It’s one of the most anticipated national finals of the season. Now Swedish broadcaster SVT has revealed the running order of the four semi-finals in Melodifestivalen 2017.

The running order was unveiled in a special presentation hosted by Melfest 2017 co-host Clara Henry. The big announcement was made by show boss Christer Björkman on the live stream.

In a change from recent years, three of the four the coveted closing slots have been given to Melodifestivalen newcomers. 2012 champ Loreen is the only returning artist to get a closing slot.

While the last position is has previously been considered as reserved for songs likely to win, that’s not always the case. 2016 Melfest winner Frans performed fifth in his semi-final, 2014 winner Sanna Nielsen performed sixth in hers, and 2013 winner Robin Stjernberg performed third. In short, anything is possible.

Much effort goes into determining the order of the songs. Each show contains songs in a mix of genres and languages, and thought is given to ensuring the overall song order creates an entertaining television show.

The running order was presented using the traditional Melfest sticky note system. Songs are colour-coded according to genre, with a red asterisk denoting songs with Swedish lyrics and a blue asterisk denoting a song with a female writer. This year’s song colours are:

Bright pink: upbeat, female artist

upbeat, female artist Light Pink: mid-tempo/ballad, female artist

mid-tempo/ballad, female artist Green: upbeat, male artist

upbeat, male artist Yellow-green: mid-tempo/ballad, male artist

mid-tempo/ballad, male artist Orange-yellow: Traditional (includes the darker orange given to Jon Henrik)

The entries are then carefully arranged to ensure each of the four shows has a good blend of styles, and that each episode will provide a good night’s entertainment.

Semi-final 1: Gothenburg (4 February)

Boris René – “Her Kiss” Adrijana – “Amare” Dinah Nah – “One More Night” De Vet Du – “Road Trip” Charlotte Perrelli – “Mitt liv” Ace Wilder – “Wild Child” Nano – “Hold On”

Semi-final 2: Malmö (11 February)

Mariette – “A Million Years” Roger Pontare – “Himmel och hav Etzia – “Up” Allyawan – “Vart haru varit” Dismissed – “Hearts Align” Lisa Ajax – “I Don’t Give A” Benjamin Ingrosso – “Good Lovin'”

Semi-final 3: Växjö (18 February)

Robin Bengtsson – “I Can’t Go On” Krista Siegfrids – “Snurra min jord” Anton Hagman – “Kiss You Goodbye” Jasmine Kara – “Gravity” Owe Thörnqvist – “Boogieman Blues” Bella & Filippa – “Crucified” The Fooo Conspiracy – “Gotta Thing”

Semi-final 4: Skellefteå (25 February)

Jon Henrik Fjällgren feat. Aninia – “En värld full av strider” Alice – “Running with Lions” Les Gordons – “Bound to Fall” Wiktoria – “As I Lay Me Down” Axel Schylström – “När ingen ser” Sara Varga and Juha Mulari – “Du får inte ändra på mig Loreen – “Statements”

What do you think of the Melfest 2017 running order? Are you surprised by any of the placings? Share your thoughts below!