Yesterday was the Eurovision Song Contest, and what better way to celebrate than to bring out a Melodifestivalen icon to sing the national anthem at Solvalla on the last Sunday in May?
Shirley Clamp, one of Sweden's most popular artists, will take the stage at the opening of Elitloppet on Mother's Day.
Shirley Clamp hit the big time in 2004 with Min Kärlek when she was runner-up in Melodifestivalen. She has made six more appearances, been a commentator in the Eurovision Song Contest and a presenter in the Melodifestivalen ”second chance”.
Now she's putting the finishing touches to the opening of Elitloppet 2026 by performing Sweden's national anthem.
- It is an honorable mission that I am really looking forward to. For me, the national anthem is one of the most powerful things you can sing, it gives a reverent feeling that you rarely get from ordinary songs," says Shirley Clamp.
But in addition to the national anthem, she will still perform another number to raise the inauguration mood for the audience.
- We'll save the song as a surprise," says Shirley Clamp.
Elitloppet is the main attraction during the Elitlopp weekend, which will be held at Solvalla in Stockholm on May 29-31, 2026. Elitloppet is an invitational race where 16 horses compete in two different heats with eight horses in each. The top four in each trial meet in a final where the winner receives five million SEK.
During the Elitlopp weekend, Solvalla is filled with world-class trotting, party atmosphere and experiences from morning to evening. Here you will find the world's best horses, DJs, restaurants, food trucks and a wonderful summer hangout together with tens of thousands of visitors.
