Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Malaysia has internally selected Aina Abdul as their debutante in the Eurovision song contest Asia. Born Nurul Aina Abdul Ghani (32) she's already established  singer-songwriter and actress in her home country and has been in public eye since 2010 and participated in various talent shows usually finishing in top-2. She has written herself most of her songs. She was been nominated and won countless awards, including World Championships of performing arts in Los Angeles 2014, Best telenovela soundtrack in 2018, awards for best vocalist, composition, lyricist, most popular singer, best Diva.... you name it! Her entry for Eurovision Asia will be revealed later, Meanwhile enjoy some of her previous songs below. Another very interesting and talented artist for sure. 

So, Burgas it is. Ebu and BNT won over the power of Sofia who insisted on hosting the show in the capital due some political stuff if I understood right, and that caused the delay in declaring the chosen city by almost two weeks or so. We will have a beach Eurovision again by the Black Sea and one of the most southern ones. The legendary Sunny beach is there nearby and Greece and Turkey's Istanbul are only a day trip away. The Arena Burgas will host the semi-finals on May 11 and 13, and the grand final on May 15, 2027, just before it celebrates its fourth birthday being opened on May 18, 2023. It's maximum capacity is 15.000 for the concerts but obviously an Eurovision song contest like show will have less seating space due to the big stage etc. Maybe next May will change its image to that of a triumph instead of its current status as a symbol of corruption in Bulgaria due to its delays and failed budgets during its construction that took over eight years..... At the day of ann...

So it has happened: Eurovision song contest Asia has kicked off with its first national final and its first winner. And so it happened that I happened to be at home and accidentally noticed the show is about to start and ended up actually watching it.  To be fair the live stream was crap at times and the sound quality not the best. I hadn't heard the songs beforehand but it seems by favorites finished last and second to last while the winner seeemed to be clear from the beginning judging the screams in the apparently tiny tv-studio where the over enthusiastic hosts Keizang Dolkar and Phub Tshering run the show with four stern looking judges and the five entries with a string of interval acts that were all... well, dancing or singing in national costumes. Yes, the national costumes! To be honest I knew nothing about Bhutan before this afternoon but the past couple of hours I learned it is required by law to wear national costumes (gho for men and kira for ladies) in every day in pub...

  Another week, another dose of #Finpop 2026. With the Big guns this time. Lauri Haav, Nelli Matula, Jenni Vartiainen and Robin Packalen - all familiar established names. Enjoy! LAURI HAAV- PERHONEN NELLI MATULA - MUN VUORO LUOVUTTAA JENNI VARTIAINEN - JOKU JOHON NOJATA ROBIN PACKALEN - 1001 TAPAA  

After American song contest (a total flop, one edition)), attempts to create Eurovision like contests to Latin America, Africa, Canada (and who remembers where else?) and the Eurovision dance contest (another flop, two editions) and those on going Eurovision Young musicians, Eurovision Young Dancers, Eurovision Choir that are very marginal, as is Junior Eurovision song contest, it looks like the Eurovision Asia is really happening finally in November 2026 with national selections starting next month across Asia.  But how did we get this far?  It all started already back in September 2008 when Ebu announced that Asian-Pacific Eurovision would take place in 2009 . Under title Our sound - the Asia Pacific Song Contest was to feature 16 broadcasters taking part from Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Macao, Malaysia, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. It was due to happen in Singapore in late 2009 before it was pos...

  This week familiar names already with their latest including UMK veteran Viivi and Hugo, Kaikua, Runo, Bizi and Pehmoaino, all names I'd welcome to UMK 2027! HUGO / KAUKUA - VESIPISAROIDEN VALSSI RUNO - PURI VIIVI - KAIKKI PÄÄTTYY MEIHIN BIZI / PEHMOAINO - SE MITÄ EI OLLUT KOSKAAN

  Another week, another dose of #Finpop 2026. This time we have already familiar Mira, Karim and Ilta also of UMK fame with newcomers Martta and Emmi.  MARTTA - RAKAS EMMI LORENTZEN - KUKA MÄ OON MIRA LUOTI - COKIS JA MENTOS ILTA / KARIM B - 20:30

