From Copenhagen to Malmö: Saba will represent Denmark at Eurovision in May

We headed to Copenhagen on Saturday 17 February - DR Koncerthuset, to be precise. The Danish broadcaster DR brought us Melodi Grand Prix, the pre-selection to find Denmark's entry to the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. 

Denmark's national final was one evening of entertainment, in which 8 songs competed for votes. These came from a combination of a public vote and a jury vote, with a 50% weighting given to both.

As has been tradition at Denmark's Melodi Grand Prix in recent years, the initial lineup of songs had a Top 3 ranked once they'd all been performed and a first set of votes had been totted up and given out. This trio of tunes then formed a 'superfinal', were performed again, and voting was reset to zero and opened once more.

The three songs in contention for that win were Johnny by Basim, I Need Your Love by Janus Wiberg, and our eventual winner Sand by Saba.

Melodi Grand Prix 2024 now has its champion and Denmark has its entry to the Eurovision Song Contest in May. Saba will compete in Malmö with the song Sand.

In 2023, Saba had a large and demanding role in the musical HAIR. Now, she is looking forward to making her mark as an artist and singer at the Eurovision Song Contest. With her entry Sand, she wants to inspire others to seize life and follow their dreams - whatever they might be and exactly as they are. 

Saba will perform the song Sand, which was written by some of the strongest songwriters out there. Behind the song is Melanie Wehbe - who has previously won Melodi Grand Prix as a songwriter, as well as Melodifestivalen in Sweden - alongside Jonas Thander, who has previously won the United Kingdom's pre-selection, and Pil Jeppesen.

Saba was adopted from Ethiopia when she was just eight months old and has roots in the West Jutland town of Ringkøbing. The artist wants to spread the message that life must be grasped, boundaries must be pushed and things must both be challenged and explored.

Denmark at the Eurovision Song Contest

Denmark first appeared at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957. Since then, the country has won the Eurovision Song Contest three times; in 1963, 2000 and 2013.

Denmark made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1957 and got off to a strong start, finishing third with its very first attempt. Shortly after this, Grethe & Jørgen Ingmann won the contest with Dansevise in 1963. However it wasn't all plain sailing; following a poor placing in 1966, Denmark withdrew from the contest, not to be seen again until 1978.

In 2000, the competition took place in Stockholm and Denmark scored its second victory in the Eurovision Song Contest with the Olsen Brothers and Fly On The Wings Of Love. Despite being an initial rank outsider in the betting odds, the brothers commanded a convincing lead from the start of the voting and took the Contest to Denmark for the first time in nearly 40 years. Rollo and King flew the flag for the home team in Copenhagen in 2001, finishing second with Never Let You Go.

In 2013, the Eurovision Song Contest was held in Sweden and, as happened in 2000, Denmark won the competition. Emmelie de Forest's Only Teardrops won both the jury and televote in Malmö and took the competition to Copenhagen once again.