Finland: The guests of UMK 2024!

Finland’s broadcaster, Yle,   has announced the guests who will appear in the UMK 2024 final.The final will be opened by two last year’s UMK candidates, KUUMAA and Benjamin.

In between the show, last year’s winner Käärijä and the legendary Erika Vikman will appear together on stage.

We remind you that the finalists of UMK 2024 are:

  1. Sini Sabotage – “Kuori Mua”
  2. Cyan Kicks – “Dancing withe demons”
  3. Jesse Markin  “Glow”
  4. Mikael Gabriel x nublu – “Vox Populi”
  5. Sara Siipola – “Paskana”
  6. SexMane – “Mania”
  7. Windows95man – “No Rules!”

The Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2024 will take place this Saturday 10 February at the Nokia Arena in Tampere. UMK 2024 will be hosted by Pilvi Hämäläinen, Benjamin and Viivi Pumpanen.

Finland took second place in last year’s competition with Käärijä and Cha Cha Cha, as he was voted the audience winner. This makes it the country’s best result since Lordi’s victory in Athens in 2006:

https://youtu.be/l6rS8Dv5g-8

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all developments regarding Finland’s participation in Eurovision 2024!

Source: Yle

 

Tags: 

Eurovision 2024: National finals songs on the Spotify charts!

There are three semi-finals and four national finals happening tonight, making it the first Super Saturday of 2024. Let’s see whether any of the songs from these finalists made it onto the charts by looking at the Spotify charts of a few countries.

Ukraine

Teresa & Maria, a duet by Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil, is currently topping the Ukrainian Spotify list and is the betting favourite to win Vidbir 2024. This is a first for Ukraine and likely portends the song’s victory in the national final. YAKTAK and LaLaLa are positioned below, at position 33.

Norway

In Norway, however, things are rather different. According to local Spotify statistics, the odd’s favourite song, “Ulveham”, only peaked at 118th place. Other entries, such KEIINO at number 46 and Erika Norwich’s “My AI” at number 31, were ranked higher. This year’s climate differs from prior years when MGP favourites ranked in the top ten of the chart.

Spain

The Benidorm Fest 2024 final is happening tonight. St Pedro, the frontrunner according to the bookies, is no longer in the charts, whereas Nebulossa with Zorra is in 93rd place. Marlena, who did not qualify for the grand final, is ranked 182nd.

Lithuania

Lithuania’s Eurovision 2020 and 2021 representatives, the Roop, are ranked 31st. Shower, with “Impossible” from the third semi-final, is at number 29, while Silvester Belt, the winner of the first semi-final, is still at the top of the list with “Luktelk.”

Let’s take a look at the charts of a few more countries:

France

Impressively, for French standards, Slimane’s “Mon Amour” is currently at 79th place on the French Spotify list, where it has been charting for 54 days in a row.

Estonia

For a record-breaking 57 days in a row, 5MIINUST and Puuluup remain at the top of the charts. As of yet, no other song has attained the same level of success, suggesting that their song (nendest) narkootikumidest ei tea me (kull) midagi is the clear favourite to win. Vox Populi, a contender for the Finnish national final, comes in second. OLLIE is positioned 78th. Wunderbar is in 34th place, and Oblivion, which did not make it to the final, is in 197th.

Luxembourg

After making its debut at number one, Tali’s Fighter is currently at number 33 on the chart.

Finland

Every song participating in the competition is listed on the chart, with the odds-on favourite, Paskana by Sara Siipola, coming in at number nine. Mania is in 25th place, and Vox Populi is in 19th place. Number 81 is Sini Sabotage, number 90 is Cyan Kicks, position 113 is No Rules!, and position 135 is Glow.

This year, there is a lot of interest in Eurovision, with many countries attempting to choose songs that would resonate with their national audiences!


Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the updates on Eurovision 2024!

Eurovision 2024: The Semi-Final Allocation Draw Results!

Malmö with a very nice event hosted a few minutes ago the draw for the semi-finals of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest.

