Melodifestivalen 2027: Dates, Cities, Hosts and Odds
TL;DR: Melodifestivalen 2027 opens on Saturday 6 February in Karlstad and ends on Saturday 13 March at Strawberry Arena in Solna. Oscar Zia and Björn Kjellman host, SVT received a record 4,077 submissions, and the artists are announced in November or December. The winner goes to Eurovision in Burgas in May — with a record to repair after Sweden's 20th place in Vienna.
All dates and arenas
| Show | Date | City | Arena |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heat 1 | Saturday 6 February | Karlstad | Löfbergs Arena |
| Heat 2 | Saturday 13 February | Gothenburg | Scandinavium |
| Heat 3 | Saturday 20 February | Malmö | Malmö Arena |
| Heat 4 | Saturday 27 February | Halmstad | Halmstad Arena |
| Heat 5 + Final qualification | Saturday 6 March | Norrköping | Himmelstalundshallen |
| Final | Saturday 13 March | Solna (Stockholm) | Strawberry Arena |
SVT announced the tour on 17 September. Halmstad and Norrköping host for the first time since 2016, and there is no heat in northern Sweden this time. Source: SVT.
Shows usually start around 20:00 CET on SVT1. SVT hasn't published exact 2027 times yet.
The format
Unchanged from 2026:
30 songs, six per heat.
The top two in each heat go straight to the final — ten songs.
The third-placed song from each heat goes to the final qualification round (“finalkval”), decided during Heat 5. Two of the five go through.
The final has twelve songs. The result is 50% Swedish public vote (app votes split into age groups, plus a phone group) and 50% international juries.
The old “Andra chansen” round went in 2024. The qualification round that replaced it has since shrunk from third- and fourth-placed songs to thirds only.
Hosts and new leadership
Oscar Zia hosts for the third time, after 2021 and 2022; he came second at Melodifestivalen 2016 with “Human”. Björn Kjellman is new to the role but competed in 2006 with “Älskar du livet”. It's the first all-male host pair since 1993.
Behind the scenes, Hans Abrahamsson — the producer behind Swedish hits “Spelet” and “Married at First Sight” — takes over from Anders Wistbacka at the turn of the year.
Record submissions
SVT received 4,077 songs between 21 August and 11 September — 189 more than the previous record, set for 2026. Thirty make the show.
SVT aims for about 30% of the songs to be mainly in Swedish, and at least half to have female or mixed songwriting teams.
One rule changes to follow Eurovision's new age limit: artists must be at least 17, and the winner must be 18 by the first rehearsal day in Burgas.
Who's in the line-up?
Nobody, officially. SVT presents the field in November or December — last year on 2 December.
Swedish tabloids have floated E-Type, Nanne Grönvall, Dotter, Eva Jumatate and EMD, among others. None is confirmed. Mello line-up rumours tend to be right about half the time, and there's no telling in advance which half.
What the odds usually say about Mello
Melodifestivalen is one of the most predictable national finals in Europe. The pre-final favourite:
| Year | Favourite | Winner | Favourite won? |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | John Lundvik | John Lundvik | Yes |
| 2020 | No clear favourite | The Mamas | — |
| 2021 | Tusse | Tusse | Yes |
| 2022 | Cornelia Jakobs | Cornelia Jakobs | Yes |
| 2023 | Loreen | Loreen | Yes |
| 2024 | Marcus & Martinus | Marcus & Martinus | Yes |
| 2025 | Måns Zelmerlöw | KAJ | No |
| 2026 | Felicia | Felicia | Yes |
Six out of eight. But the favourite settles late. In most years it only becomes clear after the heats, once the songs have been heard and the results have hinted at the app vote. Odds before the line-up is announced tell you almost nothing.
The second lesson is less comfortable: winning Mello is not the same as doing well at Eurovision. Felicia won 2026 with both the juries and the public, then finished 20th in Vienna with 51 points — Sweden's worst final placing since at least 2012.
| Year | Artist | Eurovision result |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Cornelia Jakobs | 4th |
| 2023 | Loreen | 1st |
| 2024 | Marcus & Martinus | 9th |
| 2025 | KAJ | 4th |
| 2026 | Felicia | 20th |
More in Sweden's Eurovision 2026 odds — anatomy of a collapse.
What we're watching next
The artist announcement in November or December — that's when real Mello markets open
Running orders for each heat — early slots are harder
The international jury — which countries vote in 2027
Sweden's place in the Eurovision market once the winner is known on 13 March
We track the odds on our Melodifestivalen page.
Related reading
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Melodifestivalen 2027?
The heats are on 6, 13, 20 and 27 February and 6 March 2027. The final is on Saturday 13 March 2027 at Strawberry Arena in Solna, Stockholm.
Where is Melodifestivalen 2027 held?
Karlstad (Löfbergs Arena), Gothenburg (Scandinavium), Malmö (Malmö Arena), Halmstad (Halmstad Arena) and Norrköping (Himmelstalundshallen). The final is at Strawberry Arena in Solna, just outside Stockholm.
Who hosts Melodifestivalen 2027?
Oscar Zia and Björn Kjellman. It's Oscar Zia's third time hosting, after 2021 and 2022. Björn Kjellman hosts for the first time; he competed in 2006.
When are the Melodifestivalen 2027 artists announced?
SVT says November–December 2026 but hasn't set a date. Last year's line-up was presented on 2 December.
How often does the betting favourite win Melodifestivalen?
Often. The pre-final favourite won six of the last eight editions (2019–2026). The exceptions: 2020 had no clear favourite, and in 2025 KAJ beat the heavy favourite Måns Zelmerlöw.
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