Finland’s UMK 2026 line-up is here and it’s quietly unhinged in the best way
Finland has done the thing again. Calm announcement, straight face, zero hype inflation… and then casually drops one of the most eclectic UMK line-ups in recent memory.
The artists for Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2026 were revealed live on Finnish television, and the takeaway is simple: this is not a one-lane year. Pop sits next to folk, club energy rubs shoulders with tradition, and nobody seems particularly interested in playing it safe.
Yle received 491 songs for this edition. What we get in the end is seven acts that feel deliberately different from one another. Not seven variations of the same radio-friendly idea. Actual contrast. A novelty concept in 2026.
The UMK 2026 artists and songs
Here’s the full list, no timelines, no spoilers, just names and titles:
- Etta – Million Dollar Smile
- Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen – Liekinheitin
- Komiat – Lululai
- Sinikka Monte – Ready To Leave
- Antti Paalanen – Takatukka
- CHACHI – Cherry Cake
- KIKI – Rakkaudenkipee
Even on paper, it’s doing things. Classical crossover next to club pop. Folk textures brushing up against something that sounds like it might belong in a very loud basement at 2am. Finland is once again refusing to be boxed into a single “Eurovision style”, which is usually a good sign.
Why this UMK already feels different
According to UMK’s selection team, this year’s line-up stretches from pop to folk, from dance floors to traditional sounds, with instruments and textures that don’t always show up in national finals. And crucially, UMK remains one of the few selections where a complete newcomer and a seasoned name genuinely start on the same line.
That openness is kind of the point. UMK isn’t about who you are. It’s about whether the song lands.
The winner will be decided at the live final in Tampere with a 75% public vote and 25% international jury, which means Finland is once again trusting viewers to steer the ship, not just decorate it.
For now, though, this is the fun part. Seven songs. Seven very different ideas. And a familiar feeling that Finland might once again end up sending something nobody else quite dared to.
Source: YLE
