Nu kör vi! After five preliminary heats and a final qualification, we reached the pinnacle of the Swedish winter season on Saturday night: The grand final of Melodifestivalen 2025 in Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena in front of 27,000 people.
Twelve acts battled it out for the crown of Sweden and the right to represent last year’s host country in Basel at Eurovision in May. In the end it was Finnish trio, and Swedish public favourite, KAJ who emerged victorious with their catchy sauna number “Bara bada bastu.”
They beat strong competition from Eurovision 2015 champion Måns Zelmerlöw, who topped the jury votes but ultimately finished in second place.
Melodifestivalen 2025: Grand final results
Jury votes
- Måns Zelmerlöw – “Revolution” – 76 points
- KAJ – “Bara bada bastu” – 74 points
- John Lundvik – “Voice of the Silent” – 49 points
- Dolly Style – “YIHAA” – 48 points
- Greczula – “Believe Me” – 47 points
- Annika Wickihalder – “Life Again” – 36 points
- Klara Hammarström – “On and On and On” – 34 points
- Scarlet – “Sweet N’ Psycho” – 31 points
- Meira Omar – “Hush Hush” – 26 points
- Erik Segerstedt – “Show Me What Love Is” – 24 points
- Saga Ludvigsson – “Hate You So Much” – 17 points
- Maja Ivarsson – “Kamikaze Life” – 2 points
Public vote
- KAJ – “Bara bada bastu” – 90 points
- Måns Zelmerlöw – “Revolution” – 81 points
- Greczula – “Believe Me” – 56 points
- Klara Hammarström – “On and On and On” – 43 points
- Scarlet – “Sweet N’ Psycho” – 33 points
- Maja Ivarsson – “Kamikaze Life” – 30 points
- Dolly Style – “YIHAA” – 27 points
- Erik Segerstedt – “Show Me What Love Is” – 27 points
- John Lundvik – “Voice of the Silent” – 25 points
- Meira Omar – “Hush Hush” – 24 points
- Annika Wickihalder – “Life Again” – 18 points
- Saga Ludvigsson – “Hate You So Much” – 10 points
Overall result
- KAJ – “Bara bada bastu” – 164 points
- Måns Zelmerlöw – “Revolution” – 157 points
- Greczula – “Believe Me” – 103 points
- Klara Hammarström – “On and On and On” – 77 points
- Dolly Style – “YIHAA” – 75 points
- John Lundvik – “Voice of the Silent” – 74 points
- Scarlet – “Sweet N’ Psycho” – 64 points
- Annika Wickihalder – “Life Again” – 54 points
- Erik Segerstedt – “Show Me What Love Is” – 51 points
- Meira Omar – “Hush Hush” – 40 points
- Maja Ivarsson – “Kamikaze Life”- 32 points
- Saga Ludvigsson – “Hate You So Much” – 27 points
Format of Melodifestivalen 2025
Twelve entries competed in the final and all entries were voted on in two voting rounds. Eight international juries awarded 50% of the points, while eight age groups in Sweden awarded the other 50% of the points.
Juries and spokespersons
- France: Alexandra Redde Amiel
- Greece: Alexandra Pascalidou
- Ireland: Neil Doherty
- Italy: Mariangela Borneo
- Lithuania: Vaidotas Valiukevičius
- Norway: Mads Tørklep
- Serbia: Princ
- Switzerland: Sandra Studer
What do you make of the Melodifestivalen 2025 grand final? Does Sweden have a strong option for Eurovision? Let us know in the comments below.
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I don’t think ESC fans outside Sweden, or at least outside Scandinavia, understand what really happened this year. First of all, it is not just others than Swedes who are sick to death of the generic, slick, winning songs that we tend to send, year after year. I was so tired of it that I did not plan to watch even one minute of this. I did not watch 2023 or 2024 either. I had lost my interest completely. But I happened to see the final this year anyway. Did not like what I heard and saw, and thought “Revolution”… Read more »
Is really no one here discussing the fact that Mans is divorcing and that his (ex) wife accused him of psychological and physical abuse, use of drugs and cheating?
I mentioned it in another thread and got downvoted. This world is insane.
