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Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026
| Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Eurovision Song Contest 2026 | |||
| Yleisradio (Yle) | |||
| Finland | |||
| Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2026 | |||
| 28 February 2026 | |||
| "Liekinheitin" | |||
| Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen | |||
| .mw-parser-output .plainlist ol,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul{line-height:inherit;list-style:none;margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .plainlist ol li,.mw-parser-output .plainlist ul li{margin-bottom:0}Antti RiihimäkiLauri HalavaaraLinda LampeniusPete ParkkonenVilma Alina Lähteenmäki | |||
| Qualified (3rd, 227 points) | |||
| 6th, 279 points | |||
| ◄2025 • |
2026 | ◄2025 • | 2026 | | | ◄2025 • | 2026 | | |
Finland was represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with the song "Liekinheitin", written by Antti Riihimäki, Lauri Halavaara, Linda Lampenius, Pete Parkkonen and Vilma Alina Lähteenmäki, and performed by Lampenius and Parkkonen themselves. The Finnish participating broadcaster, Yleisradio (Yle), organised the national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2026 in order to select its entry for the contest.
Prior to the 2026 contest, Yleisradio (Yle) has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Finland fifty-eight times since its first entry in 1961. It had won the contest once in 2006 with the song "Hard Rock Hallelujah" performed by Lordi. In 2025, "Ich komme" performed by Erika Vikman qualified for the final and placed 11th.
As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, Yle organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. Yle had been selecting its entries for the contest through national final competitions that had varied in format over the years. Between 1961 and 2011, a selection show that was often titled Suomen euroviisukarsinta highlighted that the purpose of the program was to select a song for Eurovision. However, since 2012, the broadcaster had organised the selection show Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), which focuses on showcasing new music with the winning song being selected as the Finnish Eurovision entry for that year. Yle confirmed its intention to participate at the 2026 contest on 4 December 2025, announcing that its entry would again be selected through Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu; the decision had been delayed as Yle had outlined conditions for its continued participation, which were subsequently addressed and approved following the EBU's general assembly.
Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2026 was the fifteenth edition of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK), the music competition organised by Yle to select its entries for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition consisted of a final on 28 February 2026, held at the Nokia Arena in Tampere and hosted by Sami Sykkö, Jorma Uotinen and Jasmin Beloued.
A submission period was opened by Yle which lasted between 18 August 2025 and 24 August 2025. At least one of the writers and the lead singer(s) had to hold Finnish citizenship or live in Finland permanently in order for the entry to qualify to compete. A panel of nine experts appointed by Yle alongside five audience juries selected seven entries for the competition from 491 received submissions, a new record during the current format of the competition. The experts were Tapio Hakanen (Head of Music at YleX), Johan Lindroos (Head of Music at Yle Radio Suomi), Amie Borgar (Head of Music at Yle Svenska), Katri Norrlin (music editor at YleX), Samuli Väänänen (music professional), Pietu Sepponen (promoter at Sunborn Live), Jussi Mäntysaari (Head of Music at Nelonen Media), Stella Kylä-Liuhala (project director of Ohlogy) and Aija Puurtinen (lecturer at Sibelius Academy and UMK vocal coach). The competing entries were announced in a televised show on 14 January 2026, hosted by Mikko Silvennoinen, Eva Frantz, Bess, Samuli Väänänen and Tapio Hakanen, while the music videos for each entry were released between 14 and 22 January 2026.
