Norway chose its 2024 Eurovision representative on February 3 during the Melodi Grand
Prix final in Trondheim. The night opened with last year’s winner, Alessandra, reprising her
song “Queen of Kings” in dramatic fashion that saw her hoisted dozens of feet into the air,
silhouetted against the skyline of the city. Fredrik Solvang and Marion Ravn hosted. The
winner was determined by a voting system of 60% televote and 40% international juries.
Nine entries competed, the top three from each of the three semi-finals. Eurovision 2019
fan favorites KEiiNO were the first act, performing their hyper-schlager entry
“Damdiggida” with two breakdancers. Annprincess showed off her soulful voice during the
lively and beautifully-staged “Save Me.” Gothminster dressed as every child’s worst
nightmare during his spooky metal-pop number, “We Come Alive.” Ingrid Jasmin’s “Eya”
bridged Scandinavia and the Mediterranean, serving ‘Andromache realness.’ Arguably the
best vocal of the night came from MIIA, whose “Green Lights” was a lovely modern ballad.
Norway’s Eurovision 2013 entrant Margaret Berger also returned with “Oblivion,” a
brooding synthpop number with a soaring hook. Dag Erik Oksvold and Anne Fagermo
brought a sweet country duet with “Judge Tenderly of Me.” Gåte offered up a witchy rock
song “Ulveham” whose opening string arrangements suggest a midnight pagan ritual. And
the final act of the night, Super Rob and Erika Norwich tapped the zeitgeist with the
tongue-in-cheek “My AI,” featuring a man in a robot suit and KPOP influences.
After the performances, the televoting began while international juries shared their results.
The juries favored KEiiNO, with 98 points to Gåte’s 76. As the televote continued, there was
an all-star Eurovision medley, with 1985 ESC winner Bobbysocks performing “Waterloo,”
2021 MGP winner TiX performing “Heroes,” 2020 MGP winner Ulrikke singing “Euphoria,”
2009 MGP and ESC winner Alexander Rybak singing “Diggi-loo, Diggi-ley,” and 1991 ESC
winner Carola singing “Främling” and “Fångad av en stormvind.”
It was then the moment of truth. In the televote, Gåte made up the margin they’d lost in the
jury vote, nipping KEiiNO and winning a berth to Eurovision by six points, 250 to 244. We
will see “Ulveham” in Malmö in May!