(edit title) Help Understanding Melodifestivalen, Please! Pre-semifinals and semifinals semantics Options

[HMEngstrom]

I would greatly appreciate anyone's help in understanding some of the finer details regarding Melodifestivalen. I follow the competition and results as much as it is possible from the United States. I understand the impact and popularity aspects of the competition and have read as much as I can to help my understanding of all the various factors: Rules, criteria, voting, etc. There are still some gaps in my knowledge I could use some help with. I greatly appreciate anyone taking the time to help me out. So, here it goes.

The regional semifinals this year were in Växjö, Göteborg, Leksand and Malmö. Do these locations rotate year to year, or are these always the same locations?

I understand (and appreciate) the attraction, appeal and overall spectacle of the televised semifinals and final. I don't quite understand the process of how songs are reviewed and judged prior to the semifinals. Everything that occurs prior to the semifinals is done by regional judges/panels? Is that all done based on the song submissions? Meaning, before the televised rounds, are the songs performed, or simply reviewed as audio tracks by judges for elimination? And I'm guessing these are done regionally? Or no?

That's probably a sufficient start. Thanks for the help.

[BillyB]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melodifestivalen

[HMEngstrom]

Thanks. Yeah, I checked out the Wikipedia entry. A lot of good info. I know some of the details I'm looking for are fairly esoteric; I'll keep looking.