Are we ready for yet another enthralling music journey around Sweden? I’m sure we are! Our friends up there are already getting ready for Eurovision 2020, where keeping the tradition of recent years, they will claim another high position on the final scoreboard. Although it’s only early September, SVT made important announcements about their annual national selection event, Melodifestivalen, which starts again come February. But who will be our escorts on the way to the final? No other than three beloved personalities; Lina Hedlund, Linnea Henriksson and David Sundin!
One in 2018, four in 2019, three in 2020… With an unexpected Instagram post this morning, the Swedish national broadcaster SVT revealed (earlier than ever in the last few years) the names of the three celebrities who we’ll be travelling with around the Scandinavian country, before we reach Stockholm’s Grand Final on 7 March 2020. Singers Lina Hedlund and Linnea Henriksson, who have both appeared on the Melodifestivalen stage in the past, as well as the comedian David Sundin, who has served as the event’s screenwriter in 2015 and 2016 can’t hide their excitement about this new project.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B18QQmxomch/
About the hosts
Lina Hedlund
For all Melodifestivalen passionates, there’s no need to introduce Lina Hedlund. The 41-year old artist and member of the group Alcazar has competed and tried to represent Sweden at Eurovision 6 times in total, most recently this year, where she reached the final with the song Victorious. However, her very first appearance in the competition took place many years back, in 2002, then joined by her sister Hanna. Her three entries as part of the trio Alcazar may have still remained unforgettable to many fans.
Recall her debut Melodifestivalen 2002 appearance here:
Linnea Henriksson
You can meet her in everything from pop to jazz. Leader of the jazz group Prylf since 2018, Linnea entered the music industry in 2010, where she competed in Swedish Idol and placed 4th. Known for her charity action, Linnea Henriksson has presented the annual radio/television campaign Musikhjälpen twice, in 2014 and 2015, while she has also been a reporter there in 2017. Last year, she took to the Melodifestivalen stage as an interval act, while she took part in the famous television show Så mycket bättre, where all contestants perform covers of each other’s songs.
David Sundin
An acclaimed comedian and television host will join the two afore-mentioned ladies in this journey. Melodifestivalen is nothing unknown to David, since he wrote the event’s texts in two of its recent releases, in 2015 and 2016. Let’s see how he can get along with hosting duties this year!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0YAlLZv394
Melodifestivalen 2020 agenda
As with every year, early February is going to see the first semi-final of the event, which will air live from the city of Linköping, while the final will take place 5 weeks later in the capital Stockholm. Below you may check the full schedule of Melodifestivalen 2020:
- Semi-final 1: 1 February – Linköping
- Semi-final 2: 8 February – Gothenburg
- Semi-final 3: 15 February – Luleå
- Semi-final 4: 22 February – Malmö
- Second chance: 29 February -Eskilstuna
- Grand Final: 7 March – Stockholm
The 28 competing acts of the 4 semi-finals will be officially unveiled most likely in November. Singer Amanda Aasa is the first confirmed act of the show, following her victory at P4 Nästa 2019 radio competition.