The new Artistic director for Sanremo Stefano De Martino * has really changed some things in the annual festival with his co-director Fabrizio Ferraguzzo, some same old like dropping the Newcomers category in the festival, some new like replacing the Cover night with Eurovision night. But let's go on order. No news about his co-hosts yet but the names Giulia Vecchio, Herbert Ballerina and Carlo Amleto , his current collaborators are considered very possible be in. Maria De Filippi might return as well.  The 77th Sanremo festival will take place in Teatro Ariston in Sanremo between February 16 and 20, 2027. Apparently there will be fewer songs this time around, 24 (instead of the 30 the past years). The Newcomers winner aka Sanremo Giovani winner will be added to the line up to compete among the Big  and thus will have a chance to win it all and/or the Eurovision night and go to Eurovision as well. Just like Mahmood in 2018-19. The Sanremo Giovani final will take place on De...

  Käärijä surprises us once again releasing an EP with Sanni out of the blue titled Vitun hyvää joulua or Fucking merry Christmas. It features three songs Booty call, Hei me pärjätään (We'll be alright) and Sinkkumies (Single man).  Not so keen on Booty call but the other two tracks are great! Let me throw this in now: Sanni will be in UMK 2027, been expecting that for years already but now it seems more real than ever. Enjoy!

Another week, another dose of #Finpop 2026. This time with already familiar names from this series as all have been featured before multiple times and one newcomer, namely Michael Anders who however sounds so much like Hugo that if I heard the song on radio I might think it's Hugo's new one! If that's a good sign for his artistic future remains to be seen. ELLIMEI / KAIKUA - VOIDAAKS RIKKOO HILJAISUUS FRANS HARJU - 110% MICHAEL ANDERS - KAIKKI AJALLAAN ANTTI KETONEN - MIKSI SÄ ITKET

Eurovision song contest 2027 will take place in Bulgaria after Dara's win in Vienna 2026. The most likely dates are May 11, 13 and 15, 2027 according the information we have so far but the dates will be most likely confirmed along with the chosen venue and city in the end of July. Four cities submitted proposals for hosting but Plovdiv and Varna were out on July 13 and Sofia and Burgas stay in competition. The other two really didn't have a chance to start with, did they? Sofia stays the front runner from the beginning with its Arena Sofia. Opened in 2011 it has a seating capacity of 12.373 and concerts up to over 17.000. It already hosted Junior Eurovision 2015. Sofia is of course the capital of Bulgaria. It has been continuously inhabited since 7000 Bc and today nearly 1,3 million call it home. With all its ancient history it surely has a lot to offer in that department. Burgas bids with Burgas arena with seating capacity of 4100-6100 and up to 15.000 for concerts. Opened in ...

  Before going into new faces and new sounds after last week's warm up let's have a quickie to see what the Eurovision veterans have been delivering the past few months including Hokka of Blind Channel fame as Joel Hokka left the band and formed a new one, simply called Hokka. JOOST, KÄÄRIJÄ, TOMMY CASH - I MISS US ERIKA VIKMAN - FATHER (I WILL NEVER CONFESS) WINDOWS95MAN - NEED YOUR HEART HOKKA -  HEART SAID NO

  Let's kick of this year's #FinPop2026 series with Kaj's answer to Tommy Cash's Espresso macchiato, you do need also an ice cream don't you? Then we have two new fresh names along with already seasoned Karim B who's still waiting for the Big one, maybe UMK 2027? KAJ - GELATERIA MIMI MENDINE - R.I.P. SAMUEL SHIPWAY - INFERNO KARIM B - ONGELMA

  After this exhausting and exciting Eurovision season it's time to take a break of it.  First off to my spiritual home,  Rome  and therefor here comes a series of songs celebrating Rome in its lyrics and/or videos.  After that at some point I'll relaunch the  #FinPop  series with all the goodies that have been released since January 2026. Have a good one !

  After this exhausting and exciting Eurovision season it's time to take a break of it.  First off to my spiritual home,  Rome  and therefor here comes a series of songs celebrating Rome in its lyrics and/or videos.  After that at some point I'll relaunch the  #FinPop  series with all the goodies that have been released since January 2026. Have a good one !

