On Saturday night, Finland will decide its act for Eurovision 2021 with the grand final of UMK 2021. But before then, broadcaster Yle has shared short rehearsal clips, giving fans an idea of what they’ll be seeing on Saturday night’s big show.

The clips may be short, but they give big clues as to what staging concepts the seven finalists will bring to the national final.

 

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The performance of the Teflon Brothers x Pandora features a UFO being placed into a microwave oven with the action then cutting to a lifesize UFO on stage. What interplanetary adventure will they have?

Next up is 2020 winner Aksel. He’s keeping it simple, performing the song on a rocky outdoors-inspired set, with atmospheric smoke and interpretive dancers. While Estonian star Laura is serving one of her usual avant-garde looks, wearing a gold sequinned dress and straddling a giant chess piece. Checkmate!

Finnish pop legend Danny has very minimalistic staging. He’s dressed in black, seated on a stool with a dark backdrop and what looks like rustic pillars. He appears to be letting his heartfelt song “Sinä päivänä kun kaikki rakastaa mua” speak for itself.

Oskr has brought along his own rain-streaked windowpane, evoking the melancholy of a rainy day. Rockers Blind Channel, however, are going big. They’re delivering a full rock experience, complete with dramatic red lighting. And yes, they are indeed putting their middle fingers up.

And finally, Ilta is found at a dramatically shaped grand piano atop a box with smoke swirling around. She’s wearing a white sparkling gown, looking elegant as she delivers her ballad.

What is your favourite rehearsal clip from UMK 2021?

We want to know what your favourite UMK 2021 rehearsal clip is. Watch the clips and vote for your favourite. As always, you can vote for as many acts as you like, but you can only vote once — so make it count!

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The grand final of UMK 2021 screens this Saturday 20 February at 20:00 CET.

Read more Finland Eurovision news here

33 Comments
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Alex
Alex
3 years ago

Prediction:

1. Pandora
2. Blind Channel
3. Aksel
4. Ilta
5. Danny
6. Laura
7. Oskr

I have a funny feeling that Pandora will do really well if not win the jury vote, and Blind Channel may very well win the televote but it’ll be close. My personal favourites are Ilta, Blind Channel, and Aksel, with Oskr formerly being my #1 from the studio cut but the staging and vocals imo just call for last place.

Emkay
Emkay
3 years ago

I like Blind Channel and Ilta’s songs best, but honestly Aksel should win. It’s really only fair since he missed his chance last year tbh.

Janet
Janet
3 years ago

Everyone is saying the international jury will make an English song win. Remember though that the jury is only worth 25% of the vote this year! Finnish people are 75%!

Heartbeater
Heartbeater
3 years ago

I’m 99% sure that Ilta will win the jury vote base on her song and that she is an incredible singer, I then think that Aksel and Oskr will do well I then think it will be either blind channel or Pandora and the Teflon brothers as they don’t have songs that usally appeases jury the. Probably Laura will come 8th in jury and Danny I think will come last In the televote I love you is probably going to win the Telvote seeing how popular the Teflon brothers are in Finland, it will then probably be Ilta and Blind… Read more »

Jenny
Jenny
3 years ago

This is just pure perfection, I’d like Teflon Brothers x Pandora, Ilta, Aksel, Oskr or Blind Channel to win, but I don’t think Laura or Danny are bad, just that I’d feel like the other acts might give higher placing in Eurovision. There is no wrong choice to go, lots of love for whoever may be the winner! ?

DonutLover
DonutLover
3 years ago

This clips are great they all look and sound amazing.
I still support TFxPandora but have so many other favs as well!

Ria van de Velde
Ria van de Velde
3 years ago

Ilta sounds amazing !! She is my favorite for the win !!

Alex
Alex
3 years ago

I think Ilta will be the dark horse, kinda like Aksel last year when his staging elevated the song.

I want to see Í LOVE YOU in Rotterdam because it’s a catchy fun song, a throwback to 80s. However, i expect the staging and the live vocals to be a complete mess which means the audience will go for either Ilta or Blind Channel.

Blind Channel have a full energy performance that is exactly what you’d expect from a rock band.

Aksel might get some sympathy votes from the cancellation of 2020 ESC but i can’t see him in top3.

Badwoolfgirl
Badwoolfgirl
3 years ago
Reply to  Alex

I strongly suspect he’s not going to win again. He seems outclassed here.

Edu
Edu
3 years ago

Teflon Brothers & Pandora for the win!!

Last edited 3 years ago by Edu
Neil
Neil
3 years ago

Ilta ftw
my fav from the 2021 season
Love from The US

Neil
Neil
3 years ago
Reply to  Neil

Also I heard that the U.S is gonna be a jury 🙁 NOOOOOOOOOOOO they are gonna give Aksel and Laura so many points but Ilta like 1 or 2
pls say this is a rumour ( and i say this as an American :/ )

Joe
Joe
3 years ago
Reply to  Neil

I’m an American and me personally I’d give Ilta 8 points and Danny 7 so don’t assume the language barrier is an automatic issue.

