Melodifestivalen 2021 Acts _ Performers _ Singers

The first semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2021 is due to begin in just over one week. Now producers have revealed more of the precautions they will be taking to ensure the Mello production will minimise risk from Covid-19.

Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet spoke to Melodifestivalen Contest Producer Karin Gunnarsson and Project Manager Anette Brattström.

One of the big changes is that Melodifestivalen 2021 productions will now only allow six performers on stage. While this is also the limit of performers permitted by Eurovision, Melodifestivalen usually also allows two extra dancers to be part of a performance.

As well, dancers will be required to keep 1.5 metres apart. Everyone on stage will wear a proximity alarm which will beep and vibrate if two or more people are too close to each other.

Thought has also been given to the backstage area, with one-way routes set up to ensure that people aren’t forced to pass closely down narrow hallways.

Keeping safe and healthy at Melodifestivalen 2021

Unlike other Swedish entertainment and reality shows, Melodifestivalen 2021 will not use routine Covid testing.

Anette Brattström explained, “We will not mass test blindly and see what we get a hit on. Instead, we are working much more preventively to keep a distance and have good hand hygiene. It may sound banal, and a little simplistic, but that’s the crucial difference. We have healthcare on-site and we have the opportunity to use sampling, but our healthcare staff will assess this based on the situation.”

The production also won’t require anyone to quarantine before participating. Karin Gunnarsson explained that they expected those involved to take responsibility and follow the Swedish government’s social distancing guidelines. She said, “Everyone is extremely responsive, no one wants to sabotage their own participation.”

If an artist has to withdraw due to illness or even just exhibiting symptoms, there will be ways to ensure their song is still part of the competition. Rehearsals on the Thursday and Friday prior to each show will be taped, with the potential to place that performance during the live show. There’s also the possibility of using a stand-in performer during rehearsals, however it has been not confirmed if a stand-in performer could also be used during the live performance.

Will Mello 2021 have a significantly larger viewership?

Producers are also planning for an increase in viewers this year. With usual Saturday night options severely limited, a lot more Swedes are expected to make Melodifestivalen their appointment viewing. This follows the traditional Swedish Christmas Eve screening of a Donald Duck special picking up one million more viewers than usual, making it the most-watched Swedish television broadcast of all time.

Gunnarsson says they have taken into account a potential increase in viewers, especially to ensure the voting system will hold up to an increased load.

What do you think? Would a larger audience change the sort of songs that do well at Melfest? Will the show have a different feeling to usual years? Tell us your thoughts below!

Read more Sweden Eurovision news here

21 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Purple Mask
Purple Mask
3 years ago

“ Everyone on stage will wear a proximity alarm which will beep and vibrate if two or more people are too close to each other.” – That would probably be the point where I would resign. If you’re not gonna do routine testing, I’m off. What a cheap, tacky and insulting measure to a performer. It’s worse than a child’s harness.

Dop
Dop
3 years ago

Karin Gunnarsson explained that they expected those involved to take responsibility and follow the Swedish government’s social distancing guidelines.

Yeah we’ve seen how swedes act during these times..

Erik
Erik
3 years ago
Reply to  Dop

Please inform me

Samo
Samo
3 years ago

It sounds a bit ridiculous considering the reality of day-to-day life in Stockholm, where keeping a distance in a queue is usually mistaken for not waiting in that queue.

Extreme meassures on stage, then off to a packed bar somewhere in Södermalm. Cheers 🙂

Jimmy Smit
Jimmy Smit
3 years ago

Proximity alarms, so sensationally Melfest, when routine testing would really solve the problem.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
3 years ago
Reply to  Jimmy Smit

100% Indeed.

Lolek
Lolek
3 years ago

Can’t believe we’ll be getting our first taste of melo in less than a week already (when the snippets drop on Tuesday – hopefully)!

Diana
Diana
3 years ago

Not using a routine COVID testing is the most swedish thing I’ve ever heard lol.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
3 years ago
Reply to  Diana

If being Swedish is being cheap and childish, then sure. No, I’ll go further than that: It is insufficient, and the organisers should know better, surely?

Diana
Diana
3 years ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

They absolutely should, However this behaviour is encouraged by the swedish government and the public health authority here in Sweden; to simply not test unnecessarily and to take our own responsibility,

Loin dici
Loin dici
3 years ago

Six performers on stage? I would have never guessed.

Denis
Denis
3 years ago

Actually if you don’t force rules upon people you will find it’s easier to follow social rules. That trust thing has actually worked out well for us

Ashton Schier
Ashton Schier
3 years ago
Reply to  Denis

Ah yes, forced rules. As in, you know, laws. Let’s just ignore those haha I’m sure thats fine

Denis
Denis
3 years ago
Reply to  Ashton Schier

We dont ignore cause they arent laws to begin with. If you say ” you shouldnt” or “it’s not reccomended ” instead of ” it’s forbidden” you will found its easier to obey.

Zaz
Zaz
3 years ago
Reply to  Denis

Sweden having one of the highest covid mortality rate per 100k population… yeah it did work out well

Stephen
Stephen
3 years ago
Reply to  Zaz

Actually Sweden has the 18th highest COVID mortality rate per 100000 and dropping and the 12th highest in Europe. Check your facts ignorant

cats and dogs eurovision
cats and dogs eurovision
3 years ago

hmm idk.. if one person will have Covid, everyone has to be dropped 🙁 why not test before the show?

Samo
Samo
3 years ago

It seems the idea is precisely that not everyone will have to be dropped due to precautions on site, as participants in thd production will not have a close contact.

Testing has limited reliability and can often generate false negatives.

Purple Mask
Purple Mask
3 years ago
Reply to  Samo

Granted, but giving everyone electronic harnesses simply doesn’t tell the performers if they’re at risk or not. Only testing can do that, in theory.
P.S. When are we ever going to invent tricorders (from Star Trek)?

Erik
Erik
3 years ago
Reply to  Purple Mask

@Purple Mask, you’re on thin ice here. The whole point of distancing is that you cannot know who can carry the virus. And if you are tested you could catch the virus after your test. EVERYONE can potentially carry the virus and you take precautions for this. Extended testing could help break chains, but distancing applies for everyone. The quick tests are also less certain in their results. Saying someone is at risk indirectly indicates someone else is NOT at risk. On the contrary, everyone should act as if they are at risk. Take extra precautions. Testing can help us… Read more »

Teddie
Teddie
3 years ago

So I guess, no more infamous Melfest covid superspreader home parties with dozens of participants? That’s a shame! They were so proud of those back in the day.