Vikman to represent Finland at Eurovision

Erika Vikman has won Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu (UMK) and will represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel, said the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) in a press release late Saturday night.

Finnish national broadcaster Yle treated viewers to 6 phenomenal performances held at Tampere Arena where Erika Vikman topped the leaderboard with 430 points and performed an encore of her song Ich Komme.

In second place was Goldilocks with her song Made Of on 303 points, and in third place was VIIVI and her song Aina on 138 points.

The contest will be held in Basel, Switzerland on May 17.

One of the brightest stars in the Finnish pop world, Erika Vikman, started her career in the entertainment industry at a very young age.

Vikman became famous among Finnish people by winning the popular Tangomarkkinat festival in 2016.

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 said.

Vikman’s music resonates with many Finns, and her fans are all across the country, from the Helsinki area to small municipalities.

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

Finland debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961, when they were represented by Laila Kinnunen with her song Valoa Ikkunassa (‘Light In The Window’).

The country won on its 40th participation thanks to monster metal band Lordi and their record-breaking anthem Hard Rock Hallelujah, which achieved the highest number of points for an entry in the Contest’s history at the time.