Watching | SVT1 and SVT Play, free to watch |
| 2026 final audience | 2,785,000 viewers |
| Eurovision 2027 | Burgas, Bulgaria |
FAQ
What is Melodifestivalen?
It is the televised song contest Swedish public broadcaster SVT uses to choose Sweden’s Eurovision entry, nicknamed Mello. Thirty songs compete in five Saturday heats in different cities in February and March, and twelve reach the final in Stockholm, where the public and an international jury each decide half the result. It has run almost every year since 1959.
When is Melodifestivalen 2027?
The heats are on Saturdays: Karlstad on 6 February, Gothenburg on 13 February, Malmö on 20 February, Halmstad on 27 February and Norrköping on 6 March. The final is at Strawberry Arena in Stockholm on Saturday 13 March 2027. The winner represents Sweden at Eurovision 2027 in Burgas, Bulgaria.
How do I get tickets to Melodifestivalen?
Tickets for the whole tour are sold through an authorized seller; for the 2025 tour it was Ticketmaster.se, with sales opening on 6 November 2024. Expect the next release in late autumn. Each city has three shows: a Friday dress rehearsal, a Saturday matinee rehearsal and the live heat, so a rehearsal is a good fallback if the broadcast is sold out.
What is a genrep at Melodifestivalen?
A genrep is a full dress rehearsal in the arena before the live show. Each heat city has two: a Friday evening genrep and a Saturday afternoon matinégenrep, followed by the live broadcast on Saturday evening. You see the same artists and songs on the same stage; the difference is that the rehearsal is not broadcast and no votes are counted.
How many times has Sweden won Eurovision?
Seven times, a record shared with Ireland: ABBA in 1974, the Herreys in 1984, Carola in 1991, Charlotte Nilsson in 1999, Loreen in 2012, Måns Zelmerlöw in 2015 and Loreen again in 2023. Sweden has also hosted seven times. The streak has gaps, though: in 2026 Sweden’s FELICIA finished 20th in Vienna with 51 points.
Why do Swedes take Eurovision so seriously?
Because Sweden is very good at it. Seven wins, starting with ABBA’s “Waterloo” in 1974, made the contest a point of national pride, and Melodifestivalen turns the selection into six weeks of Saturday-night television. The 2026 final drew 2,785,000 viewers, and SVT received a record 3,888 song submissions. Mello winners often top the Swedish charts.
Can I watch Melodifestivalen outside Sweden?
Yes. SVT broadcasts the show on SVT1 and streams it on SVT Play, and SVT offered international streaming of the 2026 final. The heats and the final start at 20:00 Swedish time on Saturdays. You need no ticket to watch, but which programs stream abroad can vary, so check SVT Play before the night.
Related guides
- Fredagsmys and Taco Friday — the Friday TV-and-snacks night that Mello Saturdays echo.
- ABBA The Museum — where Sweden’s first Eurovision win, in 1974, has its own room.
- Watching sports in Sweden — the other big arena nights, and how Swedish arenas handle bags and entry.
- Stockholm — plan the rest of your final weekend.
- Sweden in winter — what else the Mello season has to offer.
Facts verified 2026-10-05. Sources: SVT, the EBU (eurovision.com), Norrköpings kommun, All Things Live and TT — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.