🇫🇮 Road to Malmö: Finland

We can not wait for the Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö. Therefore, we have a closer look at one of the contestants every day. Today: Finland.

Windows95man

Teemu Keisteri, born in 1985 in Espoo, Finland, has emerged as a prominent figure in the visual arts scene, celebrated for his creation of the Ukkeli character in 2008. This iconic figure, a testament to Keisteri’s whimsical and culturally insightful style, adorns apparel, postcards, and tableware, capturing the essence of Finnish life with humor and personality. Known also as the Windows 95 man during his DJ performances, Keisteri’s diverse talents span across visual and video arts. Educated in photography at the Lahti Institute of Design, he discovered his passion lay with visual arts, leading him to establish Kalleria in Helsinki’s vibrant Kallio area, further solidifying his status as a dynamic artist and DJ.

Henri Piispanen

Henri Piispanen, born in 1994, is a multifaceted Finnish talent, acclaimed as a voice actor, singer, and presenter. Noteworthy for voicing characters in “PAW Patrol,” “Lego Ninjago,” and more, Piispanen’s diverse skills shine through his roles and as the lead vocalist and bassist for Pasa. His collaboration with Teemu Keisteri as Windows95man won the 2024 UMK, highlighting his dynamic presence in Finnish entertainment.

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK)

In the past, the national final for Finland was called Euroviisut. Since 2012, we have Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK). The last few years, it’s a contest with 7 contestants. The winner is chosen by jury and televote. This year, Sara Siipola was the hot favourite to win the contest. She won the jury vote with a landslide. However, televote overruled them; windows95man gained 32,35% of the televote.

Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest

The first ever Finnish contestant for the Eurovision Song Contest was Laila Kinunen, back in 1961. A long road with bad scores and even 3 zeros followed; in 2006 the monsters of Lordi broke the spell and brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Helsinki with “Hard Rock Hallelujah”. Käärijä almost did it again last year. With his “Cha cha cha” he won the televote and became 2nd overall.

The Bookmakers

Finland is currently no. 14 in the betting odds to win the contest. Looks like it is likely that Finland will reach the final; it is also likely that a score like last year is a bridge too far for the country of the thousand lakes.

And this is the song:

 

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Weekly Update

It’s time for your weekly update about Eurovision. This week brings announcements from across Europe, from new concerts to official bids and selection plans. Here’s everything you need to know. 🇮🇹 Eurofesta brings Eurovision to Italy For the first time, Italy will host its own large-scale Eurovision concert. Eurofesta will take place on August 31 in the city of Trieste. Over 30 Eurovision artists will perform on one stage in this brand-new outdoor event. The show promises a mix of past winners, fan favourites, and recent participants. With so many big names involved, fans are in for an unforgettable night. The full lineup and ticket information are now available on the official Eurofesta website. 🇳🇱 Het Grote Songfestivalfeest returns to Amsterdam One of the most popular Eurovision concerts is back. On November 14, Het Grote Songfestivalfeest returns to the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam. The event will once again bring together Eurovision legends from past and present. This year’s show already includes names like Kaleen, Käärijä, and Johnny Logan. Many more acts will follow. Fans can expect a spectacular evening full of iconic Eurovision hits. You can find all details and tickets at the official event site. 📷 EBU/Chloe Hashemi 🇦🇹 Innsbrück officially bids for Eurovision 2026 Innsbrück has officially announced its bid to host the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The city joins others in Austria, including Vienna and Graz, in the race to welcome Europe’s biggest music show. According to ORF Tirol, the city is confident. Innsbrück highlights its experience with major events and the Olympiahalle as a suitable venue. Mayor Johannes Anzengruber said the city can offer “heart and competence” to organize a unique contest. The final decision on the host city will be made in August. 📷 Michael aus Halle, Wikimedia Commons 🇱🇺 Luxembourg holds Eurovision songwriting camp Luxembourg is working hard on its Eurovision comeback. Last week, a songwriting camp took place at Rockhal, where 45 artists and producers joined forces to write new songs. The camp was organised in collaboration with the national broadcaster. Participants came from all over Europe, including past Eurovision contributors. Each day, they created new tracks, some of which may end up in national finals—or even Eurovision itself. More details are available in the RTL Luxembourg article. 🇸🇲 San Marino questions its future Eurovision involvement San Marino’s future at Eurovision is under review. SMRTV Director Roberto Sergio announced they are “seriously considering not participating” without clearer voting transparency. He said they’re talking to the EBU and fellow microstates. The decision about Eurovision 2026 participation will come after those talks. Source is this announcement on X. 📷 EBU 🇬🇷 Greece announces national final for 2026 Big news from Greece: ERT has confirmed that the country will return to a national final for Eurovision 2026. After several years of internal selections, Greece is opening up the process once again. The plan includes two semifinals and a grand final, scheduled early next year. According to Ieidiseis, the selection will take place during a special Eurovision week. With a strong result in 2025, Greece is now building momentum. The broadcaster hopes that this new format will engage more fans and deliver another strong Eurovision entry. That’s all for this weekly update. Stay tuned to EurovisionUniverse.com for more news and developments as we march toward the next Eurovision season. Each week brings something new – and as this update shows, preparations for 2025 and even 2026 are already in full swing across Europe! Share

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