SVT, the Swedish national broadcaster, has unveiled the Melodifestivalen 2026 hosts!
Gina Dirawi and Hampus Nessvold will have the grand honour of hosting the forthcoming edition of Melodifestivalen 2026.
Gina Dirawi will be hosting Melodifestivalen for the fourth time having hosted the event in 2012, 2013 and 2026, whilst Hampus Nessvold will be hosting the competition for the very first time.
Gina Dirawi says:
It has been ten years since I last met the audience, and I have missed it. Melodifestivalen is a truly unique stage to stand on. To now be able to come back to the place that made me feel at home as a child for the fourth time, and also together with Hampus, feels incredibly fun.
Hampus Nessvold says:
Mello must be our last campfire TV, right? I am so happy and honored to be a part of it. Especially right now, when more than ever you want some kind of light to gather around. See Gina as the keyhole brand in this duo, the quality assured one and me as the loose cannon. But I promise to do my best and if it goes badly, I will be the first to give myself a minus in the evening newspapers.
Anders Wistbacka (Melodifestivalen Project Manager) says:
I am incredibly happy that two of Sweden’s most popular TV profiles have accepted the job. Both Hampus and Gina are very successful in their own right and they will now work together for the first time on the Melodifestivalen stage. I am convinced that viewers will get great entertainment in all the programs.
Melodifestivalen 2026
The Swedish national selection will kick off on 31st January in Linkoping with its first semi-final and will conclude on 7th March in Stockholm with the Grand Final.
Melodifestivalen 2026 will consist of 6 live televised shows ( 5 semi-finals and 1 grand final):
- 31/01/2026- Melodifestivalen 2026 Semi-final #1- Linkoping
- 07/02/2026- Melodifestivalen 2026 Semi-final #2- Gothenburg
- 14/02/2026- Melodifestivalen 2026 Semi-final #3- Kristiansand
- 21/02/2026- Melodifestivalen 2026 Semi-final #4- Malmo
- 28/02/2026- Melodifestivalen 2026 Semi-final #5- Sundsvall
- 07/02/2026- Melodifestivalen 2026 Grand Final- Stockholm
A total of 30 songs will compete in the Swedish national selection, 6 songs will compete in each of the five semi-finals, a total of 12 songs will compete at the Melodifestivalen 2026 Grand Final for the golden ticket to Austria. The 2026 Swedish Eurovision entry and will be determined via a mixed public televoting/international jury deliberation.
Sweden in Eurovision
Sweden debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1958 and has won Europe’s favorite television show 7 times ( 1974, 1984, 1991, 1999, 2012, 2015, 2023) and has hosted the competition thrice in Stockholm (1975, 2000, 2016), thrice in Malmo (1992, 2013, 2024) and once in Goteborg (1985).
Sweden has been enjoying much success in the competition in recent years, the Scandinavian country has achieved 12 TOP 10 placings in the contest in the past 14 years including 3 victories.The Nordic country has partaken 64 times in the competition throughout its history.
In 2025 KAJ represented Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel with their epic entry ‘Bara Bada Bastu’, achieving an honorable 4th place in the Grand Final.
