Sweden’s Melodifestivalen 2021 is due to begin in just over two weeks — but things are going to be different this year. Contest producer Karin Gunnarsson recently spoke about how the production will minimise risk from Covid-19.

Talking to to Sveriges Radio show Kulturnytt, Gunnarsson revealed that if anyone — performer or crew — starts to feel sick, there are different backup plans to call on. She explained, “It all depends on what day of week that the person starts to feel sick. We not only have one or two plans but three plans.”

An an example, Gunnarsson explained that if a performer was healthy during the Friday rehearsal but unable to perform on the Saturday show, the Melfest team would have the option of playing the recorded version of the rehearsal on the live Saturday show.

Gunnarsson didn’t elaborate on what steps would be taken if a competitor falls ill before their rehearsal performance, but the implication is that there will be ways to ensure the song is still able to remain in the competition.

In Melodifestivalen it’s the song not the singer that is entered in the competition, so it would be possible to switch a performer at the last-minute without breaking any rules. At Melodifestivalen 2020, singer Thorsten Flinck was disqualified from the competition and replaced by Jan Johansen less than one week before the semi-final where the song “Miraklernas tid” was due to be performed.

Behind the scenes this year, each artist will have their own bubble. The artists, along with their own teams, will remain isolated from others, including being transported to the locations and during rehearsal time.

The flexibility of the new Melfest stage design

Melodifestivalen 2021 will be held differently from usual years. The regular Melodifestivalen tour has been cancelled and instead all six shows will be held at Stockholm’s Annexet hall. As well, the Melfest shows will not have a live audience.

Yesterday SVT shared the design of the Mello stage and confirmed that the stage had been designed to take advantage of the shows not using an audience.

The stage has a lower roof as well as a catwalk-style design that extends out where the audience would normally be. The stage design allows artists to perform in many different formats.

Also speaking to Sveriges Radio, Frida Boström, a spokesperson from Universal Music was positive about the new stage design. She said, “Depending on which song and what kind of performance you want to do, it can be positive to not depend on where the audience sits or stands. I think there will be very good looking performances this year.”

What do you think? Should Eurovision 2021 use similar backup plans for its shows? Tell us your ideas below!

Read more Sweden Eurovision news

9 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Linus
Linus
3 years ago

Its sad to hear that the artists cant be together during the week or have a after party, but they can sit together in green room at least.

Schlagerprofilerna
Schlagerprofilerna
3 years ago

Melodifestivalen also going back to ESC rules this year: Maximum six people on stage IF the clip from the final needs to compete in Rotterdam.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
3 years ago

Thanks; that’s very interesting.

Tho
Tho
3 years ago

Sweden are allways good in creating shows. I think Rotterdam can learn a lot from Melfest 2021 for the shows in may. The pandemic situation will be still going on in may.

Tom
Tom
3 years ago
Reply to  Tho

Pandemic situation will be still there even in december 2021, people needs to stay at home …and yes i understand that its boring, but we needs to be 2gether in these darkness times …I hope that any artists will not be inficated by virus and everything will be OK 🙂 ESC in Rotterdam will be probably the same like Junior ESC …so I Think Rotterdam will be hosting but it will be online contest sadly 🙁

Last edited 3 years ago by Tom
Denis
Denis
3 years ago
Reply to  Tom

Virus will be there but by May it will be a lot easier with fewer restrictions.So I think either B or C. I doubt Rotterdam would go for D. That would be waste of time..

Tho
Tho
3 years ago
Reply to  Denis

Never give up the hope. But there is absolutely no chance for C.

Denis
Denis
3 years ago
Reply to  Tho

Actually there is even hope for B. The D option is only if there is total lockdown and its unlikely therr will be total lockdown in May. Also I doubt Rotterdam would choose it since that would br waste of time.

Tho
Tho
3 years ago
Reply to  Tom

You will be absolutely right Tom. It’s sadly but it will be like JESC.
The country’s are closing the boarders again because of the mutation. So I don’t think that the Netherlands will welcome people from all over Europe in Rotterdam.