Norway: Melodi Grand Prix 2023 First Semi-final entries released

by Sanjay (Sergio) Jiandani 615 views

NRK, the Norwegian national broadcaster, has released the 7 competing entries at the upcoming MGP 2023 First Semi-final.

Norway will be kicking off its Eurovision 2023 national selection on Saturday 14 January with MGP’s First Semi-final.  You can listen to the competing entries here.

Melodi Grand Prix 2023 will consist of four live televised shows with the Grand Final set to be held in Trondheim on Saturday 4 February. There will be fewer and bigger semi-finals, no pre-qualified artists, no duels and the Grand Final will feature an international jury.

The three semi-finals will be held in Oslo whilst the Grand Final will be travelling to Trondheim.  A total of 21 acts will partake in the competition. The shows will be hosted by Arian Engebø and Stian ‘Staysman’ Thorbjørnsen. 

MGP 2023 Agenda

  • 14/ 01/ 2023- Semi-final 1
  • 21/01/2023- Semi-final 2
  • 28/01/2023- Semi-final 3
  • 04/02/2023- Grand Final

MGP 2023 Semi-final #1

  1. Ulrikke Brandstorp – Honestly
  2. Erik Næss – Wave
  3. Kate Gullbrandsen – Tårer i paradis
  4. Rasmus Thall – TRESKO
  5. Alessandra Mele – Queen of Kings
  6. Byron Williams Jr & Jowst – Freaky For The Weekend
  7. Umami Tsunami feat. Kyle Alessandro, Kristian Haugstøyl & Magnus Winjum – Geronimo

Three former Norwegian acts are back in the game vying to return to Eurovision again: Kate Gullbrandsen (Norway 1987)  , Ulrikke ( Norway 2020),  JOWST (Norway 2017). All three will be battling for a golden ticket to the MGP Grand Final on Saturday.

Norway in Eurovision

Norway debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1960 and has won the competition thrice: 1985 (Bobbysocks), 1995 (Secret Garden) and 2009 (Alexander Rybak).

The Nordic country has successfully hosted the competition thrice, once in Bergen and twice in Oslo and has partaken in Europe’s favorite television show 60 times.

Subwoolfer represented Norway at the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest in Turin with their entry ‘ Give That Wolf A Banana‘ achieving an honourable 10th placing in the Grand Final.