We at That Eurovision Site will be ranking national finals throughout this coming season. The next national final that the team have taken a closer look at is UMK, which will take place on the 28th of February. UMK will select the Eurovision representative for Finland in Vienna.
Who is taking part in UMK 2026?
There are 7 artists taking part in the final of UMK. The 7 artists taking part are as follows:
| Entrant | Entry |
| Antti Paalanen | “Takatukka” |
| Chachi | “Cherry Cake” |
| Etta | “Million Dollar Smile” |
| Kiki | “Rakkaudenkipee” |
| Komiat | “Lululai” |
| Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen | “Liekinheitin” |
| Sinikka Monte | “Ready to Leave” |
Who is our winner from UMK?
We ranked the songs taking part in the final, using a 1-7 ranking. 1 being our favourite, 7 being our least favourite song. We then calculated the average of all our rankings.
3rd. Komiat – “Lululai” (3.57):
2nd. Antti Paalanen – “Takatukka” (3.29):
1st. Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen – “Liekinheitin” (3.14):
What did some of our team members have to say about their favourite songs from UMK?
George (Linda and Pete): Possible winner? I don’t think so. The song is good, but nothing particularly special. A Top 5 finish seems very likely for Finland. Everything will depend on the live performance. If Pete delivers strong vocals, I could see Finland staying at the top of the betting odds, but I still think it might end up like last year, when Erika was a favourite but finished outside the Top 10.
Rory (Antti): In the last few years, UMK hasn’t given me much to work with, but oh my god ACCORDIONS and THROAT SINGING?! Sign me up! This is so infectious, and incredibly easy to sing along to in the chorus. I fully know this will be too niche for a Eurovision audience but I just love it all the same and would be thrilled if this joined the ESC line-up
Samantha (Komiat): Listen, I am a country girl through and through so anything country/folk will immediately be number 1 for me. UMK is always my favourite national final and when the first three songs came out (Etta, Linda x Pete and Komiat) it was really hard to pick what one was my number one because they are all just SO GOOD. Ultimately though I had to stick to my roots. Lululai is so fun, super catchy, a perfect mix of traditional Finnish dance music whilst feeling modern and fresh. Aside from making great music the guys just seem so heartwarming and sweet. One of my best discoveries this national final season !!
And what were the teams thoughts on the national final as a whole?
Aleksi: This year’s songs represent a wider range of musical styles, and the fact that they are doing well outside UMK is shown by their success on Finland’s official charts and on Spotify. UMK will continue to thrive as long as the competing songs have a life beyond the contest itself, and this is also why UMK is now more popular than ever. I believe the final will be more even than, for example, last year. It’s no surprise that the most likely contenders for the win are Liekinheitin and Takatukka. On Liekinheitin’s side are the song’s popularity on the charts and its streaming numbers, as well as the fact that its performers are the most well-known among this year’s contestants. Linda Lampenius has been widely known in Finland since the mid‑90s, and Pete Parkkonen has also been a familiar name for nearly 20 years. The strongest contenders usually do well at UMK unless something completely unexpected happens — like sparking shorts descending from the arena ceiling or something along those lines.
What is UMK?
Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK for short) has been the method of selection for Finland since 2012. The national selection has seen a variety of different formats over the years. We have had semi-finals, we have had a song selection for internally choosen artists, Yle have really given us it all in terms of this national final.
Currently UMK takes place over one night, with seven acts taking part. Thanks to high production value, an international focus. and fan favourite songs, UMK has grown in popularity over the years and is now one of the most anticipated on the national final calendar.
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.
Who would you like to see represent Finland in Vienna? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky for all things Eurovision 2026!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Samantha / That Eurovision Site