What to expect from Finland's 'UMK' on Saturday

How To Watch

'UMK' will kick off at 20:00 CET on Saturday 8 February. Wherever you are in the world, you'll be able to stream the show via Finnish broadcaster Yle's online player.

Saturday’s 'UMK' broadcast on Yle can also be watched with commentary, and with multiple languages available.  Right here, you'll be able to take your pic of commentary in Finnish, Swedish, English, Russian, Northern Sámi, Inari Sámi, Ukrainian or sign language.

About UMK

Saturday night's two-hour entertainment juggernaut will be coming to us live from Finland's largest venue - as the Nokia Arena in Tampere once again hosts Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (or UMK, as everyone - even the Finns - has shortened it to).

Jasmin Beloued and Sanni will be our hosts for the evening, taking us through our 6 competing entries, a top-tier selection of interval acts and those all-important results. The winner of UMK will get to represent Finland at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest in Basel.

Guest Performances

Opening the show on Saturday night will be the winner of UMK 2024, Windows95man; back again and no doubt looking resplendent in denim!

Also performing on the night will be one of the show's hosts Sanni, who is a major popstar in Finland. She'll be treating audiences to a medley of her most popular hits to date.

And finally, Finnish broadcaster Yle has also put together an extra-special interval act for viewers. 6 of UMK's greatest divas from down through the years will join forces to form the ultimate dream band for UMK fans, giving a once-in-a-lifetime performance on the night: Keira, Laura Voutilainen, Annika Eklund, Linda Lampenius, Eini and BESS.

The Participants

6 songs will take part in Saturday night's national final in Finland. The winner of UMK will be determined by a public vote (responsible for 75% of the final result) and 7 international juries, whose points will account for the remaining 25% of the score.

Here, you can listen to each of the songs and learn more about the artists behind them:

costee – Sekaisin

costee, whose real name is Jussi Tiainen, grew up in the Turku region and started his music hobby at the age of 8. He got a drum set as a gift from his father, but soon changed his instrument to a guitar as the desire to compose his own music grew. Now, 7 years into his solo career, he has over 100 million streams, three hit albums and a large number of sold-out gigs behind him. He has become known as a pioneer in alternative pop.

costee’s solo career escalated quickly and the pace has been fast. In 2017, he signed a recording contract with Etenee Records, and in March 2018, he released his first single Pakoon pahaa oloo. In 2019, he was chosen as one of YleX’s breakthrough artists, and his debut album Ehkä joskus tääl viel naurattaa was released in May. The following year, costee was nominated as the newcomer of the year and the audience's favourite at the Emma Gala (Finnish Grammy Awards). He released his second album Kaikki loppuu aina in the same year. In 2022, costee released his third album Kaikki vampyyrit ei juo verta and founded his own record company, Tuhma Music. This allows him to share his expertise with new artists.

costee strives to be as honest as possible in his art. As a performer, costee is full of energy and captivates the audience with his mystery. His performances often involve an element of darkness.

"I want to be a mysterious performer in my own way. I want some of that darkness on the stage, but I also like strong lights that create contrast," says costee. 

NEEA RIVER – Nightmares

Originally from Nurmijärvi, NEEA RIVER's passion for an international singing career started as a teenager. The biggest leap towards her dreams coming true happened by chance on a holiday to Los Angeles. During the trip, RIVER uploaded her own singing videos to Instagram, and a local producer found them and asked RIVER to come to the studio. After returning to Finland, RIVER stayed in contact with the producer who two years later proposed that RIVER move to Los Angeles.

The American dream came true quickly for RIVER. The artist’s third song ended up on the soundtrack of a film, which made everything happen even faster. RIVER networked with Finnish music professionals in the United States, which resulted in a publishing deal with Warner Music Finland. For three years, RIVER created hits for both domestic and foreign artists, and RIVER’s reputation in the music industry strengthened. 

Later, RIVER realised she wanted to create songs for herself. She stopped writing for others and focused on her own career. Around the same time, she launched her own record label. Today, she's making waves with her English-language pop hits.

A fan of artists such as Britney Spears, Rihanna and The Weeknd, NEEA RIVER sums up her artistry in two words: “pop machine”. 

"I have a suit of pop armour that’s full of power. When I’m wearing it, nothing can stop me," says River. 