The analyzes of the fans and not only, have been on fire for a few minutes now. Since the theories based on the pre-history of the countries in the competition, it is a first insight into how passable the qualification to the final is or not. In other words, it’s time to make our predictions, about who will go through to the final and who are the favorites to say goodbye to Malmö early…

The presenters and the handover ceremony

Presenters of the Eurovision 2024 semi-final draw were Pernilla Månsson Colt and Farah Abadi. It is worth mentioning that Pernilla Månsson Colt was also the presenter of the corresponding draw in 2013, eleven years ago when Malmö hosted the Eurovision Song Contest for the last time. Both of them are part of the SVT staff, being some of the most beloved faces of the Swedish state broadcaster.

During the draw, the ceremony of handing over and accepting the emblem of the contest took place. The mayor of Liverpool, Steven Rotheram, formally handed over the “keys to the event” to the mayor of Malmö, Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh.

Draw Procedure

Big 5 and Sweden

With the big winner of last year’s competition, Sweden, directly in the final, along with the Big 5 (UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain), the first part of the draw determined the semi-final that the direct finalists would vote for.

Will vote in the 1st Semi-Final:

  • Sweden
  • United Kingdom
  • Germany

Will vote in the 2nd Semi-Final:

  • Spain
  • Italy
  • France

In the semi-final that the six aforementioned countries were drawn to broadcast and vote for, the video from their dress rehearsal will also be shown. This was done at Eurovision 2016 for the first time, for reasons of equal exposure of the countries directly in the final and the countries that qualify from the semi-finals. Essentially, viewers see each entry twice during the shows.

Semi-Final Allocation Draw

The allocation draw for the two semi-finals had two parts. In the first part the 31 countries participating in the semi-finals were drawn in which of the two they will compete in. Fifteen countries will compete in the first semi-final and sixteen in the second semi-final.

In the second part, each country learned whether it will appear in the first or second half of the semi-final in which it will compete. The exact order of appearance will be determined by the EBU and the show’s producers at a later date.

1st Semi-final (May 7):

1st Half

  • Ukraine
  • Cyprus
  • Poland
  • Serbia
  • Lithuania
  • Croatia
  • Ireland

2nd Half

  • Slovenia
  • Iceland
  • Finland
  • Portugal
  • Luxembourg
  • Australia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Moldova

2nd Semi-Final (May 9):

1st Half

  • Austria
  • Malta
  • Switzerland
  • Greece
  • Czechia
  • Albania
  • Denmark
  • Armenia

2nd Half

  • Israel
  • Estonia
  • Georgia
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Latvia
  • San Marino
  • Belgium

Malmö will host the 68th Eurovision Song Contest from 7 to 11 May at the Malmö Arena. The motto of this year’s event, as chosen by the organisers, is “United by Music“, retaining the motto first chosen for last year’s contest in Liverpool.

You can see the draw again through the link below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_-2hMEq5sk

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments regarding Eurovision 2024!

 

Eurovision 2024: Tonight the Allocation Draw!

At 19:00 CET and live from Malmö, Sweden, the draw for the Eurovision 2024 semi-finals will take place tonight.

During today’s event, there will also be a handover of the event’s banner from the city of Liverpool to the city of Malmö. For this reason, both the Mayor of Liverpool, Steven Rotheram, and the Mayor of the Swedish city, Katrin Stjernfeldt Jammeh, will be present at today’s draw.

The hosts

The hosts of tonight’s draw for the semi-finals of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest will be Pernilla Månsson Colt and Farah Abadi. It is worth mentioning that Pernilla Månsson Colt was the presenter of the equivalent draw in 2013, eleven years ago when Malmö hosted the Eurovision Song Contest for the last time.

The draw procedure

The first part of the draw will determine which semi-final will be broadcast and voted for by each of the six countries that are directly in the final on 11 May (Sweden, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom).

The second part of the draw will determine which semi-final and which half the other 31 participating countries will compete in. As in recent years, the exact order of appearance will be determined by the event producers at a later date.

The 31 countries have been divided into five pots, based on historical voting patterns as calculated by Eurovision’s official voting partner, Digame.

