Linda x Pete wins UMK 2026 with “Liekinheitin”. They will represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna this May.
“Liekinheitin” is the title of the song to be performed by Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen, who will represent Finland at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna during the first semi-final on May 12th. The entry was written and composed by the duo together with Vilma Alina, who wrote the song “Sun Sumero” that competed in the 2022 Finnish national selection, Antti Riihimäki, and Lauri Halavaara, who already collaborated with them last year on the song “Alina”, which finished third in the 2025 Finnish national selection, and who also wrote “Takatukka”, another entry in this year’s Finnish selection. The song is performed in Finnish and beat six other competitors in the national final “UMK 2026”.
The national final was broadcast live this evening from Nokia Arena in the city of Tampere. The winner was chosen by a combination of public voting (75%) and jury voting (25%). The event was hosted by Sami Sykkö, Jorma Uotinen and Jasmin Beloued.
The decision that the duo will represent Finland in the contest came after they announcedearlier today (Saturday), in a joint statement on Instagram that if they won, they would indeed represent Finland at Eurovision 2026. Unlike in previous years, this year’s winner does not automatically become the country’s representative and is given the option to decide whether to take part in the contest. On the same post, the duo stressed that “they believe Israel’s participation in Eurovision is wrong”, and that they will represent Finland “for the sake of humanity”, a stance that raises many questions regarding their participation in light of potential violations of the contest’s rules and regulations on political neutrality.
The show begins with dramatic atmosphere in the arena, with chairs scattered across the stage, creating a sense of an intimate space. Suddenly, a single spotlight cuts through the darkness, and Pete, dressed in a tailored black suit, opens the performance with his captivating voice while confined inside a kind of “sealed room”. From the depths of the stage, Linda’s mesmerizing violin joins his echoing vocals, as she appears like an ice goddess in a silver gown with a magnificent train. Gradually, the violinist slowly approaches the singer, the intensity grows, and a palpable tension builds between them through the music. The climax arrives when the walls of the room burst into flames, melting the initial coldness. The combination of Pete’s rough, raspy voice and Linda’s spellbinding violin playing creates a musical dialogue that wins over the audience and keeps them in a wild, electrified mood throughout the entire performance.
The story behind “Liekinheitin”
The song portrays a destructive and addictive relationship, defined by a constant struggle between rational thought and an uncontrollable impulse. In the lyrics, the singer presents the dilemma that the right and sensible choice would be to walk away, yet he finds himself trapped under the spell of the other person, whom he likens to a flamethrower: a powerful figure who burns him emotionally and physically at the same time. The song highlights the painful contrast between intimate nights and emotional distance in public, where his lover behaves as if she does not know him at all, creating a sense of humiliation mixed with intense attraction.
Through imagery of third-degree burns and “playing with fire”, the song illustrates how passion turns into a form of emotional masochism, where pain and dismissive treatment become part of the thrill. The man remains helpless in front of someone who is simultaneously “hot” and seductive yet also cold and distant.
Who are Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen?
Pete Parkkonen is a popular Finnish pop singer born in 1990 into a musical family. He first gained widespread recognition in 2008 when he took part in the fourth season of the Finnish version of Idols, where he finished in third place. After the show, he launched a successful solo career; his debut record, “The First Album”, reached number one on the Finnish albums chart. Over the years he has released music in both English and Finnish, appeared in various reality TV programmes, and established himself as one of Finland’s best-known contemporary artists.
Alongside him stands Linda Lampenius, a virtuoso violinist and cultural icon since the 1990s. Lampenius is known as one of Finland’s most versatile musicians, with expertise spanning pop, jazz, classical music, techno and a wide range of other styles. Her violin accompaniment gives the song its distinctive identity and aligns seamlessly with the contemporary and trend-conscious production of today’s pop landscape.
In the lead-up to the national final, the two artists joined forces for the first time in an attempt to represent Finland at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna with “Liekinheitin”. The song quickly broke records for its viral spread on social media. From the moment it was released, it was marked as the clear favourite, holding a 76% probability of winning in national betting charts and even pushing Finland to first place in the international betting tables, with around a 15% chance of winning the contest itself.
The updated table can be found on the betting page on the website!
Results of the National Selection – “UMK 2026”:
| Artists | Song | Jury | Televote | Summary | Place |
| Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen | “Liekinheitin“ | 78 | 492 | 570 | 1 |
| Anti Paalanen | “Takatukka“ | 58 | 152 | 210 | 2 |
| Komiat | “Lululai“ | 40 | 76 | 116 | 3 |
| CHACHI | “Cherry Cake“ | 32 | 67 | 99 | 4 |
| Sinikka Monte | “Ready To Leave“ | 46 | 51 | 97 | 5 |
| Etta | “Million Dollar Smile“ | 12 | 30 | 42 | 6 |
| KIKI | “Rakkaudenkipee“ | 28 | 14 | 42 | 7 |
Lyrics of “Liekinheitin:
Ois viisampi häipyy täält
Miten tunteet vois jäädyttää
Sä oot, sä oot
Liekinheitin
Samas illas, savuu ilmas
Etin ihmisjoukost sua
Puhut muille sun tutuille
Oot ku et ees tuntis mua
Vähän outoo ettet sä kato mua silmiin
Ku viime yönä et saanu must käsiä irti
Vaik saan sult runtuu
Niin se hyvältä tuntuu
Ois viisaampi häipyy täält
Mut tulel vielkin leikin
Miten tunteet vois jäädyttää
Ku sä oot liekinheitin
Saat mut palamaan
Saan sust palan vaan
Oot niin kuuma mut jääkylmä
Sä oot, sä oot
Liekinheitin
Liekinheitin
Pariin iltaan en sua kii saa
Voiko ihminen kuolla kiimaan
Aina kun ollaan iho ihoa vasten
Mä saan sust palovammoja kolmannen asteen
Oh dear lord, saanko viel yhden kasteen
Kun syntiä taas teen
Ois viisaampi häipyy täält
Mut tulel vielkin leikin
Miten tunteet vois jäädyttää
Ku sä oot liekinheitin
Saat mut palamaan
Saan sust palan vaan
Oot niin kuumа mut jääkylmä
Sä oot, ѕä oot
Liekinheitin
Liekinheitin
Liekinheitin
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”.
