Ahead of their participation in the final of Melodifestivalen 2026, Sweden’s selection for Eurovision 2026, Tim had the opportunity to speak with MEDINA, who is participating in this week’s selection with their entry “Viva L’Amor”.
Check out our interview with MEDINA here!
Together, Tim and MEDINA chat about their joy that KAJ could bring a Swedish song to Eurovision, after attempting to do it themselves in 2024. They also chatted about their musical style, which they say is entirely unique to them. The trio also speak about their future at the competition going forward, and also reveal some secret info about the song amid speculation that the song is actually the third part of a trilogy.
Who are MEDINA?
Medina is a Swedish hip hop duo consisting of Sami “Sam-E” Rekik and Ali “Alibi” Jammali. Since working together, they have had considerable chart success in Sweden with songs such as “Där palmerna bor” and “Miss Decibel”. Their music combines hip-hop with music from the Arab World, creating a genre they call “Haffla music”. Sami has competed in Melfest before, collaborating with WAHL in the 2021 contest, with MEDINA making their debut a year later with “In I Dimman”, which placed third.
MEDINA are participating in Melodifestivalen for a third time with their entry “Viva L’Amor “, which was written by Ali Jammali, Dino Medanhodzic, Sami Rekik, Jimmy “Joker” Thörnfeldt and Anderz Wrethov.
Sweden’s Eurovision journey
In 1958, Sweden made their debut in the Eurovision Song Contest, with Alice Babs representing them with the song “Lilla stjärna” 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 was 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 jury, while the trio received 195 points from televoters.
What do you think of our interview with MEDINA? Who do you think will represent Sweden at Eurovision next year? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2026!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Stina Stjernkvist/SVT for Melodifestivalen 2026
Euan T