| Artist | Song | Songwriter(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Antti Paalanen | "Takatukka" | .mw-parser-output .hlist dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul{margin:0;padding:0}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt,.mw-parser-output .hlist li{margin:0;display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist.inline ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist dl ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ol ul,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul dl,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ol,.mw-parser-output .hlist ul ul{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .hlist .mw-empty-li{display:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dt::after{content:": "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li::after{content:"\a0 · ";font-weight:bold}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li:last-child::after{content:none}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:first-child::before{content:" (";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dd li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt li:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dd:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li dt:last-child::after,.mw-parser-output .hlist li li:last-child::after{content:")";font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol{counter-reset:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li{counter-increment:listitem}.mw-parser-output .hlist ol>li::before{content:" "counter(listitem)"\a0 "}.mw-parser-output .hlist dd ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist dt ol>li:first-child::before,.mw-parser-output .hlist li ol>li:first-child::before{content:" ("counter(listitem)"\a0 "}Antti PaalanenHeidi Maria PaalanenLauri HalavaaraSaara Törmä |
| Chachi | "Cherry Cake" | Johannes NaukkarinenLinnea DebOlivia Hildén |
| Etta | "Million Dollar Smile" | Arttu IstalaEmmalotta KanthIiro PaakkariKaisa KorhonenKyösti Salokorpi |
| Kiki | "Rakkaudenkipee" | Jaakko KiuruLeo SalminenNiko SalmelaPetra Gavalas |
| Komiat | "Lululai" | Joni RahkolaSampo Haapaniemi |
| Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen | "Liekinheitin" | Antti RiihimäkiLauri HalavaaraLinda LampeniusPete ParkkonenVilma Alina Lähteenmäki |
| Sinikka Monte | "Ready to Leave" | Florian SpiesSinikka Monte |
The final took place on 28 February 2026 where seven entries competed. The winner, "Liekinheitin" performed by Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, was selected by a combination of public votes (75%) and seven international jury groups from Austria, Denmark, Malta, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Spain and the United Kingdom (25%). The viewers had a total of 882 points to award, while the juries had a total of 294 points to award. Each jury group distributed their points as follows: 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 points. The viewer vote was based on the percentage of votes each song achieved through the following voting methods: telephone, SMS and app voting. For example, if a song gains 10% of the viewer vote, then that entry would be awarded 10% of 882 points rounded to the nearest integer: 88 points. A record total of 446,681 votes were cast during the show: 91,128 votes through telephone and SMS and 355,553 votes through the Yle app.
In addition to the performances of the competing entries, the show was opened by Erika Vikman performing "Father (I Will Never Confess)" and her 2025 Eurovision entry "Ich komme" and 2025 Eurovision winner JJ performing "Wasted Love", while the acts included Sonja Lumme performing her 1985 Eurovision entry "Eläköön elämä", and Ares, Averagekidluke, Elastinen and Turisti performing "Kui paljon".
| R/O | Artist | Song | Jury | Public vote | Total | Place | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Komiat | "Lululai" | 40 | 38,414 | 8.59% | 76 | 116 | 3 |
| Etta | "Million Dollar Smile" | 12 | 15,187 | 3.39% | 30 | 42 | 6 |
| Kiki | "Rakkaudenkipee" | 28 | 7,146 | 1.59% | 14 | 42 | 7 |
| Antti Paalanen | "Takatukka" | 58 | 76,829 | 17.20% | 152 | 210 | 2 |
| Chachi | "Cherry Cake" | 32 | 33,947 | 7.59% | 67 | 99 | 4 |
| Sinikka Monte | "Ready to Leave" | 46 | 25,907 | 5.79% | 51 | 97 | 5 |
| Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen | "Liekinheitin" | 78 | 249,248 | 55.80% | 492 | 570 | 1 |
