Denmark qualified for the Eurovision Grand Final in 2025 for the first time in six years thanks to Sissal and “Hallucination”, and now Danmarks Radio (DR) has revealed how their strategy looks for improving even more when choosing songs for Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026.
The submission window for the Danish national final closed at Sunday midnight with the task ahead being to choose the eight songs that will compete for the crown of Denmark in Arena Nord in Frederikshavn on 14 February 2026.
DR’s DMGP boss Erik Struve Hansen laid out the strategy at the annual OGAE Denmark meeting on Saturday where he stated, that DMGP 2026 will be a modern, renewed and innovative music show with a new stage, new logo and new graphic expression. These are the focus points that DR will emphasize:
- Focus on songs, artists and strong, modern performances with Eurovision ambitions.
- DR will target the Melodi Grand Prix more towards younger Danes.
- Several former participants are returning.
- Several established names are making their debuts.
- A support group consisting of both Danish and international fans will be involved in the selection process and in sparring about the further development of the songs when selected.
- 8 songs that clearly communicate its task: To be the optimal bid for what a Grand Prix/ESC act should be in 2026
- Artist centric: The artists are selected first and the musical development happens around the artist.
- A clear focus on the importance of the overall package: Artist – song – performance.
- Artist-song performance is supplemented by Grand Prix personality skills (not just being a good singer on stage, but also being able to navigate in the Eurovision bubble with good presence on social media etc.)
“Vikings” actor hosting
The 56th edition of Dansk Melodi Grand Prix will be hosted by Sara Bro and Alex Høgh Andersen. While Sara Bro previously hosted DMGP both in 2024 and 2025 it will be a debut on hosting duties for actor Alex Høgh Andersen, best known by the international audience for his role as Ivar the Boneless in the HBO series “Vikings“.
Hosting debutant Høgh Andersen told DR about his expectations on the job:
– I don’t think it’s really dawned on me yet. It’s a very cliché answer but that’s how I genuinely feel. It’ll probably only hit me when I’m standing next to Sara at the dress rehearsal and looking out over Arena Nord, says Alex Høgh Andersen about his new assignment and continues:
– I’m very excited and a little nervous, but first and foremost I’m grateful to have the opportunity and I’m looking forward to challenging myself on a personal level.
He says that he approaches the role with a sense of awe, because he sees the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix as a historic event and a big evening.
– This evening is not about Sara and me. We’re there to make sure it’s a good party. A party that celebrates love, togetherness, music and art, and that brings people together. A love party is exactly what we need at the moment with all the division that’s happening in the world.
Details about Dansk Melodi Grand Prix 2026
The eight songs participating in Dansk Melodi Grand Prix will be revealed in late January 2026. The eventual DMGP winner will be chosen by the same voting system that has been in place in the last couple of editions with a combined public and jury vote. For now it is a 50-50% split between the two voting groups, but the decision on the percentage split is not set in stone yet.
Who do you hope to see compete in DMGP 2026? Can Denmark continue their new qualification streak in Vienna? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
In the end it all comes down to the fact that are any competetive songs sent to the selection, unless Melodifestivalen solution is used, where songs get edited to fit the contest.
Of course Melodifestivalen has been very much too polished, which makes all songs seem just as authentic as a microwave meal served as home made food.
Good luck to the new edition of DMGP!
I think it’s great and in this case unbelievably necessary to try and improve the quality of the selection but the focus should remain on getting the best songs, that seems to be difficult enough given the recent record. Being nice to mostly irrelevant media or being a social media expert should hardly be a top priority in selecting a candidate for Eurovision.