Finland’s national broadcaster, Yle, has announced that 491 submissions have been received for UMK 2026. It comes as tickets for the show are set to go on sale later this week.
Record-breaking submissions for UMK 2026
In a press release issued by the broadcaster, it was confirmed that 491 songs had been received by Yle for UMK 2026. This is six more than last year, setting a new record for the format. After this, a number of different juries were used to whittle the number of competing songs down to just seven.
Speaking on the songs that will be vying to win UMK 2026, Yle’s Head of Music Tapio Hakanen gave some clues as to who will be taking part:
This season’s artist and song lineup includes a charismatic performer making their debut at UMK, an artist representing today’s most current sound, an internationally sought-after crowd-pleaser, a pioneer in their own genre, a charismatic duo of two unique voices, a dramatic pop piece from a singer with a stunning voice, and a captivating ballad from an artist radiating international appeal.
The artists taking part in this year’s edition of UMK will be revealed in a TV broadcast on January 14th. Their songs will gradually be released from January 15th to 23rd, ahead of the final on February 28th.
Tickets go on sale on Thursday
Ahead of the show, tickets to attend next year’s competition will go on sale on Thursday (October 2nd) at 9am Finnish time. On top of this, tickets to watch the dress rehearsal for the show will also go on sale, meaning should fans be unable to grab tickets to the live show, there will be another option.
UMK 2026 will take place on February 28th at the Nokia Arena in Tampere. This has been the home of UMK for the past two years, having first been held in 2024. Finland is yet to officially confirm its participation for Eurovision 2026, as it remains in talks with the EBU regarding Israel’s participation.
Finland’s Eurovision journey
Finland debuted in the 1961 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing 10th with Laila Kunnunen’s “Valoa ikkunassa.” Since then they have competed 56 times, and appeared in the final 48 times. Finland has finished in the top 10 an impressive 14 times. They have won the contest once in 2006, with Lordi’s performance of “Hard Rock Hallelujah” getting 292 points.
Finland’s most recent entry was “ICH KOMME” by Erika Vikman. Competing in the second semi-final, Erika qualified for the final, and would eventually finish in 11th place with 196 points. Of these, 108 came from the televote, while the jury awarded her 88 points.
What do you think of the record-breaking submissions number for UMK 2026? Will you be getting a ticket for the show? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2026!
News Source: Yle
Photo Credit: Alma Bengtsson / EBU
Euan T