The Finnish national final UMK (Uuden Musikiin Kilpailu) will be held on February 10th 2024 in the city of Tampere (Finland); this was announced yesterday by YLE, the Finnish national broadcaster.
UMK 2024 IS MOVING TO TAMPERE
UMK 2024 will be held on February 10th 2024 in the city of Tampere, the venue will be the Nokia Arena, the largest arena in Finland. The choice to have this event in Tampere does not come out of the blue, since it is the third largest city of Finland and the largest inland city of the Nordic countries. It is not the first time that UMK is hosted in Tampere, because the Finnish national final was also organized in this city in 2020 and 2021.
The excitement for UMK 2024 is palpable, especially after Finland’s recent successes in Eurovision, including Käärijä’s second-place triumph in 2023 with the catchy and energetic “Cha Cha Cha.” The Finnish public, as well as the international Eurovision community, are eagerly anticipating the national selection for their representative in Eurovision 2024.
A total of 419 entries were received for UMK 2024, and from these, seven finalists have been chosen. The finalists will be unveiled on January 10th, 2024, with song releases scheduled to start from January 11th, one song per day, until all the contenders are revealed by January 19th. The level of competition is expected to be exceptionally high this year, promising an exciting and diverse array of musical talent.
UMK has evolved into a significant entertainment complex and a factory of musical hits, both nationally and internationally. This year’s edition has received increased investment due to its growing popularity, necessitating the move to the impressive Nokia Arena, one of Finland’s largest stadiums. The event promises to be more ambitious than ever, showcasing the immense popularity of the Eurovision Song Contest and further fueling the enthusiasm for UMK 2024.
As in previous years, the UMK event will be a huge celebration, with pre-show events to set the stage and a grand party following the selection of the Finnish Eurovision representative. Tickets for this grand event will go on sale on October 5th, 2023, offering an all-night extravaganza for fans, starting from 29.90€.
The Nokia Arena in Tampere, being one of Finland’s largest and newest stadiums, is a fitting choice for such a significant event. With its capacity to accommodate 15,000 spectators for concerts, advanced technological features, and a track record of successfully hosting major events, it promises to provide a phenomenal backdrop for the UMK 2024 extravaganza.
Ticket sales for UMK 2024 will start on October 5th 2023 at 08:00 (AM) CET.
Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023
In the contest of 2023 in Liverpool (United Kingdom) Finland was represented by Käärijää who ended in 1stplace (of 15) in Semi-final 1, and made it all the way up to runner-up in the Grand Final, with the song “Cha Cha Cha”.
Source: official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube channel, Käärijää – Cha Cha Cha (2023)