UMK27 Application Period Opens for Finland’s Eurovision Selection
The application period for Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK27), Finland’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, has officially begun. The submission window opened on 17 August 2026, with application forms available in Finnish, Swedish, and English on Yle’s UMK website. Aspiring artists and songwriters have until 23 August 2026 to submit their entries, with all applicants to be contacted by October at the latest.
UMK, organised by Yle, has evolved over the past decade into one of Finland’s most-watched music events and a key platform for discovering new talent. The competition has launched numerous chart-topping songs, both domestically and internationally, with past winners including Käärijä’s Cha Cha Cha (2023) and Blind Channel’s Dark Side (2021). Yle reports that the competition has become a significant cultural moment, bringing together diverse audiences and creating lasting musical memories.
A Platform for Originality and Diversity
Tapio Hakanen, chair of the UMK professional jury, emphasised the competition’s role in fostering creativity. “The previous UMK season and the Eurovision Song Contest were a great success in terms of both song achievements and musical diversity,” he said. *“Hopefully, songs like *Liekinheitin*, *Takatukka*, *Lululai, and other great UMK tracks have inspired Finnish music creators to make original, creative, and versatile songs.” (Yle, Finland Today)
Mikko Silvennoinen, the newly appointed executive producer of UMK, echoed this sentiment, stating that the competition seeks songs that “make artists shine.” “The song and the performance built around it must leave the listener with the feeling that no one else could have done this anywhere else,” he said. “That is part of UMK’s magic.” (Yle)
The Road to Eurovision 2027
The 16th edition of UMK, UMK27, will take place at Tampere’s Nokia Arena on 20 February 2027. The selected artists and songs will be announced in January 2027, with the winner earning the right to represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest, performing for a global audience of hundreds of millions.
Finland Today highlights the competition’s growing influence, noting that UMK has become a launchpad for Finnish artists, with past winners achieving significant success. The list of previous UMK winners includes acts such as The Rasmus (Jezebel, 2022), Windows95man (No Rules!, 2024), and Erika Vikman (Ich komme, 2025).
Applications for UMK27 can be submitted via Yle’s official UMK website, where competition rules are also available in multiple languages.
