Melodifestivalen 2026: Sweden opens its doors to new hits with a professional jury

Sweden, a country synonymous with Eurovision success, isn’t wasting any time! While the music scene is still recovering from the fantastic placement of the group KAJ and their song „Bara Bada Bastu“ at this year’s competition in Basel, the public broadcaster SVT has already announced the start of the selection process for the next Eurovision Song Contest in Austria in 2026.

The submission window for Melodifestivalen 2026 opens on August 18 at 09:00 CEST and will remain open until September 12 at 11:59 CEST. This is a crucial period for all ambitious composers, songwriters, and performers who dream of performing on Europe’s biggest music stage.

A new approach, experienced professionals

What attracts special attention is the changed composition of the jury. Unlike previous years, when the jury included members of the public with no musical experience, this year SVT has opted for an exclusively professional team. The decision was made to improve the selection process and ensure that the chosen songs are not only of high quality but also relevant in today’s digital music world.

The expert jury consists of:

• Karin Gunnarsson (Contest Producer)
• Viktor Berglund (Contest Producer and Head of Voting)
• Lotta Furebäck (Producer)
• Daniel Edvardsson (Producer)

Anders Wistbacka, the project manager for Melodifestivalen, explains this change as a step forward: “At Melodifestivalen, we always want to improve. We keep the editorial power that has made Melodifestivalen so strong but complement it with insights into what engages and works in today’s digital music landscape.”

Competition rules

Submissions must meet strict but clear criteria. Songs must be original, between 2 to 3 minutes long, and must not have been publicly released before the competition. While the primary intention is to promote Swedish music, the competition is open to all languages, with a mandatory Swedish translation for songs that are not in English.

One of the interesting details is the requirement that at least 50% of the selected songs must have female songwriters and/or composers, which demonstrates SVT’s commitment to promoting gender equality in the music industry. Additionally, 30% of the songs will be in Swedish.

Sweden and Eurovision 2026: The road to Austria

After the submissions close, the jury will have the difficult task of selecting the 30 best entries that will compete for the prestigious title. The names of the artists and composers will be revealed at a press conference in November or December 2026.

As a reminder, the winner of Melodifestivalen 2026 will represent Sweden at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Austria after the host country triumphed at the 2025 competition.

Last year, the group KAJ achieved notable success with their song “Bara Bada Bastu”, finishing in 4th place in the final with 321 points, which only further raises expectations for Sweden in 2026.

Sweden’s representatives at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel 2025.