The song we wanted to win the Melodifestivalen final last year was the old-school Rihanna bop My Cabana sung by Margaret (pictured) who appears again in this 2nd heat from Malmö on 9 February where she closes the show.
The greatest show on earth returns on 2 February 2019 in Gothenburg with 1 of its least successful acts closing the show (pictured above and immediately below) hoping to make up for her 2010 failure to reach the Eurovision Song Contest final in neighbouring Oslo. Read our Heat 1 predictions here.
How does it feel to have recorded one of the best pop albums of the year?
OUT IN THE UK: 8/11/18
ALBUM: Glitter To The Neon Lights (out 19/11/18)
Nicki plays the Wicked Witch of the West in panto next month and she’s taking no prisoners on this soaraway, Stock Aitken Waterman-sounding blast of unashamed pop – out now.
One of our favourite stars of the year embarks on a 24-date European tour this Autumn, reflects on Eurovision and what happens next for her in our interview below.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****
WHERE: Under The Bridge
WHEN: 25/4, tour runs to 10/11/18
SETLIST: Queens; Hån; Dance; Diva; Euphoria; Rise Like A Phoenix; Every Way That I Can; Rock’n’ Roll Kids; No Fear; Don’t Deny Our Love; My Touch; Domino; Calm After The Storm; Dance Like Nobody’s Watching; Con Te Partiro; Half A Heart; Wild Wild Wonderland; Monsters
The Eurovision Song Contest might mean a once-a-year event to you but for this year’s Finnish contestant Saara Aalto it is the culmination of a 14-year quest.
WHEN: 12/5/18
WHERE: Altice Arena, Lisbon, Portugal
The 63rd Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Portugal for the 1st time ever and we’re predicting the tightest voting for many years with at least half a dozen songs in contention.
Our favourite venue marks its bicentenary with events around the 11/5/18 weekend including an open house, street party, variety night headlined by the Olivier Award-nominated Atim, who starred in Girl From The North Country here last year, and ball. We shortlisted Atim for our 2016 monsta for Best Theatre Actress for her star turn in the all-women Shakespeare Trilogy and she won our 2017 Best Performance Of A Song (see below). We’ve loved how Matthew Warchus has transformed the OV with an emphasis on gig theatre, family entertainment and work with messages. Tickets
WHEN?: Saturday 10 March (7pm UK time) on SVT (link to watch below)
The quality of the songs in this year’s Melodifestivalen has attracted criticism but for us 2018 has been all about the Swedish public’s love of the novelty entry ahead of possible Eurovision winner Cry by Dotter.
WHEN? 7pm Saturday 10/3/18 on NRK (link at the bottom of the preview)
This year’s Norwegian selection includes a former Eurovision winner, a past entrant and the writer behind one of Scandinavia’s biggest groups of the 90s in its ranks.