Jake Dallas
Jake Dallas
3 years ago

My prediction:

1. Teflon Brothers x Pandora
2. Ilta
3. Blind Channel
4. Aksel
5. Danny
6. Laura
7. Oskr

Hellooooo
Hellooooo
3 years ago

Dark side will probably win, but in spotify they have another two contenders:

  • Teflon Brothers 3rd
  • Ilta 9th
  • Dark Side 14th.

Televote could be like this and make a very competitive result. Good luck to them all

Sabrina
Sabrina
3 years ago

This year UMK put great effort not just in song selection, but also in giving its acts proper staging. Where else would we find a flying saucer being microwaved? Or Laura’s Gambit? They kept things simple for Oskar and Danny, but it makes sense, their songs are very intimate. Aksel got something more showy, let’s see how it will work. Ilta looks great (not a fan of her piano, but hey, we won’t ever complain about it being too simple as Duncan’s). And one can’t get wrong with good black and red aesthetics like they’re using for Blind Channel.

Colin
Colin
3 years ago

My heart would probably go to Oskr, Aksel or Ilta, but I honestly think that Teflon Brothers and Pandora would be a hoot on ESC stage. A rap in Finnish with a positive message and a catchy chorus. I’d be all for it. If one of the ballads wins, it would be such a nice surprise, but I’m preparing myself that it’s between two upbeat songs. Dark Side is a well composed song with energy, but it feels too cheesy to be taken seriously and not cheesy enough to be taken as a guilty pleasure. Still decent. Again, congrats for… Read more »

Last edited 3 years ago by Colin
Sabrina
Sabrina
3 years ago
Reply to  Colin

The sad thing about a strong national final is that we’ll feel bad for a bunch of artists and songs left behind. I’m already mourning for “Lie”. I guess if a ballad wins, Ilta has the upper hand here, based on how well it’s doing on Finnish charts.

Colin
Colin
3 years ago
Reply to  Sabrina

I fell in love with Lie as soon as I heard it and I thought that is will certainly be my NF winner, no competition! Now, I also adore Kelle ma soitan and if she has more chances, so be it. Finland would be in my top 10 either way. I really cannot decide which song I love more now. Aksel is also mesmerizing. 🙂

RennyWest
RennyWest
3 years ago

tbh I kinda hope that Finland picks Laura and Estonia Koit…

Jamie
Jamie
3 years ago
Reply to  RennyWest

There’s no way Finland picks Laura lmao
that’s just sad

RennyWest
RennyWest
3 years ago
Reply to  Jamie

but would’t it be funny? I imagine them and their songs figting against each other blaming the other for not qualifying with Verona. Like:
“It was you and your disfuntional mic!”
“No! It was your fault! You looked like you wanted to murder everyone!”
That sort of thing.

Jamie
Jamie
3 years ago

Dark Side better win… Others are just okay.

OpenUpToKazakhstan
OpenUpToKazakhstan
3 years ago

Blind Channel have the cleanest staging and the strongest song so therefore WINNER! Hah

Aaron
Aaron
3 years ago

Ilta has to win. A classy, mature and, above all, well presented song in Finnish is exactly what I want to see from Finland.

Hellooooo
Hellooooo
3 years ago
Reply to  Aaron

Same thoughts

Alonso
Alonso
3 years ago
Reply to  Aaron

same same! Ilta is fabulous and I sincerely hope she could win!

Idksmth
Idksmth
3 years ago

Ilta looks stunning. I love that staging and that might be the thing that wins. I also love Blind Channel visually really suits the vibe of that song and the song is my winner. I haven’t seen enough to judge Teflon Brothers × Pandora and Oskr to really make up my mind but they do seem intriguing. Aksel and Laura are very fitting but they seem to static and it didn’t really grip me like the other ones. Well Danny for me is nothing special kinda like the older acts in Melfest and Ketil in MGP this year but can… Read more »

Joe
Joe
3 years ago

“Dark Side” and “Lie” look the best from these, but “Hurt” also looks elevated based on the staging. I wish we saw more of the actual song for “I Love You.”

Frisian esc
Frisian esc
3 years ago

I hope teflon brothers will go full out with the space theme and we could have igranka 2.0.. but with aliens!

Frisian esc
Frisian esc
3 years ago
Reply to  Frisian esc

Btw when you go to spotify you can already see the looks they will be going for in the live performance!

Frisian esc
Frisian esc
3 years ago

My prediction for tomorrow is teflon brothers, blind channel and Ilta being the top 3 of the Finnish televote with all finnish language songs scoring low/middle points with the international juries and therefore darkside as the winner.

Kosey
Kosey
3 years ago

Ilta could have this – she looks stunning!