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Finland is about to turn up the volume on its national Eurovision selection. According to Yle, the 2026 edition of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) is expected to draw 20,000 fans to Nokia Arena in Tampere — from Finland and beyond — for what is becoming one of the most ambitious national finals in Europe.
Tickets for both the main show and the dress rehearsal go on sale Thursday, 2 October, and organisers are promising spectacle: the event will stretch across three floors, with a pre-party and afterparty lasting until 3 a.m.
The format remains familiar but firmly rooted in Finland’s growing Eurovision identity. Seven entries will compete, and the winner will represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest. Yle notes that they received 491 song submissions this year — a record high — and the artists will be revealed in a live broadcast on 14 January 2026
Behind the scenes, Yle continues to push for reform in the contest itself. Earlier in 2025, the broadcaster signalled its intention to ask the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to review how public voting works, especially the mechanics that allow one person multiple votes. In particular, Yle’s executive producer Juha Lahti has questioned whether the system as it stands opens the door to abuse.
That criticism comes in the wake of controversy surrounding the Eurovision final in which Israel received the largest share of public vote points — amid allegations of appeals and campaigns to concentrate votes on that entry.
A stage for national identity
UMK has over the years transformed from a modest national selection into a full-scale pop showcase. Yle says that “Finland’s biggest music show” has firmly established itself within Finnish pop culture — as both a launchpad for new artists and a ritual for national musical identity.
In its arena format, UMK also competes in spectacle with other national finals across Europe. The design of the show — staging, visuals, community atmosphere — is now part of the appeal for fans who travel. Yle recalls that at last year’s UMK, visitors came from some 20 different countries, with journeys from as far afield as North America and Asia.
The decision to reveal the artists on 14 January and to release each song’s video between 15 and 23 January suggests that Yle is doubling down on building audience anticipation in the run-up.
