Finland’s national broadcaster YLE has announced the running order for “UMK 2026”, taking place on February 28th, where Finland will select its entry for Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, Austria.
The Finnish national broadcaster YLE announced today (Monday) via social media the official running order of the seven songs competing in “UMK 2026”. The show will take place on Saturday, February 28th, at Nokia Arena in the city of Tampere, southern Finland, starting at 20:00 CET. The running order was determined through a random draw conducted among the UMK contestants. The winner of the national final will represent Finland at Eurovision 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria. The UMK winner will be selected through a combination of public voting (75%) and a professional jury vote (25%). Who will win UMK 2026 and take the honor of representing Finland in Vienna?
UMK 2026: Running Order
- Komiat – “Lululai”
- Etta – “Million Dollar Smile”
- KIKI – “Rakkaudenkipee”
- Anti Paalanen – “Takatukka”
- CHACHI – “Cherry Cake”
- Sinikka Monte – “Ready To Leave”
- Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen – “Liekinheitin”
Click on the song title to listen!
הצגת פוסט זה באינסטגרם
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.
Now, it has been revealed that the duo has been drawn to compete last on the stage in Tampere. Based on past competitions, performing last often leaves a lasting impression on the viewers and helps build a stronger emotional connection, potentially increasing their chances of winning UMK 2026 and representing Finland at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna.
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.
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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