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Eurovision Sweden – 2016! Posted by on May 25, 2015 in Culture

Eurovision is, quite possibly, the greatest musical event in the entire world. That’s actually a scientific truth and cannot be disputed. Unfortunately, only 200 million people around the world tuned in. That means there are still a whole lot of folks who missed the show.

But don’t worry. Plenty of Swedes watched. Like 3.4 million people. That’s about a third of the entire country. Eurovision is a big deal. And even though not a single word of Swedish was sung this year, it’s still a cultural aspect of Sweden that plenty of people take part in.

Luckily for those 3.4 million Swedes, on Saturday night, Sweden’s Måns Zelmerlöw won the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest. He pulled in a solid 365 points over the course of the night, earning the top scores from 12 different countries. His 365 points is the third highest in history behind Norway’s 387 points in 2009 and Sweden’s 372 in 2012.

The night ended with an interesting geographical top five:

  1. Sweden 365
  2. Russia 303
  3. Italy 292
  4. Belgium 217
  5. Australia 196

That’s not a typo. Australia took fifth place in Austria. You’ll be forgiven for the moment of confusion, Australia is not in Europe. But that didn’t stop them from competing this year for the first time in Eurovision, which defines Europe quite broadly. It makes for an interesting competition and a very international one.

Despite that international flavor, Sweden has had a pretty good run at Eurovision as of late. In fact, this is the fourth time in five years that Sweden has been in the top three, and their second win in that time. Of course, Sweden now has six wins over the 60-year history of the contest. Only one behind Ireland, who last won in 1996.

Because of Sweden’s win this year, they will also be hosting next year. Last time Sweden hosted, it came down to Stockholm, Göteborg, and Malmö. No word yet as to where in Sweden the contest will be held.

You can watch Måns Zelmerlöw’s performance here:

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About the Author: Marcus Cederström

Marcus Cederström has been writing for the Transparent Swedish Blog since 2009. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Oregon, a Master's Degree in Scandinavian Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and a PhD in Scandinavian Studies and Folklore from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He has taught Swedish for several years and still spells things wrong. So, if you see something, say something.


Comments:

  1. Caroline Green:

    I love keeping up with your blog. I lived in Sweden and went to school there for six years. After we returned to England I took (and passed) an A-level exam in Swedish literature. Nowadays my only contact with anything Swedish is attending the Lucia celebration at a local church – I wish I was nearer London where they have an active church. Could we, just occasionally, just have a bit of someone simply speaking Swedish? You forget the intonation and musicality of the language. Thanks for all your efforts – Caroline