He’s the three-time Melodifestivalen contestant and one of the 2021 hosts. Now Swedish broadcaster SVT has confirmed that Oscar Zia will return as the main host of Melodifestivalen 2022. The dates of Mello 2022 have been confirmed — and SVT says their plan is for the Melodifestivalen to return.
SVT confirmed that Oscar Zia will host Melodifestivalen 2022. The broadcaster broke the news with an Instagram post captioned “Certified Mello Host”, with both that and the image parodying the Canadian rapper Drake’s hot new album Certified Lover Boy.
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While Melodifestivalen 2021 was hosted by Christer Björkman who was joined by different co-hosts in each show, next year Oscar will be the main host. But he says he won’t be hosting alone. The singer explained, “It would be absurd if I was completely alone. I will invite friends and people I do not know who I think will do well. But we are very early in the process so I can not say more.”
Oscar Zia has competed in Melodifestivalen three times before. He debuted in 2013 backing Behrang Miri along with future The Mamas singer Loulou Lamotte on the song “Jalla Dansa Sawa”. The entry was eliminated in the andra chansen round.
In 2014 he returned with his solo effort “Yes We Can”, which placed eighth in the grand final. His final time in the competition was in 2016 when he competed with “Human”. The song won the jury vote but finished second to Frans who swept the televote.
Oscar also has Italian heritage — an apt connection in the year when Eurovision 2022 will be hosted in Italy.
Melodifestivalen dates confirmed
SVT has also confirmed the dates of the six Melodifestivalen news. And it comes with some good news — all going well, the six-city Melodifestivalen tour will return.
After last the edition’s shows were all held in a Stockholm venue, next year SVT plans to take the Melfest show on the road.
However, SVT is clear that the tour will only go ahead if the pandemic allows. Project Manager Annette Brattström explained, “The plan right now is that we will take out the party and meet the audience. Our absolute ambition is for the party to go out into the country again.”
Melodifestivalen 2022 semi-finals are due to kick off in Malmö on 5 February 2022, followed by Göteborg, Linköping and Lidköping. The andra chansen show will be held in Örnsköldsvik on 5 March, and the grand final will return to its usual home at Friends Arena in Stockholm on 12 March.
Oscar Zia was excited for the potential return of the tour, saying, “I look forward to maybe going on tour. Then I look forward to doing different shows, I love Melodifestivalen and long to see the entries.”
Melodifestivalen song submissions close on 17 September. The competing acts are expected to be announced sometime in November.
What do you think? Who would you like to see co-host with Oscar? What acts would you like to see competing in Melfest this year? Tell us your thoughts below!
never cared for melfest tbh. cheesy and overrated
I wonder if this was a direct Swedish to English translation, only because it sounds weird when you’re reading it as an ESOL speaker such as myself:
I would assume he meant that “they would take THE PARTY out…”. “Take out the party” comes off as an idiom that would mean completely something else. Heheh
I was hoping for Oscar Zia to return to Melfest as a contestant and perhaps even win the competition and represent Sweden at Eurovision. A bit of a shame.
No Bjorkman? Great!
Last year was his last meal fest. Let’s see how well his successor can do
Love Oscar but wish he was competing not presenting! He should have won in 2016 but was robbed.
LOL, what happened with the audience vote is always the correct one?
I bet the weaker song was chosen on purpose so that Sweden doesn’t win twice in a row.
And yet “If I Were Sorry” made it to Top 5. That doesn’t look like Sweden sabotaging their chances of winning if they ended up that high.
No, Christer would’ve loved to win twice in a row. Frans won because people remembered him from his Zlatan song when he was seven.
No, thats quite a stretch assuming people would remember a novelty song nine years ago. He won because it was something new,not ESC. Not that we have to justify our choices..
People remembered. The people who didn’t remember were reminded. I’m not saying it was the whole reason he won, but it was part of it.
Just confirmed that from september 29th most restrictions in Sweden will be lifted, including the cap on visitors. So not only a tour but audience as well:)
That kinda goes hand in hand – they could’ve made a tour in 2020 but it would be pointless since they wouldn’t have an audience 🙂 The way I see it, audience is a prerequisite for the tour. Looking good so far! 🙂
They did have a tour in 2020
No. Every show was live from Stockholm
That was 2021
Sorry, I meant 2021. It’s easy forget to what year it is during this entire mess 🙂
Well they’re trying to keep up with Denmark, who will have lifted EVERY SINGLE restriction by Friday ?
Well can you motivate keeping restrictions when your neighbours and almost all of Europe don’t have them?
I truly wished we had our italian Oscar Zia represent us in eurovision in Italy 2022 but I’m sure he’s gonna kill it like he did hosting in February
I hope one of the co hosts will be be Anis don Demina, cause they killed everything host wise.
Swedes, if you read this comment pls go and take this damn vaccine if you want a tour again next year! No other option
85% are vaccinated, the issue is whether new variants will show up. I think they will introduce covid passports to open up cultural events
About the variants, hopefully not. I also think covid passport will be required but it’s the best option
? only 57,5% of swedes are fully vaccinated at the moment. and no one wear masks there, nowhere.
Not really 70% are fully vaccinated whereas 81,6% have gotten at least one shot (fully vaccinated included). Statistics from 7th September 2021, 2 pm CEST
(Well of the population that are 15 years and older that is…ok your numbers might be correct population wise anyways most of the Swedes are vaccinated so no worries about that)
Why the downvote for something correct? I think the number is 72% fully vaccinated and the goal was 70% for a opening of society..
Ehm, it was just announced that the audience caps will be lifted on 29 September. Therefore a tour will be possible as early as next month 😉 Apparently there is “some other option”.
glad to see our robbed king returning, even if not as a participant
I’m still not over Frans somehow winning over human in 2016
What happened to the public winner is always the rightful winner?
🙂
since when have I literally ever said that Denis