Linda Lampenius, who represented Finland alongside Pete Parkkonen with the song 'Liekinheitin', has criticised the results of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest 2026. Although they were considered the number one favourite to win by betting odds following their victory at Finland’s national selection UMK, the Finnish entry ultimately finished in sixth place in the grand final.
In statements to the Swedish newspaper Expressen, Linda Lampenius commented:
I think the voting is both a farce and that there are bought votes and all kinds of nonsense behind it. My goal was not really to win. In the current situation… Denmark was behind us, France, who had the best singer in the contest, was far behind, Israel was second and was on the verge of winning, Felicia (Sweden) was in 20th place… I think it’s a scam with everything that’s happening in the contest. I don’t understand anything, I don’t trust it.
Lampenius’s statements have sparked discussion due to the strong language used to describe the voting process and the final outcome.
Following these remarks, some commentators have pointed to an apparent contradiction in Lampenius’s broader stance towards Israel and its participation in this year’s contest.
In an article published by the website Euromix, it is reported that a month earlier, Linda was seen hugging the Israeli representative in the Green Room and praising his vocal abilities as well as his performance.
Hashtag Eurovision has confirmed that there is no evidence supporting the circulating claims regarding Lampenius allegedly hugging Israel’s representative Noam Betttan in the Green Room nor praising his vocal abilities.
Furthermore, on the day of the Finnish UMK contest, Lampenius said that she would participate in Eurovision if she won, but that this would not necessarily mean she supports Israel’s actions in Gaza.
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