Tonight, the dress rehearsal for the third semi-final of Melodifestivalen 2026 took place in Kristianstad, where the audience had a first glimpse of tomorrow night’s show, and Melodifestivalklubben OGAE Sweden asked the audience who they thought was the best.
The results from Kristianstad
As revealed by Melodifestivalklubben OGAE Sweden, MEDINA won the first Audience Poll of the season, scoring 416 votes from the 720 that were asked. The full results are as follows:
| Place | Artist | Entry | Votes |
| 1 | MEDINA | “Viva L’amor” | 416 |
| 2 | Saga Ludvigsson | “Ain’t Today” | 93 |
| 3 | Korslagda | “King of Rock n Roll” | 86 |
| 4 | Eva Jumatate | “Selfish” | 73 |
| 5 | Patrik Jean | “Dusk Til Dawn” | 34 |
| 6 | Emilia Pantiฤ | “Ingenting” | 18 |
Sweden will continue its Eurovision 2026 selection, Melodifestivalen, tomorrow night, February 14 at 20:00CET.
What we know about Melodifestivalen 2026
30 songs will participate in Melodifestivalen 2025, two songs will directly qualify for the final from each semi-final, (which will consist of ten entries for the final).
The entry that placed third in each semi-final will still have a chance to make it to the final (which will be made up of five entries). Out of the five participants who placed third in each semi-final, the act with the highest score across all of the Semi-Finals will automatically be given a place in the final, with the remaining four acts fighting it out for the remaining spot. The act with the highest points from the vote will then be awarded the last spot in the final.
As usual, Swedenโs Eurovision 2026 representative will be selected via a mixture of televoting and an international jury.
Sweden’s Eurovision Journey
In 1958, Sweden made their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest, with Alice Babs representing them with the song โLilla stjรคrnaโ which placed fourth. Since their debut, the Scandinavian nation has managed to win seven times (1974, 1984, 1991, 1999, 2012, 2015 and 2023).
In 2025, Sweden were represented by Finnish group KAJ, singing “Bara bada bastu”. At the close of voting in the grand final, they had received 321 points, finishing in 4th place. 126 points were received by the juries, while the trio received 195 points by televoters.
What are your thoughts on this week’s entries? Who would you like to see represent Sweden at Eurovision in 2026? Let us know in the comments or on social media Be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tik-Tok as we prepare for Eurovision 2026!
News Source: Melodifestivalklubben OGAE Sweden
Photo Credit: Stina Stjernkvist / SVT for Melodifestivalen 2026
Rory Gannon 
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