The reveal of the entries participating in Finland’s Eurovision 2026 selection, UMK, concludes. The seventh entry to be released is “Rakkaudenkipee” by KIKI, which coincided with the release of the official music video of her entry.
Listen to “Rakkaudenkipee” on streaming platforms
You can listen to KIKI’s entry via the following streaming platforms:
Spotify
Apple Music
About KIKI
Petra Gavalas, professionally known as KIKI built her career on two cultures, having a Finnish mother and a Greek father. Her career started when she started working with Jimi Pääkallo, with her single “666” being released in 2021, which became a hit and led to her being chosen as breakthrough artist by Ylex.
Commenting on KIKI’s selection for UMK26, the UMK jury comments:
Kiki has been one of the most promising artists in Finnish pop for a long time, and Rakkaudenkipee is the best song of her career so far. The dramatic piece grows from small and delicate towards a dizzying climax. The elements of a traditionally functioning UMK song have been managed to fit into three minutes, but in such a way that the surprising turns of the composition give the song a strong form of its own. The artist’s expressive voice really comes into its own in the song, and the ad lib sections at the end raise the tempo and the emotions to the pinnacle.
What do we know about UMK26?
Finland’s Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu will take place on the 28th of February 2026. The winning act will be chosen through a vote weighted 25% to the jury and 75% to the public televote.
The entries participating in this year’s competition will be released as follows (click on the song title to listen where available):
| Artist | Entry | Release Date |
| Etta | “Million Dollar Smile“ | January 15th |
| Pete Parkkonen x Linda Lampenius | “Liekinheitin“ | January 16th |
| Komiat | “Lululai“ | January 19th |
| Sinikka Monte | “Ready to Leave“ | January 20th |
| Antti Paalanen | “Takatukka“ | January 21st |
| Chachi | “Cherry Cake“ | January 22nd |
| KIKI | “Rakkaudenkipee” | January 23rd |
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.
Are you excited for UMK26? What do you think of KIKI’s entry? 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
Picture Credit: Yle/Miska Voinoff
Euan T