  After this exhausting and exciting Eurovision season it's time to take a break of it.  First off to my spiritual home,  Rome  and therefor here comes a series of songs celebrating Rome in its lyrics and/or videos.  After that at some point I'll relaunch the  #FinPop  series with all the goodies that have been released since January 2026. Have a good one !

  After this exhausting and exciting Eurovision season it's time to take a break of it.  First off to my spiritual home,  Rome  and therefor here comes a series of songs celebrating Rome in its lyrics and/or videos.  After that at some point I'll relaunch the  #FinPop  series with all the goodies that have been released since January 2026. Have a good one !

  After this exhausting and exciting Eurovision season it's time to take a break of it.  First off to my spiritual home,  Rome  and therefor here comes a series of songs celebrating Rome in its lyrics and/or videos.  After that at some point I'll relaunch the  #FinPop  series with all the goodies that have been released since January 2026. Have a good one !

  After this exhausting and exciting Eurovision season it's time to take a break of it.  First off to my spiritual home,  Rome  and therefor here comes a series of songs celebrating Rome in its lyrics and/or videos.  After that at some point I'll relaunch the  #FinPop  series with all the goodies that have been released since January 2026. Have a good one !

  After this exhausting and exciting Eurovision season it's time to take a break of it.  First off to my spiritual home,  Rome  and therefor here comes a series of songs celebrating Rome in its lyrics and/or videos.  After that at some point I'll relaunch the  #FinPop  series with all the goodies that have been released since January 2026. Have a good one !

After this exhausting and exciting Eurovision season it's time to take a break of it.  First off to my spiritual home, Rome and therefor here comes a series of songs celebrating Rome in its lyrics and/or videos.  After that at some point I'll relaunch the #FinPop series with all the goodies that have been released since January 2026. Have a good one !

It's been three years Käärijä cha cha chaed his way to Finnish people's heart and not only: sold out European tours where locations have been updated to larger ones, three years in a row performing at Eurovision song contest final in one form or another (plus Cha cha cha played this year making it four), hundreds of gigs and festivals, millions of streams and countless collaborations with local and foreign artists. Not bad for an unknown guy from Vantaa who didn't quite speak English. In Finland he has two Top-5 albums, one has sold triple platinum. Ten top-10 singles, 23 Top-50 singles. 17 singles with other artists. New album comes out in October 2026.  Sold out Veikkaus Arena (Eurovision 2007 arena) saw a show described by critics (and music lovers)  as one of the best Finnish productions ever. A bit messy as he delivered all his hits with guests and the genres go from TRAFIK! to I miss us.... Understandable. But enjoyable. Bojan and Joker Out were the warm up act.  Se...

A week after Eurovision 2026 final let's have a look at the viewing figures around Europe, those that have been published so far at least.... Bulgaria  588.591, peak up to 895.000, share of 45,7%. Second most watched ever after 2017 Austria   1.573.000, share of 78%. The highest since 2015 when Austria hosted. Greece   2.822.000, share of 70,5% peaking at 83%. Highest since 2011. Italy 5.098.000 and share of 36%, up 342.000 and continuing the  growth. Finland   2.600.000 on tv + 1,400.000 online platform. The most watched since 2007 when Finland hosted. The average was 1,800.000. Slightly up from last year.  Romania  339.000, share of 11% Czechia had the highest figures in a decade. Poland 2,500.000 with a peak of 3.300.000 when Alicja was performing.  Australia scored its second highest combined audience since its debut in 2015 with a total of 3.270.000 viewers for the three shows live or on demand.  Israel had 32,7% share peaki...

  The 2020's have been very good for Finland, the best era of the whole Eurovision history by far. Four out of six our best placements ever have been in the past six years.  1. Lordi - Hard rock hallelujah - 1/37   2006 2. Käärijä - Cha cha cha  2/37  2023 3. Blind Channel - Dark side  6/39    2021 4. Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen -Liekinheitin  6/35    2026 5. Erika Vikman - ICH KOMME   11/37    2025 5. Softengine - Something better  11/37    2014