But, yeah… Good job picking KAJ, Sweden!
BBB is (still) No 1 on the Spotify Viral 50 Global chart. With +15m streams, second only to the Italian entry. So not overhyped I think.
It’s a funny and unusual song from Sweden but this song doesnt deserve to be so overhyped.
There are many better songs than this.
But since it’s Sweden, everyone quickly praises it.
I hope juries would underscore this song because I am annoyed with Sweden’s songs overrated by juries. If this song was chosen by Denmark, no one was overhyping it.
Fans of Sweden are really childish; can’t have any stand on other comments.
You know what’s most disappointing?
That many people/fans are not in this for the music and funn, but for the drama, odds, scores etc.
Personally, this is the best Swedish entry since Lena Ph.
Goooo Kaj!
The Most overhyped song of Eurovision 2025 🙁 Of course, it is from Sweden.
?t is really childish that sick fans of Sweden’s song downgrade every comment who doesnt like Sweden’s song
I’m not a sick fan of any of the Sweden’s songs, except perhaps Waterloo, and I find this song quite amusing, well built , with no dramas. Catch my ear and puts a smile on my face.
The 2025 version of Herreys’ “Diggiloo-Ley”; neither original nor special song; but since it represents Sweden; everyone overhypes it.
Sweden already this kind of song in 1984 with “Herrey’s” but for fans who always like to overhype Sweden’s song, this is a unique, original song :/
Diggiloo diggiley and Bada bastu are not the same song. But Italy, Ukraine, Greece have the same song for many years
Italy, Ukraine and Greece send same songs for many years?? Can you give any example? Italy always sent diverse entries; unlike Sweden; same for Ukraine.
Do you think Tusse, Cornelia, Loreen, M&Ms song sounds the same. Italy have a balad whit a male singer manny year now. Greece have send songs whit ther type of folkmusik. Ukraine have send songs about war the last 4 years now. Listen of this song, som you can hear it
No Italy is same old male ballad every year. Boring.
Rubbish talking.
The key producer and organizer of the contest is Swedish, the man who decides on the running order in semifinal and grand final is Swedish (Christer Björkman); the country whose songs are always overhyped either by juries or bookmakers is what a surprise Sweden 🙁
That’s enough; just as previous years Sweden is again overhyped.
Its dosn’ matter what song Sweden send, people gate it anyway. People say, send a Fanny song in swedish, now we do, people hate it anyway. Stop hate Sweden.
LOL, did not last a week until the usual stuff about Sweden starts. ” overrated, only doing well cause it’s Sweden, had random country sent it no one would llke it”.
Same people praising, now do the opposite. Whatever Sweden sends fans will hate it..
Because whatever song Sweden sends, it is always overrated; most of the time by juries
I respect to every musical taste but I find this song quite overhyped; if this was chosen by Norway for instance, no one was overhyping it
I hope juries would not overrate it like they always do for Swedish entries.
Yawn….
I wish Austria would win this year 🙂 And countries like Netherlands, France would be the ones in top3; rather than Sweden.
Bored to see how juries or Public always overhype Sweden’s entries (except for Loreen).
I thought it was the juries only that overhype Sweden? That has been the talk since forever within the eurovision community. And now when we send something more televote friendly people must complain about that as well. I mean, it’s disgusting.
If that song is sent by Norway, no one was overhyping it. Sweden has build hegemony in this contest and this is not good; no matter what your country sends; juries or Public always overhype it.
I agree!
Public most definitely does not overhype Swedish entries. But it doesn’t fit your narrative now when Sweden has both juries and public hype behind it.
It is always something when it comes to Sweden, if a normal song it is bland popsong and overhyped, if it is diversity it is overhyped, KAJ seem to be overhyped, seems like nothing Sweden ever does in ESC is right.
It has gone out of hand: the Finns are celebrating like KAJ has won a world championship or something for Finland, e.g. a televised public celebration party. Almost as if they already had the actual ESC title in their bag. And I say this as a Finn who initially felt happiness after their Mello win. Now, I feel very embarrassed to be honest. It’s something that usually has happened in ice hockey, but Finland being the humble one against Sweden… I want Erika to win, but this doesn’t leave a good impression about the country. Sorry!
