By Aline Mahrud
WHEN?: Saturday 1 March 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: Husqvarna Garden, Jönköping
Male soloists have perhaps surprisingly won each of the 1st 4 MF heats and we’ve our fingers crossed for female duo Scarlet (pictured above) to step up on Saturday and break that run with their hard gothic rock.
By Aline Mahrud
WHEN?: Saturday 22 February 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: Malmö Arena, Malmö
The big news this week is the return of 2015 Eurovision winner Mans Zelmerlow and, on the evidence of the 60-second clip, he might not be the runaway 2025 MF victor he appeared to be at the start of the series.
WORTH A LOOK?: ***1/2
TRACKLIST: Polari; Cupid’s Bow; I Know; Shadow Of Love; Make Me A Man; Dizzy; Archangel; Miss You So Much; When We Kiss; Whisper In The Waves; Beautiful; Heal You; Language
Duets with Kylie Minogue, Pet Shop Boys and Elton John mean the groundwork has been laid and that this 1st official solo album’s predominantly uptempo, 80s-influenced musical theme makes perfect sense.
By Aline Mahrud
WHEN?: Saturday 15 February 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: ABB Arena, Västerås
Established male MF stars have won the 1st 2 Melodifestivalen heats and this week we believe it’s the turn of newcomer Greczula to shine.
By Aline Mahrud
WHEN?: Saturday 8 February 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: Scandinavium, Gothenburg
Melodifestivalen showed its strength in depth last week with a 1st heat strong on musical diversity and there is much that is different to again appreciate here in this 2nd outing.
WORTH A LOOK?: ****1/2
The controversial exclusion of One Morning Left’s hard rock novelty song Puppy from Finland’s Eurovision selection show UMK on 8 February leaves this sticky and sexually explicit joy the clear favourite to triumph.
By Aline Mahrud
WHEN?: Saturday 1 February 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: Coop Norrbotten Arena, Luleå
There’s lots of variety in the 60-second snippets we’ve heard in this opening of 5 heats with the S Club-ish closing number by Linnea Henriksson being our pick of the bunch so far.
By Neil Durham
WHEN?: Saturday 1 March 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: Husqvana Garden, Jönköping
Last year we wrote of Scarlet’s Circus X that it boasted ‘the most thrilling climax to a song we’ve heard all Eurovision season’ and its striking visuals would foreshadow the similar styling of Ireland’s Bambie Thug which romped home in 6th beating the Swedish entry, equalling the country’s best result for 24 years.
By Neil Durham
WHEN?: Saturday 22 February 2025 7pm UK time
WHERE?: Malmö Arena, Malmö
Zelmerlöw is the big favourite to win MF for a 2nd time after triumphing in 2015 with Heroes which finished 3rd in the Eurovision televote behind Italy and Russia but went on to triumph.
WHEN?: Tuesday 28 January, Thursday 30 January through Saturday 1 February 2025
WHERE?: Palau Municipal d’Esports l’Illa de Benidorm
Spain achieved its best Eurovision result for 27 years with the 1st winner of Benidorm Fest – Chanel’s SloMo was 3rd – but the last 2 years have seen finishes in 17th and 22nd.