Drawing countries from different pots aims to reduce the likelihood of so-called neighbour voting and increases the suspense in the semi-finals.

Pots

Pot 1
  • 🇦🇱 Albania
  • 🇦🇹 Austria
  • 🇨🇭 Switzerland
  • 🇭🇷 Croatia
  • 🇷🇸 Serbia
  • 🇸🇮 Slovenia
Pot 2
  • 🇦🇺 Australia
  • 🇩🇰 Denmark
  • 🇪🇪 Estonia
  • 🇫🇮 Finland
  • 🇮🇸 Iceland
  • 🇳🇴 Norway
Pot 3
  • 🇦🇲 Armenia
  • 🇦🇿 Azerbaijan
  • 🇬🇪 Georgia
  • 🇮🇱 Israel
  • 🇱🇻 Latvia
  • 🇱🇹 Lithuania
  • 🇺🇦 Ukraine
Pot 4
  • 🇨🇾 Cyprus
  • 🇬🇷 Greece
  • 🇮🇪 Ireland
  • 🇲🇹 Malta
  • 🇵🇹 Portugal
  • 🇸🇲 San Marino
Pot 5
  • 🇧🇪 Belgium
  • 🇨🇿 Czechia
  • 🇱🇺 Luxembourg
  • 🇳🇱 Netherlands
  • 🇲🇩 Moldova
  • 🇵🇱 Poland

https://twitter.com/Eurovision/status/1751972070479565001

So in the evening, we all tune in for the draw of the semi-finals of our favourite contest. You can watch the draw on the official Eurovision channel on YouTube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_-2hMEq5sk

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the developments regarding Eurovision 2024!

Eurovision 2024: The Semi-final allocation pots!

The Semi-Final Allocation Draw 2024 will take place tomorrow Tuesday 30 January at 19:00 CET live from Malmo, alongside a ceremony which sees the Host City insignia pass from previous hosts Liverpool to Malmo.

https://youtu.be/Q_-2hMEq5sk

The draw will be hosted by Pernilla Månsson Colt and Farah Abadi and fans will be able to watch on the official Eurovision YouTube channel.

The Allocation Draw will determine whether countries participate in the First Semi-Final (Tuesday 7 May at 21:00 CEST) or the Second Semi-Final (Thursday 9 May at 21:00 CEST). Also randomly allocated is whether a country will perform in the first or second half of the Semi-Final they’ve drawn.

Semi-Final Allocation Draw: How does it work?

Sweden as the Host Country and reigning champion respectively, along with the other 6 members of the so-called ‘Big 6’ participating countries (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and United Kingdom) do not compete in the Semi-Finals, but their domestic audiences do get to vote in one of them… so before the competing countries are allocated a place in a Semi-Final, it will be randomly determined which of the Semi-Finals the Big 6 will each be allowed to vote on.

The next part of the draw will determine in which Semi-Final and in which half of the respective Semi-Final the other 31 participating countries will perform in.

Semi-Final Allocation Pots 2024

Pot 1

Pot 2

Pot 3

  • Albania
  • Austria
  • Switzerland
  • Croatia
  • Serbia
  • Slovenia
  • Denmark
  • Australia
  • Finland
  • Iceland
  • Norway
  • Estonia
  • Armenia
  • Azerbaijan
  • Georgia
  • Israel
  • Latvia
  • Lithuania
  • Ukraine

Pot 4

Pot 5

Pot 6

  • Cyprus
  • Greece
  • Ireland
  • Malta
  • Portugal
  • San Marino
  • Belgium
  • Czech Republic
  • Netherlands
  • Moldova
  • Poland
  • Luxembourg
  • France
  • Italy
  • Germany
  • Spain
  • United Kingdom
  • Sweden

 

Drawing countries from different pots helps to reduce the chance of so-called neighbourly voting and increases suspense in the Semi-Finals. You can get a good idea of how it will all work by watching the 2022 Allocation Draw on the official Eurovision YouTube channel.

The Eurovision Song Contest is due to take place on 7, 9 and 11 May 2024 in Malmo, Sweden, who won the Contest thanks to Loreen winning in 2023.