| R/O | Song | @supports(writing-mode:vertical-rl){.mw-parser-output .ts-vertical-header{line-height:1;max-width:1em;padding:0.4em;vertical-align:bottom;width:1em}html.client-js .mw-parser-output .sortable:not(.jquery-tablesorter) .ts-vertical-header:not(.unsortable),html.client-js .mw-parser-output .ts-vertical-header.headerSort{background-position:50%.4em;padding-right:0.4em;padding-top:21px}.mw-parser-output .ts-vertical-header.is-valign-top{vertical-align:top}.mw-parser-output .ts-vertical-header.is-valign-middle{vertical-align:middle}.mw-parser-output .ts-vertical-header.is-normal{font-weight:normal}.mw-parser-output .ts-vertical-header>{display:inline-block;transform:rotate(180deg);writing-mode:vertical-rl}@supports(writing-mode:sideways-lr){.mw-parser-output .ts-vertical-header>{transform:none;writing-mode:sideways-lr}}}United Kingdom | Netherlands | Montenegro | Spain | Malta | Denmark | Austria | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| "Lululai" | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 6 | 40 | |
| "Million Dollar Smile" | 4 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 12 | ||||
| "Rakkaudenkipee" | 6 | 2 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 28 | |||
| "Takatukka" | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 12 | 58 | ||
| "Cherry Cake" | 2 | 10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 32 | ||
| "Ready to Leave" | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 46 | |
| "Liekinheitin" | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 12 | 10 | 78 | |
| .mw-parser-output .div-col{margin-top:0.3em;column-width:30em}.mw-parser-output .div-col-small{font-size:90%}.mw-parser-output .div-col-rules{column-rule:1px solid #aaa}.mw-parser-output .div-col dl,.mw-parser-output .div-col ol,.mw-parser-output .div-col ul{margin-top:0}.mw-parser-output .div-col li,.mw-parser-output .div-col dd{page-break-inside:avoid;break-inside:avoid-column} | |||||||||
| United Kingdom – Kabir Naidoo | |||||||||
| Netherlands – Eleonora de Jager | |||||||||
| Montenegro – Vladana Vučinić | |||||||||
| Spain – Mercè Llorens | |||||||||
| Malta – Miriana Conte | |||||||||
| Denmark – Sissal | |||||||||
| Austria – JJ |
| Country | Jury members |
|---|---|
| Barbara StilkeCaro FuxHerbert StanonikPatrick Stelzl | |
| Inge HøegMette Helene ChristensenMike PaudyPhillip Jensen | |
| Arthur CaruanaIan Busuttil NaudiJulia CassarLyndsay Pace | |
| Antonela MartinovićBojana NenezićGojko BerkuljanIlija Pejović | |
| Eleonora de JagerJesse WijnansJordy SparidaensTwan van de Nieuwenhuijzen | |
| Ahmad HallounBorja RuedaMercè LlorensTony Aguilar | |
| Emma GaleKabir NaidooNathan MatthewsNikki Parsons |
The competition was watched by an average of 1.8 million viewers in Finland (0.32 more than in 2025), with a peak viewership of more than 2.5 million, making it the most watched edition of UMK since its establishment in 2012.
| Country | Broadcaster | Channel(s) | Commentator(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yle | Yle TV1 | Mikko Silvennoinen (Finnish)Eva Frantz and Johan Lindroos (Swedish)Jaakko Oleander-Turja (English)Levan Tvaltvadze (Russian)Galyna Sergeyeva (Ukrainian)Miguel Peltomaa, Silva Belghiti, Jaana Aaltonen and Jarl Hanhikoski (Finnish Sign Language)Maija Lindström (Finland-Swedish Sign Language)Linda Tammela (Northern Sami)Heli Huovinen (Inari Sami) | |
| Yle Areena | |||
| YleX | —.mw-parser-output .sr-only{border:0;clip:rect(0,0,0,0);clip-path:polygon(0px 0px,0px 0px,0px 0px);height:1px;margin:-1px;overflow:hidden;padding:0;position:absolute;width:1px;white-space:nowrap}N/a | ||
| Yle Radio Suomi | |||
| Yle X3M | Eva Frantz and Johan Lindroos (Swedish) | ||
| OutTV | Krista Siegfrids |
The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 12 and 14 May and the final on 16 May 2026. All nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final will progress to the final. On 12 January 2026, an allocation draw was held to determine which of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show, each country will perform in; the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot.
Finalnd was allocated for the first semi final, and later, was announced to perform in position seven during the show. Shortly after, the qualification–announcement segment took place, and, at the end of the segment Finland was announced as one of the ten qualifiers, therefore, Finland would move on onto the final.
Finland's position to perform in the final will be allocated via the producers' choice.
- Official Yle Eurovision site
- Official Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu site
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