Today, the sad news came to us that Finnish singer Laila Halme passed away. Laila Halme, born Laila Soppi in the Finnish town of Jääski, was a Finnish singer and actress. She began her career in the 1950, singing in several orchestras. Her first single “Kaunis rakkaus” was released in 1959. In 1960, she released several singles and EP’s at the Philips label. In 1961 she debuted as an actress in two films: “Penkki” and “Tähtisumua”.
In 1963, she participated in Euroviisut, the national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, with the song “Olen mikä olen”. She became 3rd, while the song “Muistojeni laulu” won and Irmeli Mäkelä was chosen to sing it in the Eurovision Song Contest. However, Finnish broadcaster YLE decided to let Laila Halme sing it in the international final. She did not receive any point at all. A year later, Laila Halme represented Finland in the festival of Sopot in Poland. She released a couple of singles but left showbusiness in 1967. We only saw her back in 1987, when she hosted Euroviisut. Her son Jussi Halme is also a singer, he took part in Euroviisut in 1990.
Laila Halme was 87 years old.
Weekly Update
It’s Tuesday, February 3, 2026. Eurovision Universe brings you another weekly update. The Eurovision season moves fast. Vienna 2026 now comes into sharp focus. Each day puts the contest a little closer. This week, we cover new artist and song announcements and key national final developments. We also spotlight major tour news for fans who want Eurovision live on stage. New artists and songs 🇧🇬 Bulgaria: Dara chosen, song still to come Bulgaria has chosen its Eurovision 2026 artist after a televised final on 31 January at BNT Studio 1 in Sofia. She won the show with “Thunder”, a selection song rather than the final Eurovision entry. On 28 February, she will perform three candidate songs, and Bulgaria will select the Eurovision entry that night. A five-member jury and online voters will decide the winner. source: Eurovision Universe national finals page 🇨🇾 Cyprus: Antigoni sets date for Jalla Cyprus has confirmed that the entry will be premiered on Sunday, 8 February. The song and official music video will debut during the main evening news broadcast on CyBC. After the TV premiere, the track is expected to be available online. That includes the Eurovision platforms and major streaming services. source: Instagram Antigoni 🇬🇧 United Kingdom: BBC comments on selection rumours The BBC addressed reports that it had dropped the UK’s Eurovision “entrant.” The Euro Trip Podcast says the BBC told one act it would not represent the UK. The podcast adds that some outlets overstated the situation, because the act never had a contract and never received a formal offer. It traces the rumour back to a story from The Sun. The BBC says it will announce its chosen act shortly and will complete its usual due diligence first. source: Euro Trip Podcast 🇦🇺 Australia: SBS teases news “very soon” Eurovision remains part of SBS’s 2026 programming plans, and Australia’s next announcement may not be far away. TV Tonight reports that Natalie Edgar indicated the Australian Eurovision 2026 act will be revealed “very soon”. No artist name has been published at this stage. source: TV Tonight National finals 🇸🇲 San Marino: familiar Eurovision names in the casting list The Dreaming San Marino Song Contest continues to build its line-up through the casting phase. The official casting schedule includes Magdalena Tul. She represented Poland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011. Maraaya, who represented Slovenia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2015, also takes part. More names are expected as the selection process continues. source: Dreaming San Marino Song Contest 🇺🇦 Ukraine: Vidbir final on February 7 Ukraine’s national selection reaches its final stage this week. Suspilne has confirmed the hosts: Timur Miroshnychenko and Lesia Nikitiuk. Anna Tulieva will host the pre-show and a new Eurofans zone feature. The ten competing songs have also been released ahead of the live show from Kyiv. source: Eurovision Universe national finals page Other news Eurovision Song Contest Live Tour: first “Icons” announced The first headliners have been revealed for the official Eurovision arena tour. The initial “Icons” line-up includes Alessandra, Guy Sebastian, Helena Paparizou, Johnny Logan, Katrina, Lordi and Verka Serduchka. The tour runs across ten European cities from 15 June to 2 July 2026. General ticket sales open on 6 February at 10:00 CET, with pre-sale access tied to Eurofan accounts. source: Eurovision.com