Stay tuned at Eurovisionfun for all the updates!

Source: Eurovision.tv

Sara Siipola:” Singing will be the main point of my staging show” | Interview

Sara Siipola spoke exclusively to Eurovisionfun and Apostolis about her participation in UMK 2024 with the song “Paskana” and her dream to be on the Eurovision stage in Malmö, Sweden.

How did you make the decision to participate in UMK 2024?

“I thought it was the right time. In my career I already have experiences so far and I would love to one day be the biggest artist in Finland!”

 

After talking to us about the meaning of her song which is entirely in Finnish, she then revealed that the song was not written exclusively for Eurovision.

“‘When the deadline for submitting entries for UMK 2024 was closing, my team and I asked ourselves which song I could enter with and we remembered “Paskana” and immediately said: This is it!”

Which participation has stood out from this year’s UMK?

“I’ve seen all the video clips and all the entries are great! Whoever wins I will be very happy. I think my favorite entry is “Sexmane” from MANIA!”

Afterwards, she revealed to us that she feels pressure after the country’s great success in the competition last year, but her own song is something completely different and new.

What is he preparing for the stage appearance in the national final?

“I can’t say much but it will be something big but also simple! I want to give space to the message of the song and my performance!”

Watch Sara Siipola’s full interview below:

We want to thank Sara for this exclusive interview and wish her best of luck on the final of UMK 2024!

Finland: The running order of UMK 2024!

A few minutes ago Finland‘s national broadcaster Yle announced the line-up of artists who will compete for the ticket to Malmo and Finland’s representation at Eurovision 2024.

The running order of the seven artists who will compete in the UMK 2024 final is as follows:

  1. Sini Sabotage – “Kuori Mua”
  2. Cyan Kicks – “Dancing withe demons”
  3. Jesse Markin  “Glow”
  4. Mikael Gabriel x nublu – “Vox Populi”
  5. Sara Siipola – “Paskana”
  6. SexMane – “Mania”
  7. Windows95man – “No Rules!”

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2024 is scheduled for February 10th in Nokia Arena in Tampere. The hosts of UMK 2024 are Pilvi Hämäläinen, Benjamin and Viivi Pumpanen.

Last year, Finland managed to climb on the 2nd place of the scoreboard with Käärijä and his song “Cha Cha Cha”, winning the televote. That is Finland’s best result since Lordi’s victory in 2006.

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the news!

Source: YLE

Eurovision 2024: Intense Battle at the Top and changes in the Top 5 & Top 10!

As we approach the semi-final draw of the 68th Eurovision Song Contest, one of Eurovisionfun‘s favorite and most-discussed columns makes its return. The betting analyses for Eurovision 2024 are back, offering insights into the current landscape as we head towards the highly anticipated event in May.

Hot Competition at the Top

The battle for the top spot in the betting odds continues, with Ukraine maintaining its position as the favorite ten days before the Vidbir 2024 grand final. Compared to our analysis three weeks ago, Ukraine‘s odds have slightly declined, attributed to the popularity of Alyona Alyona & Jerry Heil, considered strong contenders for representing Eastern Europe. The odds for Ukraine‘s victory in Malmo range between 5.7 and 7.

The United Kingdom holds its ground in the second position. Similar to Ukraine, the UK‘s odds have decreased, ranging from 6.5 to 8. The selection of Olly Alexander and the expectations surrounding the BBC‘s choice have influenced these odds.

Shuffling in the Top 5

Italy has risen to the third position in the betting odds. Just days before the Sanremo Festival, Italy‘s victory in Malmo is a topic of discussion, with betting odds reaching up to 11 times the initial wager. The country’s strong recent track record, coupled with the impressive Sanremo lineup, has boosted confidence in Italy’s chances.

Sweden now holds the fourth position, aiming for its historic eighth victory on home soil. In-house victory for Sweden is offered at odds ranging from 8 to 13.

Israel rounds off the top 5, facing a decline in odds due to geopolitical realities and the conflict in Gaza. Despite this, Israel‘s odds for victory are around 15.