You don’t need to feel embarrassed 🙂 But I think juries would not give many points to Finland’s entry this year; sorry to say this but the song is just shouting after a while.
I don’t understand. The Finns are happy because Sweden sends Kaj and not Mans, so the Finns have a better chance to score higher than Sweden now?
Doesnt matter of all haterssss… I love bara bada bastu cuz its giving a folk cozy vibe :)) and from me 12points to U guys (Kaj)
Not liking a song doesnr mean having it; you never would be able to understand
I know my home country’s Italy’s song is not good this year, ?t is also not my favorite but can’t understand why each and every song like Kaj’s song is so overrated this contest?
I wish my country would withdraw from this contest because in this contest, not all countries’ songs are equally treated.
Good luck to them 🙂 I wish juries would not overrate this song like they do almost every year for Sweden’s songs
No matter what kind of songs Sweden sends, either juries or the Public put all of their efforts to overhype it.
Roger aka David aka Stephen aka Michael aka Fabian aka Steven and so on, why you use several names?
Please, do tell? 🙂
Overhyped entry just because it represents Sweden.
Yes, it is different from Sweden’s previous entries as it is in Swedish language but this doesnt change the fact that the song is childish and overrated.
I wish they would not win because I want another country to win
Aren’t you childish.
Another ridiculous song of the writer (among other ones) Anders Vrethof who did Samir and Victors song Bada nakna. Using same Bada (swim) in both songs, same “Oooohhhoo”. So nothing original here as some people want to call it. At least Samir and Victor are eye candy. Though I get why people like the song, and want to move and dance to it. I have a hard time myself not to sing it when I hear it. But for Eurovision, to me this is ridiculous. I miss the good old times when people had good songs. Hopefully Israels wins this… Read more »
KAJ were contacted by Mello producer and asked to participate and since Mello rules require a Swedish song writer, they were asked who they would like to work with. KAJ hasn’t worked with Swedish song writers before this, but they have followed Mello for years, so it is quite obvious that a name they come up with is well known for his Mello songs. Bada does not mean swim, it means bathe. And since the song title is a similar tongue twister as KAJ’s previous song, I am pretty sure KAJ has come up with the title. KAJ made the… Read more »
I also know Karin Gunnarsson was looking for something that sounded as Hooja, and got a tip about Kaj.. And they do sound a bit like them.. It is a sound swedes know very well by now. So I’m not surprised about their success.
I admit that I am not famialiar of what Wrethof has done earlier. But this year his songs in Mello final were performed by KAJ, Scarlet and Meira Omar. I think the final would have been a lot more boring and generic without those three.
I think if my home country Slovenia sent this, everyone would be calling it “joke entry; childish.
But when Sweden sends this, everyone calls “what a original entry, very fresh” 🙁
It would be better for my home country to withdraw from “Swedvision Show Contest”, we always get poor results and people or juries, always overrate Sweden’s songs.
Exactly and dont forget there is a Swedish snake called Christen Bjorkman being appointed as producer of the ESC shows in Basel and deciding the running orders, approved by the ebu chairman whch is also Swedish. It was the same Bjorkman who decided abolishing the random draw in 2013 and whenever the contest is held in Sweden , radical changes are made, to give more control to producers to influence the result.
If it’s of any consolation, I still use Narodnozabauni Rok.
P.S. Slovenac, ne zajebaji! 😉
I have just listened to this song after seeing that Sweden is 1st in the odds.
But I am sorry but this song doesnt deserve to be so overhyped; everyone has different musical taste I respect to it but this song has zero musical quality. Sounds like a advertisement jingle
David aka Stephen aka Steven and so on, arent you tired of this? Using several names to “explode” the idea of your own views being the general view, you do this with other usernames too.
Please, do answer why you do this? 🙂
It always seems to be people who say “this is rubbish blah blah blah, vote for Israel” too (see recent comments).
