So, only two songs will go out in the first round of voting then? How dull.

 

To try and get some optimism out of this (because it is a terrible decision, make no mistake), there were at least 4 songs last year that we could easily lose whatever your tastes, it's just a question of whether they choose the right ones now they have less slots. We had two superfluous slow ballads sung by 'delicate' girls/middle-aged CajsaStinas to Songbird's essential status last time as an example. If we're lucky we might be spared that sort of thing.

The white bread female ballad overdose was definitely the worst thing (musically) about this year. It was basically one per heat!

 

Oh, and there wasn't a need to have Little Great Things, Outtrigger, Ammotrack AND I.D.A. One or two of those could easily have been ditched for a little more variety.

True, even as the sort of person who enjoys that sort of thing. While I like LGT, losing them or Ammotrack out of those 4 would not have been the end of the world as both were pretty basic hard rock songs.

Wtf is the point in ditching 4 songs? I've never seen criticism over how many songs there are. The hosts however..... Last years should be on trail at The Hague for crimes against humanity.

Where are the heat 4 results?

Reducing the participants to 28 contestants, having two more songs in the final and limit the number of votes per telephone. These are the news in the rules of the popular Melodifestivalen, Sweden's national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest.

The rules of Melodifestivalen have evolved and changed over the years, but the number of participants has been 32 since the introduction of the semi-finals tour back in 2002. Now the Swedish broadcaster SVT wants to change that.

 

"We try to review and make something new every year. New this year is that 28 acts will compete - so we will see seven artists in each of the semi-finals. That way we'll create more air in the program with a more lively feeling and giving each song and artist more space", says Christer Björkman, executive producer of Melodifestivalen 2015.

 

Even the Second Chance round, Andra Chansen, will be different. The songs that come in third and fourth place in the four semi-finals will meet in four duels. The winners of each duel will move on to the final. "With the new shape of Andra Chansen next year we'll have 12 songs instead of 10 competing in the final", says Christer Björkman.

 

Viewers will have two more favorites to vote for - which we hope they will appreciate

 

As for the voting they have chosen to go the way of the Eurovision Song Contest: there will be a limit of 20 votes per phone and entry. This means that you can call and send text messages up to 20 times for each song, but that you can vote for as many songs as you want in each program.

 

A huge number to choose from

Usually, no other country gets over 1000 songs to their national selection. For the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest, 2177 songs have been submitted in Sweden.

 

As in recent years, a selection panel will appoint half of the entries, this year a total of 14 songs. Then the event producers appoint another 13 songs, and in addition, a song from the winner of this year's Svensktoppen nästa competition, Kalle Johansson (pictured below), who becomes the first artist of Melodifestivalen 2015.

 

If were having 12 songs in the final now then, it seems even more of a ludicrous idea to reduce the total number of songs to 28!

Yes but think how much LESS PAIN WE SHALL ENDURE now

Almost half of the entries will be finalists!

This does actually make up for less entries, at least we'll see more of them do well, and it will make Andra Chansen a bit less of a backhanded prize from the heats, given each entry should technically now have a 50% chance to go through rather than 25%.

 

In conjunction with less entries it doesn't feel as good as it could have been but I like it, will hopefully make the final quite an event.

Host cities and dates have been announced!

 

Göteborg 07/02

Malmö 14/02

Östersund 21/02

Örebro 28/02

Helsingborg 07/03

Stockholm 14/03

Apparently the first time Melodifestivalen will be in Östersund or Helsingborg. So there!

very ö-tastic

The presenters are being announced on Monday at 11am Swedish time. I hope they've pulled out all the stops because Anders and Nour were terrible.

There's shit all chance Anders is coming back. I think half the problem was them ditching Edward af Sillén on scriptwriting after the SDF rip-off controversy anyway.

When do the tickets actually go on sale for this, or have I missed it.

October.

October.

 

I plan on going this year, Helsingborg here I come :P.

Danny and Gina to return please! :wub:

Danny and Gina to return please! :wub:

That won't happen either, I wouldn't imagine, but god I would love that. Definitely my favourite hosts since watching, adored them together!

Danny and Gina to return please! :wub:

 

Yes! Then when I go, I will finally meet Danny and he will know we are meant to be together forever :wub:

 

 

I mean.... something that sounds much less crazy.