Top 10

Lithuania steadily climbs to the sixth position, with Silvester Belt‘s “Luktelk” and VB Gang‘s “KABOOM!!!” gaining attention. Odds for Lithuania’s potential first-ever victory in Malmo range from 7 to 17.5.

Norway drops to seventh place, with odds around 15-17. The Melodi Grand Prix 2024, concluding next Saturday, is eagerly awaited by Eurofans.

Greece moves up one spot to eighth, showing resilience after a disappointing presence in Liverpool. Marina Satti‘s name and the direct assignment to a prominent figure in the Greek music scene restored bookers’ confidence on the Mediterranean country. Greece remains in the Top 10 throughout 2024, with odds between 13 and 21.

Switzerland takes the ninth spot, benefitting from the decision not to send a male ballad this year. Memories of Luca Hänni‘s success in 2019 play a role, with odds offered being around 13 and 21, as well as Greece.

Finland completes the top 10, with Sara Siipola and “Paskana” gaining attention. Odds for Finland’s potential victory range from 17 to 22.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BE2Fj0W4jP4

As the Eurovision 2024 excitement builds, the betting landscape is dynamic, with shifting odds and intense competition among the favorites. Will the bookmakers’ predictions hold true, or will a surprise winner emerge? Share your thoughts in the comments!

Finland: UMK 2024 finalists react to each others’ songs!

Finland’s national broadcatser YLE posted on its official YouTube account a video, that features the seven UMK 2024 finalists reacting to each others’ song.

You can watch the video by clicking on the following link:

 

We remind you that the competing entries of UMK 2024 that will vie for Finland’s representation on the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 in Malmö, Sweden are:

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2024 is scheduled for February 10th in Nokia Arena in Tampere. The hosts of UMK 2024 are Pilvi Hämäläinen, Benjamin and Viivi Pumpanen.

Last year, Finland managed to climb on the 2nd place of the scoreboard with Käärijä and his song “Cha Cha Cha”, winning the televote. That is Finland’s best result since Lordi’s victory in 2006.

Stay tuned at EurovisionFun for all the news!

 

Finland: Listen to the seventh song for UMK 2024!

The finnish broadcaster has released the seventh and last song competing in UMK 2024, the finnish national final for Eurovision 2024.

The song is “Vox Populi by Mikael Gabriel x nublu and you can listen to it here:

Mikael Gabriel and Estonian rapper nublu are among the most successful rap artists in their respective countries. Released in 2010, Mikael Gabriel’s debut album Pohjosen poika was well received, and the singles on his 2015 album Versus broke streaming records even before the album was officially released.

Nublu rose to become Estonia’s biggest artist and rap phenomenon when he was voted Hip-Hop/Rap/R&B Artist of the Year in 2020. A collaboration by Gabriel and nubluUniversum, was released that same year, quickly rising to become one of the most listened-to singles in both countries on Spotify.

Mikael Gabriel x nublu’s UMK entry is called Vox Populi. The song talks about how it is sometimes hard to know what’s true and what isn’t in such polarised public forums.

“The song deals with political and cultural divides, saying that even though we’re all entitled to our own opinions, it doesn’t necessarily make them true. Everyone should use their voice, but at the same time you should also keep in mind that you will be judged no matter what,” says Gabriel.


We remind you that the artists/songs competing to represent Finland will be revealed in this order:

  • Thu, 11 January Cyan Kicks Dancing With Demons”
  • Fri, 12 January Sexmane“Mania”
  • Mon, 15 January Sara Siipola – “Paskana
  • Tue, 16 January Jesse Markin – “Glow
  • Wed, 17 January Windows95Man – “No Rules!
  • Thu, 18 January Sini Sabotage –  “Kuori Mua
  • Fri, 19 January Mikael Gabriel x NUBLU – “Vox Populi

The UMK grand final will take place on Saturday, 10 February, 20:00 CET and will be broadcast on Yle TV1, Yle Areena and Yle radio channels.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding UMK and the finnish representative for Eurovision 2024!