In Finland, they already have the successor to Erika Vikman to represent them at Eurovision 2026. Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen won after receiving the maximum scores from the international jury and televote, totaling 570 points. They claimed victory with their song “Liekinheitin”.
Antti Paalanen with “Takatukka” and Komiat with “Lululai” completed the podium of the Finnish competition, which took place this Saturday, February 28.
The Finnish national final was held once again at the Nokia Arena in Tampere, where audiences enjoyed performances from all seven participating artists. The show was hosted by Sami Sykkö, Jorma Uotinen, and Jasmin Beloued. It also featured special performances by former Finnish representatives Erika Vikman and Sonja Lumme, along with JJ, the winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2025. Additionally, four icons of Finnish rap — Ares, Turisti, Elastinen, and Averagekidluke — performed during another interval act.
This edition introduced a new rule, with broadcaster Yle confirming that the winner is not obligated to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest. However, the duo has expressed their desire to represent Finland in Vienna, so their participation is confirmed.
Who won UMK 2026? Check out the full results of the Finnish contest.
The vote that gave Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen the victory once again depended this year on 25% international jury and 75% televote.
The complete results were as follows:
| Position | Artist | Song | TOTAL | International Jury | Televote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen | “Liekinheitin” | 570 | 78 | 492 |
| 2nd | Antti Paalanen | “Takatukka” | 210 | 58 | 152 |
| 3rd | Komiat | “Lululai” | 116 | 40 | 76 |
| 4th | Chachi | “Cherry Cake” | 99 | 32 | 67 |
| 5th | Sinikka Monte | “Ready to Leave” | 97 | 46 | 51 |
| 6th | Etta | “Million Dollar Smile” | 42 | 12 | 30 |
| 7th | Kiki | “Rakkaudenkipee” | 42 | 28 | 14 |
The Finnish public vote accounted for 75%, while the international jury vote made up the remaining 25%. Since 2025, the voting system was updated, allowing the public to start voting from the beginning of the event, unlike previous editions where voting was only possible after each performance.
The reason for updating the system was to give fans more influence over the choice of the winner and to ensure the smooth functioning of the voting in the app.
The UMK vote was national, conducted via SMS, app, or phone calls, although it was possible to vote from abroad through the app if the voter had a Yle ID. On the other hand, phone voting only worked within Finland.
Who are Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen? Meet the winners of UMK 2026
Pop singer Pete Parkkonen and internationally recognized violinist Linda Lampenius form one of the most prominent duos in UMK. Despite very different backgrounds, they both share a deep connection to music and a natural stage presence.
Linda Lampenius has an extensive national and international career. Raised between a farm in Lapinjärvi and a theatrical family in Helsinki, she combines rural and urban identity. She is internationally known as a classical violinist: she joined The Helsinki Junior Strings at only eight years old and, as a teenager, was already touring North America, Europe, and Asia. Andrew Lloyd Webber invited her to perform as a soloist in England, and her album released by EMI Classics made her the best-selling Finnish classical artist of her time. She trained at the Sibelius Academy from 1985 to 1997, studying violin and operatic singing, and champions an artistic vision based on emotion over technical virtuosity.
During the 1990s, her pop image attracted significant media attention, which also exposed her to experiences of objectification in the industry, a period she addressed in her autobiography Kesytön elämäni and in the documentary series Linda, which won a Golden Venla Award. In the following years, she continued performing and keeping classical crossover alive. In the 2020s, she regained major relevance in Finland, especially after her performance in Shanghain valot at UMK 2025, which connected her with a younger audience and revitalized her social media presence.
Pete Parkkonen, originally from Elämäjärvi, grew up in a musical family and started as a drummer before becoming a singer during his adolescence. He gained recognition by finishing third on Idols in 2008, and since then has released several albums, performed on the country’s main stages, and established a career in Finnish pop and soul. He won Tanssii tähtien kanssa in 2014 and achieved platinum status in 2018 with the album PETE. After a period of professional burnout, he spent six months in Los Angeles, redefining his relationship with music.
The joint project was initiated by producer Antti “DJ RZY” Riihimäki. The connection between them was immediate, and from that first encounter came “Liekinheitin”. The song depicts an intense and contradictory relationship, combining intimate and explosive moments in a cinematic piece where Parkkonen’s voice and Lampenius’ violin interact like opposite emotions.