Finland’s Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen deliver explosive second rehearsal of “Liekinheitin” in Vienna as Eurovision 2026 favorites surge.
Finland’s Eurovision 2026 representatives, Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen, returned to the stage in Vienna earlier today for their second rehearsal of “Liekinheitin”. With the Nordic country maintaining – and even strengthening – its position near the top of the betting tables deep into the rehearsal season, expectations continue to rise that the duo could be serious contenders for the trophy in just over a week.
The staging combines a striking mix of visual elements: inverted chairs, scattered music stands, and a central confessional booth. Together, they bring the Finnish entry’s intense identity to life on the Eurovision stage, creating what already looks like one of the most visually distinctive performances of the year.
Finland’s Second Rehearsal: More Details
A short clip released from the rehearsal reveals the opening moments of the performance. The stage is built around a dark confessional booth positioned at its center. From within it emerges Pete Parkkonen, presenting a reinvented version of himself – sharper, more exposed, and significantly less restrained than the artist seen in the Finnish national selection.
The transformation feels intentional, almost like a deliberate break from his previous artistic image. His stage presence is driven by raw energy rather than refinement, and he delivers a powerful vocal performance that anchors the opening section of the song.
During Pete’s segment inside the booth, Linda Lampenius appears intermittently from behind, performing live violin. In a rare and notable exception, she has received special approval to play live on stage, despite general Eurovision restrictions.
A Radical Visual Shift for Linda Lampenius
At the same time, Linda Lampenius undergoes a striking visual transformation. She abandons her familiar color palette in favor of a futuristic silver look, glowing under the Austrian stage lighting.
Her presence increasingly feels detached from reality, especially as she slowly moves toward areas of rising fire effects across the stage. The lighting design reinforces the impression that she exists in a different visual dimension compared to the rest of the performance.
Performance Collision and Climax
As the rehearsal progresses, the structure of the performance breaks into faster, more aggressive movement. Lampenius suddenly sprints toward the rear of the stage to reconnect with Parkkonen, and their meeting takes place amid remnants of a destroyed orchestral set.
From that moment onward, the performance escalates into a full-scale collision of sound and movement. The staging intensifies into a chaotic climax, with the entire space appearing to collapse into itself through rapid visual shifts and dynamic choreography.
The overall effect positions Finland firmly among the most powerful entries of this Eurovision cycle, presenting a clear challenge to other semi-final competitors.
Can Finland’s explosive performance leave the rest of the field behind on the road to the Grand Final?
Finland at Eurovision 2026
“Liekinheitin” is the song that will be performed by the duo Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen, who will represent Finland as song number 7 in the first semi-final on May 12th, in Vienna, Austria. The song was written and composed by the duo together with Vilma Alina, Antti Riihimäki, and Lauri Halavaara. The song is performed entirely in Finnish.
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”.
