Life after Helsinki 2007 Eurovision

Finland's national selection for Eurovision song contest 2026  or UMK (Uuden musiikin kilpailu) takes place in Tampere tonight in Tampere arena to sold out crowds.  Special guests are last year's UMK winner Erika Vikman (11th in ESC) with last year's Eurovision winner Austrian  JJ, Finland's Eurovision 1985 represent Sonja Lumme and quartet of leading Finnish rappers Elastinen, Ares, Turisti and Averagekidluke. It's worth remembering JJ's staging and even outfit was made in Finland last year with UMK team.  The show is hosted by Jorma Uotinen, Sami Sykkö and Jasmin Beloued. Read more about them here . Out of 491 submitted entries a panel of nine members along with five audience groups selected the seven entries for the final. Linda Lampenius & Pete Parkkonen emerged instantly the runaway favorites to win the selection gaining more Youtube views in 24 hrs than any other UMK entry ever and also reached one million streams in record time. They also became inter...

  Komiat (or The Handsome in Ostrobothian dialect or smth) brings to UMK a genre never heard there before, more or less: Finnish dance hall schlager.  They have been around for ten years or so and after doing covers first in 2016. The year after they did their first gig s and in 2018 they already won the Finnish championships of dance orchestra (yes, there's such thing)  in Tangomarkkinat. They have been voted the most popular dance orchestra already seven years in a row! The dance hall culture is having a revival especially among younger people so their music hits the right cords. They released their debut album in 2020 and between 2022-24 they scored several minor  hits and last year their released their second album including Kaihosielu, a crossover hit streaming platinum and reaching #4 in the Radioplay charts. Last year they also played the Helsinki Olympic stadium as a warm up to Katri Helena's farewell mega concert. They are also nominated for four Emma (Finni...

Tonight was the official date but as usual the list leaked already last night as Etta published the group photo and details of her entry in her IG by mistake and obviously someone got a screenshot. Or was it a PR stunt from Yle to boost attention and hype? We will probably never know. And yes, all names were circulating more or less during the past months with the exception of Antti Paalanen. Apparently very well known and famous in his music genre circuit but I have never ever even heard of him I admit.  As for the artists I will go deep with them later after their songs are out (and my holidays over) but I am very, very happy to see Linda and Pete in the list as I have been wishing and hoping both of them for years by now. Not sure about Antti and Komiat but let's hear the songs first. Kiki and Sinikka I'm also happy for, Etta ... not so sure and Chachi is a mystery as she's so far only been as the wife of Jukka Hilden of Duudsomit/The Dudesons fame. But then again she...