The comment only spoke about Sweden, never said anything about Israel, so it always seems people like you overhype other songs to diss others and make up anti- conspiracy theories that they are the same person and connected to Israel, as you can’t stand the fact there are different people who don’t like a song and think differently than you. Also unless you have ip addresses or some other stocking identifiers, you have no way of knowing who’s here using several mails, just as there’s no way telling if you or others trolling with hate and missinfo, use several names… Read more »
And to make clear with distinction from comments above – I’m also not crazy about Sweden (neither about any entry of the current 35), but do consider it a well-arranged and entertaining composition, and so overall a good humorous entry (not a “joke” or advertisement as others). I also separately think Israel is pretty but not extraordinary. The only songs I consider close to such title are mostly Switzerland, then Austria. Then several I consider as just good/pleasant are the likes of Poland/Armenia/Israel/Armenia/Malta. Al-ba-nia/Greece/Montenegro/Czech have their beats of quality even though I connect less. Not everyone comment negatively to compare… Read more »
Sweden and Croatia. 2 most commented national selections on wiwibloggs this year. One is first in the odds, one is second to last. Soon to be last after Montenegro’s revamp. Lol
Maybe many people are not sympathetic with Mans but I think Kaarija wpuld be the new “Mans” in terms of trying to remain population through using eurovision
We will probably hear of Joost Klein and Kaarija next year or in two years. It’s not over until it’s over.
If Mans wanted to stay relevant through eurovision, maybe he shouldn’t have tried to do it with an autoplagiarised song.
If he really wants to go to Eurovision, Mans Zelmerlöw can apply for San Marino’s national selection for next year, maybe he might have a bit higher chances there 🙂
I predict no 8s, 10s or 12s for this, except from Scandinavian televoters. This year’s No Rules.
Eeeh, no definetely not.
Måns apollogizing: Dear a**faces, I am sincerely shocked how seeing myself as a clear winner is bad? Is winning bad? I know we see the truth in May. Too bad Sweden won’t win now. With me Sweden would have won. I hope that Sweden’s poor decision won’t haunt you.
Congrats tho. Xoxo Måns
It’s a nice song but it is neither original or special, Swedish funny song; that’s all. Doesnt deserve to be overhyped
Bara Bada Bastu has gone global. Just saying..
Inflation has hit Eurovision 2025! Do I need say more – probably not – lots of people will vote for it … gimmicks will rule … music won’t!
If this song was chosen as Eurovision entry in any other language, no one was talking about it; let alone putting to the 1st position in the odds :/
Again, overrated Sweden
No one is “putting” it at the top of the odds. Do you understand how odds work? People just believe it has a chance of winning. I don’t (I think it’s a top 10 song this year because it’s not the strongest year), but others do. Hard to argue with how people predict and bet their money.
Are YOU sure you understand how odds work? If it’s as you say, why are e.g. Sweden and Ukraine at the top long before anyone has put any money on any song? Because odds aren’t defined based on a strict formula that takes into account only the money. I suggest you visit Eurovisionworld, there’s a nice section called “ODDS GUIDE: Betting odds explained – How do odds work?”.
They have a very good chance of winning, just because it is Sweden. If it was representing Finland , Croatia or almost any other country it would have been labeled as a ‘joke entry’ and juries would vote it down. But juries always vote massively for Sweden even plagiarized and cheap generic songs, so this time they are helped that this is televoter friendly too.
I wish them best of luck but I don’t think this song would win or would be in top 3.
Even if I prefer Kaj over Mans’ song; there are way better songs than Sweden’s entry this year.
Sweden are not trying to win.
Is Mans being a sore loser or is there something lost in the translation?
Yes, he seems Himself as sore loser as he states in the interview.
But I don’t understand; he also had said previously he didn’t expect to win Melodifestivalen, just wanted to participate.
It’s actually a recurring thing in Melodifestivalen that male solo acts are sore losers. It’s all about big egos that have no self-awareness so they blame anything but themselves, their songs or their performances on why they lost. Måns blamed the jury because according to him he didn’t get the amount of points from them as he thought he should have and that “we will see in May who was right” (as in he believes KAJ will tank). John Lundvik blamed it on Melodifestivalen being shaped by Tik-Tok trends and that the contest “is just for kids now” and how… Read more »
Danny also sent a text to Måns late Saturday evening saying: “Welcome to the club” (of 2nd places).
