By Aline Mahrud
WHEN? 7pm UK time Saturday 11 March 2023
WHERE? Avicii Arena, Stockholm
WHERE DO I WATCH? SVT Play
2024 will be the 50th anniversary of ABBA‘s Eurovision win and we would imagine Sweden would be quite keen to host – and therefore win in 2023.
This venue’s promenade performances of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Julius Caesar have been amongst some of the best theatre we’ve ever immersed ourselves in and so this similar new production of a musical which is 1 of our favourites offers a great deal to look forward to. Not least with a cast including Marisha Wallace (Oklahoma!, Young Vic) and Daniel Mays (The Caretaker, Old Vic). Runs 3 March, opens 14 March through 2 September 2023. Tickets Review
By Aline Mahrud
WHEN? 7pm UK time Saturday 25 February 2023
WHERE? Malmö, Malmö Arena
WHERE DO I WATCH? SVT Play
Each act performing last in this season of Melodifestivalen has won their heat or progressed to Andra Chansen and we think 2012 Eurovision Song Contest winner Loreen is likely to be in the euphoric former camp.
By Aline Mahrud
WHEN?: 7pm UK time Saturday 18 February 2023
WHERE?: Sparbanken Lidköping Arena, Lidköping
WHERE DO I WATCH? SVT Play
Last week’s Heat 2 saw a ratcheting up of quality, a surprise non-qualifier and a Heat 3 performer co-writing the winning song.
By Aline Mahrud
WHEN? 7pm UK time Saturday 11 February 2023
WHERE? Saab Arena, Linköping
WHERE DO I WATCH? SVT Play
We were surprised by the 1st qualifier in last week’s opening heat and think the quality, and therefore the competition, is much tougher here.
By Aline Mahrud
WHEN? 7pm UK time Saturday 4 February 2023
WHERE? Scandinavium, Gothenburg
WHERE DO I WATCH? SVT Play
We suspect that the winner of this year’s Melodifestivalen isn’t within the 7 acts featured here not least because there are so many familiar faces here it feels more of a warm hug of a return than anything especially challenging – but there’s 3 more weeks to come for that.
By Aline Mahrud
WHEN?: 7pm UK time Saturday 25 February 2023
WHERE?: Malmö Arena, Malmö WHERE DO I WATCH?: SVT Play
Last year Loreen’s 2012 Eurovision winner Euphoria lost its crown as the Contest’s best-loved song in the ESC250 and perhaps it’s fitting then that the queen returns to Melodifestivalen in 2023 with a new song.
Smith (Funny Girl, Savoy) returns to the stage for the 1st time since Joseph and The Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat at the Palladium and this beloved Willy Russell one-woman comedy about a woman who finds love on holiday abroad is the perfect choice. Runs 17 February through 3 June at the Duke Of York’s. Tickets 1st preview review
By Aline Mahrud
WHEN?: 7pm UK time Saturday 11 February 2023
WHERE?: Saab Arena, Linköping WHERE DO I WATCH?: SVT Play
Wiktoria (pictured) returns to MF after 4 years away with her 4th entry with 4th being her best ever finish with her debut entry Save Me in 2016.
By Aline Mahrud
WHEN?: 7pm UK time Saturday 4 February 2023
WHERE?: Scandinavium, Gothenburg WHERE DO I WATCH?: SVT Play
Melodifestivalen returns to the venue of the 1985 Eurovision for a 1st heat in its 2023 edition which sees the swift return to the MF stage of the contest’s 1st openly transgender participant – Tone Sekelius (pictured above) – who finished 5th last year with the uptempo anthem My Way.
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