Melodifestivalen 2026 ended with Felicia winning the Swedish final and securing the country’s place at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna in May. After a six-week tour across Sweden and an intense final at Strawberry Arena near Stockholm on March 7, Felicia’s song “My System” came out on top, confirming her status as one of the season’s strongest favourites.
Felicia takes Sweden’s Eurovision ticket after a six-week tour
Felicia’s victory closes this year’s edition of Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s long-running national selection for Eurovision, after five heats and a final that brought together 12 acts. According to SVT, she won with “My System” and will now represent Sweden in Vienna in May. The result follows weeks in which her entry had consistently remained among the most talked-about songs of the competition.
The track was written by Audun Agnar, Julie Bergan, Felicia, Emily Harbakk and Theresa Rex. Ahead of the final, Swedish media had also highlighted how the song entered the contest with strong public momentum, adding to expectations around her performance.
A final shaped by illness but completed by all performers
The final week of Melodifestivalen 2026 was marked by several health setbacks involving competing artists. SVT reported that Felicia had been dealing with fever, while Brandsta City Släckers member Brandsta-Olle had been hospitalised with acute gout and Lilla Al-Fadji had struggled with worn vocal cords.
Even so, all of the artists made it onto the stage for the final. That gave the closing show an additional layer of tension, with performances unfolding against a backdrop of uncertainty over several contestants’ physical condition.
Medina turns its performance into a peace message
One of the most discussed moments of the evening did not come from the winning act but from Medina. At the end of the duo’s performance of “Viva L’Amor”, Ali Jammali raised a fist while Sami Rekik showed a message inside his jacket reading: “When the power of love overcomes the love of power, the world will know peace.”
The quote is commonly associated with Jimi Hendrix and the peace movement of the late 1960s. In a final built around entertainment and national selection, the gesture introduced an explicitly political and symbolic note, and quickly became one of the most visible images of the night.
Interval acts kept Melodifestivalen’s TV spectacle at the centre
Beyond the competition itself, the final also relied on the variety-show format that has long made Melodifestivalen one of Sweden’s biggest television events. According to SVT, last year’s winners KAJ paid tribute to some of the contest’s most memorable trios in a medley, joined by Siw Malmkvist and members of E.M.D.
The interval line-up also included rapper Greekazo, actor Johan Rabaeus, TV chef Leila Lindholm, stylist Jonas Hallberg and Arvingarna in a comedic musical number about trying to please everyone. The combination of nostalgia, humour and guest appearances reflected the broad entertainment strategy that continues to define the contest’s national appeal.