In the club, the club… uuh uh… in the club, the club… uh uuh… etc.
Niya… just going to say this is one of the best posts ever. Hits the nail on the head. What an arrogance to some of these performers who think they can just stroll back with a bang average song and win the thing. John Lundvik the worst of the lot!
It’s not only a male thing…Maja dissapeared after the show, she didn’t attend the press conference or after party. And also Klara, Erik, John and Måns refused to perform in the after party.
There is, however, a huge difference in how they act when they lose and that’s why I singled out the solo male acts in my comment. Obviously it’s not “all male solo acts” and “never any female solo acts”, but historically in Melodifestivalen a lot of men have had no dignity or filters in interviews they’ve made after they’ve lost. I also did mention Klara at the end. Maja was obviously pissed about the results, but she never made any degrading comments about KAJ or the contest (yet at least) in an attempt to explain away her loss. That’s the… Read more »
I love your take, thank you for it.
I don’t understand John being happy, jumping on the sofa and recording the winning performance and then being bitter afterwards. I dislike that so much. My favorite esc moment is when he found out the televote points in esc and his smile sinking at the speed of light. You could see that he was sure he was the winner.
I wanted them to win, and I’m not sure if I want them to win Eurovision, but I’ll be glad if they get into the top 5. It’s a catchy song, funny and watchable staging, and in national language! (something we haven’t heard from Sweden in a very long time and is always welcomed at Eurovision). To me personally the perfect entry to send and to try to win Eurovision again would’ve been Hush Hush, but I can understand it’s not a “MelFest standard” good enough (and final performance was kinda weak). But imagine if Hush Hush would’ve been sent… Read more »
I personally don’t want to see in top 5, as well because I am bored with Sweden’s hegemony in this contest.
You need to go to the doctor then mister.
Congratulations to Sweden on winning Eurovision again! Of course, they end up choosing an entry that will do well with the public vote this year. Since we had the jury picking the winner for two years in a row, I bet the jury will finally “loosen up” this year and give more points to all the fun entries. Sweden will be overrated by the jury as always, but this year they’ll have an excuse since it’s a fun entry. They’ll probably end up winning neither the jury or televote, but end up winning when the scores get combined,
Did not take long before the overrated talk started..
I don’t know about winning. But Bara Bada Bastu is such a direct song to listeners compared to many others this year that needs a few listens to love. But there is no time for that in eurovision. Mostly fans make that time..
Hopefully juries would not overrate this song; don’t think and don’t want to Sweden to win; that’s enough for Sweden.
I am happy that they won against Mans but the song is just high school music band song
High school music band’s can be charming. And it feels genuine.
Juries will ‘losen’ because it is their darling Sweden. Suits them perfectly. If Kaj were representing Finland they wouldn’t..
Kaarija finished 4th the juries.
if they placed him 2nd or 3rd, he would have been crowned winner and not their darling loreen with an unoriginal song
Erik Segerstedt’s song is a cheap knock off of that “California” song by Phantom Planet, it even starts in the same tune.
Good catch!
Also:
-Maja’s Kamikaze Life is a remaking Kim Wilde’s Kids in America
-Greczula’s song = Queen’s Don’t Stop Me Now
-Måns is basically covering his own Heroes
-John Lundvik’s Voice of the Silent borrows the chorus from John Farnham’s You’re the Voice, and the part with “Every little beat of your heart…story of your scars” is strikingly similar in lyrics and sound to parts in Editors’ All the Kings
Here’s a thought then, especially for the sorer losers Måns, John and Erik: writing something a bit more original often achieves better results.
And Austria’s song, Nemo’s song last year
Congratulations to them but I personally don’t think they can win.
Also bored with Sweden’s hegemony in this contest; no matter what kind of song it sends; either juries or Public overrate it.
This contest is becoming “sweden’s vision song contest” and this is not good.
I don’t think this is in the running to win.
If we look at Melodifestivalen entries there’s a lot of songs that don’t seem to go anywhere at all, once show is over so are those songs.
I was shocked to see The Moniker in Heat 5 even appearing as he hasn’t had any popularity since his Melodifestivalen appearences from 2011 and 2012.
