It’s one of the most anticipated national finals of the season. Now Swedish broadcaster SVT has revealed the running order of the four semi-finals in Melodifestivalen 2022.
The announcement was made today in a live stream on social media. The Melfest team revealed the positions to an eager online audience, showing the familiar grid of colour-coded Post-Its.
Openers and closers of the Melodifestivalen 2021 heats
The first act we’ll see on stage at Malmö Arena in just under two months will be Malou Prytz with her song “Bananas”, while the show will be closed by 2017 winner Robin Bengtsson and his entry “Innocent Love”.
The second semi sees Liamoo open with his song “Bluffin’”, and YouTuber Tone Sekelius will close with her tune “My Way”.
Taking to the stage first at the third semi-final will be Cazzi Opeia with “I Can’t Get Enough”, while Swedish Idol judge Anders Bagge closes with “Bigger Than the Universe”.
And opening the last semi-final will be 2010 winner Anna Bergendahl and her song “Higher Power”, and Klara Hammarström will close the semis with “Run to the Hills”.
The running order for both the second-chance semi-final and the grand final will be announced ahead of those shows, once the lineup for each show has been confirmed.
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Does the running order guarantee Melodifestivalen success?
It’s generally thought that the opening and closing positions in each semi are given to two of the strongest songs, so today’s reveal can offer clues to the songs likely to make the grand final or the second-chance sound.
While fans have various theories about the power and potential of performing first and last, it is no guarantee of going direkt till final. It usually all comes down to the song.
Last year six of the eight direct qualifiers performed first or last. However, The Mamas qualified from fourth place, while Arvingarna qualified from fifth.
Conversely, Kadiatou and Tess Merkel each opened their semi-finals, but finished sixth and fifth respectively and didn’t progress any further in the competition.
As well, much effort goes into determining the order of the songs. Each show contains songs in a mix of genres and languages, performed by different types of artists. As well, thought is given to ensuring the overall song order creates an entertaining television show.
Melodifestivalen 2021 – Semi-finals running order
Semi-final 1: 5 February 2022
- Malou Prytz – “Bananas”
- Theoz – “Som du vill”
- Shirley Clamp – “Let There Be Angels”
- Omar Rudberg – “Moving Like That”
- Danne Stråhed – ”Hallabaloo”
- Cornelia Jakobs – “Hold Me Closer”
- Robin Bengtsson – “Innocent Love”
Semi-final 2: 12 February 2022
- Liamoo – “Bluffin’”
- Niello & Lisa Ajax – “Tror du att jag bryr mig”
- Samira Manners – “I Want to Be Loved”
- Alvaro Estrella – “Suave”
- Browsing Collection – “Face In the Crowd”
- John Lundvik – “Änglavakt”
- Tone Sekelius – “My Way”
Semi-final 3: 19 February 2022
- Cazzi Opeia – “I Can’t Get Enough”
- Lancelot Hedman – “Lyckligt slut”
- Lisa Miskovsky – “Best To Come”
- Tribe Friday – “Shut Me Up”
- Faith Kakembo – “Freedom”
- Linda Bengtzing – “Fyrfaldigt hurra!”
- Anders Bagge – “Bigger Than the Universe”
Semi-final 4: 26 February 2022
- Anna Bergendahl – “Higher Power”
- Lillasyster – “Till Our Days Are Over”
- Malin Christin – “Synd om dig”
- Tenori – “La stella”
- Medina – “In i dimman”
- Angelino – “The End”
- Klara Hammarström – “Run to the Hills”
What do you think of the Melfest 2021 running order? Are you surprised by any of the placings? Will the running order help certain artists? Share your thoughts below!
I really hopes for Malou/Klara/Liamoo or Lancelot – it is sad he is going to perform second 🙁
I’m really surprised that Klara is being considered a genuine contender to win.
Hanna Ferm effect … 🙁
Hanna came third alongside Liamoo the year before she competed on her own, and song wise Brave was actually decent. She also was one of the bigger names competing in 2020 so her closing out the competitors made sense, and Brave overall was one of the strongest songs in MelFest that year and she sung it well. We also have to remember that Dotter being competitive for the win came out of nowhere in the second heat so really Anna and Hanna, and The Mamas to a lesser extent were the favourites going into the show (I think it was… Read more »
Why did I not remember that Klara came 6th in the final last year. Such a mess, sorry everyone!
The winner of the last 5 Melodifestivalens was 1st or 7th in the running order, so if y’all wanted to guess who the winner is, its one of these 8 – Malou, Robin, Liamoo, Tone, Cazzi, Anders, Anna or Klara!