Goldielocks – Made Of

Goldielocks, whose real name is Ella Mäntynen, is the youngest UMK 25 contestant at the age of 23. She describes herself as an ordinary girl from North Karelia. Goldielocks is a character created by Mäntynen, "a rock star inside the shell of a pop star”. The alter ego was inspired by the Disney Channel series Hannah Montana, in which actor and artist Miley Cyrus transforms into a fictional pop star. 

Goldielocks’ career path has taken her from Joensuu via Helsinki to her current home town Berlin. Prior to her solo career, she created music for Finland’s biggest pop stars, including Gasellit, Isac Elliot, ABREU, and Sara Siipola. 

At the beginning of 2020, Goldielocks signed her first publishing agreement with M-Eazy Music, in 2021 a manager contract with Comusic management and, in 2022, a recording agreement was signed with Sony Music Finland. Her first single, Electrifying, was released in the spring of 2023, and she went on a tour in the autumn of the same year. 

Goldielocks’ career development has been dizzying. She has already performed on all major stages in Finland, and is now on the verge of an international breakthrough, supported by her own record company. 

VIIVI – Aina 

Music has been a part of VIIVI's life since childhood. Originally from Joroinen, VIIVI studied music actively and stepped onto the stage whenever she could. She gave her first performances in singing competitions.

At the age of 18, VIIVI signed a recording contract with Capitol Records, and her first song was released three years later. The same year, Lääke ranked third on Finland’s official singles list. VIIVI's debut album Parisuhdehautausmaa, published in early 2022, won three Emma awards (Finnish Grammy Awards) and VIIVI won the newcomer of the year award. In the same year, Ihana kipu, a duet with Robin, a previous UMK contestant, broke Spotify Finland’s daily streaming record for this decade. At the beginning of 2024, VIIVI joined Warner Music Finland.

VIIVI has collaborated with many artists, including Ahti, Ani and JVG. Her career has taken significant turns, but its core has remained the same.

"Writing songs is really important to me. When I'm involved in making the songs myself, the songs look like me and you can clearly hear my voice in them. My hobby has become my life’s work, and that’s really cool," says VIIVI. 

Nelli Matula – Hitaammin Hautaan

Nelli Matula has been working since a very young age. In upper secondary school, Matula got her first professional role in show-business when she was cast to one of the main roles in the musical Mary Poppins at Helsinki City Theatre. After finishing Kallio upper secondary school, Matula had a gap year, during which she completed a vocational qualification in confectionery, which normally takes 2–3 years to complete. During her studies, Matula decided to send a demo and open application to Rähinä Records and was invited to an interview, which led to a recording contract in 2016. In the same year, Matula graduated from the Pop-Jazz Conservatory in Helsinki.

Matula’s second single, Lemmikki, exploded into huge popularity. In 2018, Matula performed in the newcomers' medley at the Emma Gala (Finnish Grammy Awards). Her success continued with the release of the debut album Jumalatar in 2019. The album was nominated for the Pop of the Year award at the Emma Gala. In 2021, Matula joined Universal Music Finland, and her second album Kiltti tyttö was released the following year.

Putting on a show means the world to Nelli Matula, and it was the show element that made Matula apply for UMK.

"My dream is to become so big as an artist that I can perform at arenas. This is a good place to start, because there’s no bigger show than UMK in this country," Matula says. 

Erika Vikman – ICH KOMME

One of the brightest stars in the Finnish pop world, Erika Vikman, started her career in the entertainment industry at a very young age. In the early stages of her career, she performed at summer theatres and various TV programmes and, in 2016, Vikman became famous among Finnish people by winning the popular Tangomarkkinat festival. In 2019, Vikman signed a recording agreement with Warner Music and Mökkitie Records. In 2020, she participated in UMK with the song Cicciolina, and the following year, she released the Erika Vikman album, which reached the top of the Finnish album charts.

"Cicciolina encouraged female artists to be bolder. Female artists tend to be put inside a certain mould. You must not reveal too much, otherwise you get labelled a whore. Someone had to pop the cork to let the champagne flow!" Vikman says. 

Vikman’s music resonates with many Finns, and her fans are all across the country, from the Helsinki Metropolitan Area to small municipalities. The message inside her music is clear. 

"People should be loved exactly as they are. When people are allowed to be themselves, they are free and happy," says Vikman. 

The winner of UMK 2025 will have some big 'jorts' to fill! 

They will follow in the footsteps of 2024 winner Windows95man, who took Finland to the Grand Final of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest with his anthem of anarchy No Rules!.

To keep up to date on everything leading up to the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, bookmark our Basel 2025 page and follow us on socials!

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