Most of Sweden’s success is because people will think it is good, because they’ve been good before.
And they have swedish christen bjorkman producing ESC also this year. All very ‘fair’..
I have just looked at the odds And again Sweden is first place with this song. If Mans won, the odds would again show Sweden as 1st place.
If Sweden sends a rubbish bin to Eurovision, the odds would probably again put Sweden 1st position 🙁
What does it matter what the odds say? Why even bother being sad and angry about that? It changes literally nothing. It’s a made up list from betting companies. If anything be happy that you can get better odds betting money on the one that you really think is gonna win. It’s such a non-issue I’d say.
Well the odds doesn’t come out of nowhere. They come from reactions mostly. People were extatic over the fact Sweden surprised everyone. But it is a very competent entry. And the song sticks like glue. The best of the so called funny entries this year. But we’ll see in may how people outside of the eurovision bubble will react. And juries..
I am glad that they won 🙂 But this song doesnt deserve to win and be 1st in the odds.
That’s enough to see Sweden almost every year overrated by odds.
Like Ukraine and Italy
Such a shame that you have disabled comments on Israkill’s article! Truth will always prevail!
Posters like you are WHY it’s disabled.
Indeed a shame that because of hateful bitters like you it’s disabled so people don’t get the chance to complement or comnent on Israel’s music choice and amazing Yuval Raphael. A person who also prevailed hate and horror, and now sings a great emotional song for her country and for her career ahead for her renewed life. Well I guess now the praising is done here. Thanks for the opportunity to do this at your comment and for others who want to complement Yuval’s singing and killing spree survival. Truth prevail!
Israel released their song. I refuse to even listen to that song so I am listening to Kaj instead. We need these relaxed songs just for this. Let’s have fun.
Yes. Empathy song is what it is.. And I’m tired of politics.
Away from poor Måns…
The jury results. That was kinda a disaster. The spokespeople over Zoom just doesn’t work. It was better when they were all flown to Stockholm and played pretend, with a greenscreen of their country in the background. The poor Irish guy didn’t know what to do, Princ never said a word, and poor Vaidotas from The Roop didn’t get onscreen at all. Even our host for Basel, Sandra, wasn’t great.
If MF juries didn’t vote him with high marginal, how would Eurovision juries could despite knowing it’s Sweden?
I really want to like this but struggling to connect with it in a way I did with other quirky entries like Baby Lasagna and Kaarija.
Hope it’s a grower and I change my mind by May.
I have just seen this comment on Twitter and it’s funny 🙂
“Mans Zelmerlow is stuck in a cycle of being a jury a bait favorite with fancy staging going up against a televote favoring male trio singing in a native language :)”
Think even Revolution’s staging lost it’s impact and appealing very fast comparing the 4. heat. Since the song wasn’t revolutional, there’s not much left to get hyped from.
i actually like this its probuarly my fave swedish entry since 2010 maybe 2009
Klara was robbed by juries. John was overrated by juries once again (the other time was in ESC2019). Mans did great but he didn’t expect the juries to vote for KAJ. He needs to understand that the Mello int. juries arent super strict. They voted for a fun song that is super catchy and was performed well. It was camp but not ridiculous. He needs to understand that the Swedish public voted for KAJ and their song is by far number one on Spotify and Apple Music charts. Sweden could win the public vote for the first time since 2012.… Read more »
Austria will do it by a landslide
I hope not. More angst ridden youngsters will render it all very boring.
No no. Not whit a copy song
Is a sad loser who didn’t like losing mans I saw a interview with him it’s all about is ego thank god he’s not coming again let’s hope the EBU changes the rules to stop people coming back you should only be allowed to enter the competition once like fresh people have a chance
I think artists should be able to try again, except for former winners??
Nah, the best should be welcome and the best should win. Like saying to Djokovic, sorry, you’ve won Wimbledon, you can’t come back. Let somebody else get a Grand Slam.
Why change it? Because of Sweden? It’s like when Ingemar Stenmark won too many competitons that they changed the rules because of him 😀
All people are allowed to take part. Also former winners. This is not x factor
I kant believe it’s not a dream. Oh yes I kan.