The artists are kept separate from each other as far as possible.

And distance alarms howl as soon as someone gets too close to another.

These are a couple of the extensive corona restrictions that Melodifestival production has introduced to be able to carry out this year's festival.

"We each had a taxi"

But it was not entirely painless when the artists arrived in Stockholm during the week.

Although all of this week's artists praise the precautionary measures, it also quickly became clear that some did not work in practice.

- We each had a taxi to the station and then we had a few scattered places on the train as well.

And when we came to Stockholm, it was two taxis that we were divided into, says Kim Carlsson in Arvingarna.

- We have told SVT that we do not need this.

In fact, it was also on stage that we would have distance, but we have also changed that.

It is obvious that SVT wants to be clear and that you have to be afraid of yourself.

But regardless of whether it is between or not, we meet every week, says band colleague Casper Janebrink.

"It became unsustainable"

Several artists point out that those distance alarms are ringing almost continuously on the Annex.

But that it may also be a sign that they are needed.

For groups like Arvingarna and Lillasyster, on the other hand, it became impossible to have the alarms switched on when they were together.

- It beeps all the time.

You can hardly hear it anymore.

But for us, this whole thing is so unique that we adapt well overall.

This is so new and strange for us regardless, says Martin Westerstrand in Lillasyster.

On the other hand, following remarks from, among others, Arvingarna, Melodifestival production has changed its mind.

- We have discovered that groups such as the Heirs are more like a family and spend more time as a family.

So when they are together in their lodge, it became unsustainable, says Anette Brattström, project manager at the Melodifestivalen in Morgonstudion.

She continues:

- So there we have re-evaluated our foundation and said that they need to be considered as a household.

So the Heirs are in our context now considered a household.