Well, here we are again…another Melodifestivalen Final.  Over the years, Sweden’s National Final has become a phenomenon unto itself, with ratings at home even besting those of its international counterpart in May.  Eurofanatics from all over flock to Stockholm to catch a glimpse of their favorite schlager icons (and with good reason, too…Carola is scheduled to perform this evening as an interval act).

This year, the Final has migrated from the iconic Globen to the newly-constructed Friends Arena, which has a staggering maximum capacity of up to 67,000 spectators (but, due to camera angles and such, will hold about 27,000 tonight…piddly, really).  And yes, for those of you keeping track, that means that the Swedish National Final’s venue is nearly twice as large as Eurovision proper’s will be this spring.  The Swedes take Mello very seriously, but with more than a touch of good humor, as well.  (Be on your guard, Eurofans…the return of Lynda Woodruff is imminent!)

Ah-MAAAAAY-zing!

Ten acts will go head-to-head this evening, with their fates in the hands of the Swedish public and eleven international juries.  It’s unlikely that we’ll have a runaway winner like Loreen was last year; this field seems much more evenly-matched, with pundits tipping a few acts for the win.  Even this year’s Andra Chansen qualifiers, Robin Stjernberg and Anton Evald, are in the mix.  We’ve got a mix of genres, from classic pop to rock to comedy to visual kei, so there’s something for everyone!  The show starts at 20:00 CET, and will be streamed via SVT’s website.

The ten competing acts, in running order, are:

1. Ulrik Munther – “Tell the World I’m Here“
2. David Lindgren – “Skyline“
3. State of Drama – “Falling“
4. Anton Ewald – “Begging“
5. Louise Hoffsten – “Only the Dead Fish Follow The Stream“
6. Ralf Gyllenhammar – “Bed on Fire“
7. Ravaillacz – “En riktig jävla schlager (A Real Damn Schlager)“
8. Sean Banan – “Copacabanana“
9. Robin Stjernberg – “You“
10. Yohio – “Heartbreak Hotel“