3.2 million viewers watched the first Semi-Final of Melodifestivalen 2021, while 628,624 viewers took part in the voting.
Melodifestivalen starts off its 2021 season dominating the Swedish television ratings. This week’s Semi-Final saw a total of 3.23 million viewers watched the first Semi-Final live. In 2020 only 2.85 million viewers tuned in to watch the last year opening Semi-Final, meaning just under 400,000 extra views tuned in to watch this year. In fact the number for this years opening Semi-Final is on par with the number of viewers for last year’s Melodifestivalen 2020 final, which saw 3.243 million viewers watch The Mamas win last years contest.
The results of the first Semi-Final were as follows:
- Kadiatou – One Touch – Eliminated in the first round of voting
- Lillasyster – Pretender – Second Chance
- Jessica Andersson – Horizon – 5th Place
- Paul Rey – The Missing Piece – Second Chance
- Arvingarna – Tänker inte alls gå hem – Directly qualified to the final
- Nathalie Brydolf – Fingerprints – Eliminated in the first round of voting
- Danny Saucedo – Dandi dansa – Directly qualified to the final
The dates of the remaining Melodifestivalen shows are as follows:
- Semi-Final 2 – February 13th
- Semi-Final 3 – February 20th
- Semi-Final 4 – February 27th
- Andra Chansen – February 6th
- Final – March 13th
Due to Covid all six Melodifestivalen 2021 shows will take place in Annexet in Stockholm, with no live audience. The winner of the contest will go on to represent Sweden at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Source: SVT | Photo: Sveriges Television AB (SVT), Stina Stjernkvist
Sweden debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1958 and has gone on to be one of the contest’s most successful countries. The country has won the contest six times, the most recent being in 2015. Sweden’s first victory came in 1974 when ABBA won the contest in Brighton with “Waterloo”. Since missing out on the final in 2010, Sweden has gone on to finish 3rd twice and has won the contest twice, only in 2013 did the country place outside of the top 10 in the final.