Liamoo or Malou/Klara would be great
I like how the producers have more and more confidence in Malou Prytz and Klara Hammarstrom, placing them first and last to perform on Melfest. 🙂
OT, but in two days, we’ll have a full list of acts for Dora 2022. Some of the rumored performers are Mia Negovetic, Mija Dimsic, Maja Bajamic, Ella Oreskovic, and ToMa. I am excited. 🙂
Sign me up for all the Mia I can get. :3
No Malou was 2 not 1.
You can’t keep calling it semi-final 1-4 since THE semi final (old andra chansen) is the only semi-final…. Heat 1-4, semi final and final is more accurate
True the first 4 are more or less quarter finals then the Semi and then the final…with the exception that 8 acts go directly from quarter finals to final
Of course there’s no sure-thing, but it is a general rule of thumb that the song performing last in the final heat is one that the producers at least think will do really well. With that in mind, I’m so happy for Klara Hammarström. She’s had two pretty weak songs in Melfest previously and performed the hell out of them. She really deserves something good to work with so I hope this is that time for her!
“She dont need nobody else, nobody but herself”
I actually really liked Klara’s song last year, but I agree: she can do better. I can see her performing songs like Wiktoria or Dotter do – contenders for the big prize.
Intresting to see that whether people are ready to vote women to victory.
This is very entertaining. Should be a good MelFest year. It also not-so-subtely puts some other broadcasters to shame, of course. 😀
Interesting…. I can’t wait for the snippet of the songs to be released! I have high expectations for Linda Bengtzing, Anna Bergendahl, Omar Rudberg, Malou Prytz and Klara Hammarström. Hope they won’t disappoint me. Klara being the last of all makes me think maybe she is a strong contender… My expectations are mostly for the returnees, I really don’t know any of the newcomers. But Tribe Friday sounds interesting (maybe pop rock or something?) I want to see what Niello and Lisa Ajax’s song is gonna be like. Tenori sounds like Italian opera to me (good, finally something different) I… Read more »
I’m most excited for Anders Bagge and Anna Bergendahl, both are really good singers. I hope they will have great entries.
Usually the first and last songs in each heat are perceived as the strongest or finalists. The last one even stronger than the first one. The second song is usually the one that ends up last in the heat and the third one is just there for promotion and getting recognition. But of course there are exceptions. The Mamas was 4th in their heat and won it. John Lundvik started as second in 2018 with “My Turn” and managed to be finalist. Loreen was last in 2017 and could only reach AC. Malou Prytz got the dreaded second start in… Read more »
I am a bit disappointed that Tribe friday is running 4th. I really hope they can pull off at least a semi final place.
This running order is…interesting. Tone closing a semi is something I didn’t expect and Klara getting the ultimate pimp spot is interesting, I thought Anna would have it.
Semi 3 weakest as usual but I have a feeling we will change our minds once we come that semi.
Semi 1 is the most interesting tbh, Omar in between two acts that won’t do as well is a sign the producers want him through this time
Pretty easy to see who we will vote to the finale based off this.
never call Lisa Miskovsky and Linda Bengtzing the weakest. let’s wait for the songs.
(yes, it is the semi i am most excited for thanks to them, we will see)
Singing after the strong voice of Shirley Clamp can not be the easiest……. So not the best choice for Omar.
we don’t know the songs yet but as always from the running orders we can tell which songs the producers consider strong contenders and which ones they think are just filler entries
So the strong, contender to win, songs to watch out for are…???
Mostly the songs with the most potential are the first and last songs in the semi-finals. It is generally true that the last song of the last semi-final (this year Klara) is the biggest contender in the eyes of SVT.
The entries competing 1st, 6th, and 7th are more likely to be considered strong, the 3rd and 4th are often filler, and 2nd and 5th can go either way with 5th leaning a bit to the weak side. hope this helps!
Filler entries like for example…???
It’s too early to pick a winner as always when it comes to Melodifestivalen. If the song is good, Sweden will most likely win the juries again and hold on to their title for the most overpowered country in Eurovision.
And Italy always does better with audience than juries, even if they at times don’t deserve it, that makes them overpowered too then..
usually bookies somehow get the winner right months before the songs are even known… don’t know how smello is so easily predictable, or maybe swedish people and juries buy into the hype idk
Klara ending the last semi-final, I think she is the one to watch, I’m still intrigued by Tenori.
Robin and Anna have again a good spot….
John and Omar not really….
Malou starting the melfest 2022 with “Bananas”, pretty funny.