Finland’s national broadcaster YLE has released all competing songs for “UMK 2026”. Listen to the full playlist online.
Finland’s national broadcaster YLE has completed the unveiling of the seven songs competing in “UMK 2026”. From among these entries, one will be chosen to represent Finland at Eurovision 2026, set to take place in Vienna, Austria. “UMK 2026” is scheduled for February 28th, 2026, at the Nokia Arena in Tampere, southern Finland. The participating artists were officially announced last Wednesday, and their seven songs were released sequentially on weekdays from January 14th–22nd, at 23:00 CET (Midnight in Finland).
“UMK 2026”: Official Lineup and Release Schedule
These are the seven participants in “UMK 2026”. Their songs will be released by the following order, day after day, from January 14th to January 22nd:
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Etta – “Million Dollar Smile“
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Linda Lampenius x Pete Paekkonen – “Liekinheitin“
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Komiat – “Lululai“
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Sinikka Monte – “Ready to Leave“
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Antti Paalanen – “Takatukka“
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Chachi – “Cherry Cake“
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Kiki – “Rakkaudenkipee“
Click on the song title to listen!
A Viral Sensation?
Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, competing with the song “Liekinheitin,” have broken the contest’s virality record — surpassing one million views even before all entries were released. Lampenius, a versatile violinist who became a sensation in the 1990s, gives the song its distinct identity through a modern, violin-driven arrangement. The track’s rapid rise in popularity is viewed as a strong indicator of potential victory, similar to viral breakthroughs by former winners Käärijä and Erika Vikman.
Sergio Jaén Brings International Expertise to UMK
Renowned Spanish director Sergio Jaén, who has staged numerous Eurovision entries – including the Eurovision 2025 winning song “Wasted Love” by JJ and Finland’s 2025 entry “Ich Komme” by Erika Vikman – has now taken on the role of artistic director and stage manager for UMK. His involvement reflects YLE’s ongoing strategy of enhancing the contest’s international competitiveness with bold, innovative stage performances, while preserving UMK’s reputation as one of the most visually ambitious and popular national selections in Europe. Jaén, a graduate of Film and Television studies, resides in the United Kingdom and has worked with major global artists such as Dua Lipa.
Looking Ahead: A New Season of Finnish Boldness
In recent years, UMK has gained significant popularity among Eurovision fans across the continent. Following a decade of mixed results, Finland’s current track record highlights a remarkable turnaround. This year, the country reached the Eurovision Grand Final for the fifth consecutive time – its longest streak since the late 2000s.
Two years ago, Käärijä achieved one of Finland’s best-ever results, finishing second in the Grand Final held in Liverpool. Additionally, in 2021, Finland secured an impressive sixth place. These achievements have solidified UMK’s credibility as one of Europe’s strongest platforms for launching competitive Eurovision acts. In Basel, Finland achieved another impressive 11th place.
Finland at Eurovision 2025
“Ich Komme” (in English: “I Am Coming”) is the song performed by Erika Vikman, who represented Finland in the Eurovision 2025 Grand Final. Finland qualified for the Grand Final after placing third in the second semi-final with 115 points. In the Grand Final, Finland finished 11th with a total of 196 points, placing ninth in the public vote with 108 points and tenth in the jury vote with 88 points.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Finland’s 59th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Finland joined the competition in 1961 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2006, winning the contest with Lordi and their song “Hard Rock Hallelujah”.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
