Eurovision 2026: Finland allowed to play violin live for the first time since 1998

This is an unprecedented exception in nearly thirty years. Finland's representatives at Eurovision 2026, Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, have obtained permission from the European Broadcasting Union to play the violin live on stage at Vienna's Wiener Stadthalle, both during Tuesday's semi-final and the grand final on May 16. Since the Jerusalem edition in 1999, all instruments have been played back, with only the singers performing live. The last time an instrument was played live on the Eurovision stage was in 1998. The Finnish duo, bookmakers' favorites with their song "Liekinheitin" ("Flamethrowers"), had been making this request for several weeks, arguing that the instrument was an integral part of the song.

A Galliano from 1781 on stage, a dialogue between two voices

“The song was written as a duet between a violin and a voice. They are two voices, telling a story differently,” Linda Lampenius explained to 20 Minutes. The 56-year-old violinist, whose name is well-known in the classical music world for her collaborations with numerous artists including Céline Dion, told 20 Minutes that she would be playing her 1781 Galliano violin. “If I had to settle for playing to a backing track, I wouldn’t have taken this risk and I would have played with a copy of a Guarneri,” she added. This exceptional permission sparked mixed reactions behind the scenes at the contest, with some delegations feeling the rule was being applied unfairly. The organizers indicated on Thursday that they would examine any similar requests from other delegations. “Everyone should have this right,” Linda Lampenius told 20 Minutes, emphasizing that the duo “didn’t do this to harm others.”

Liekinheitin, a Finnish song about love that blows hot and cold

Composed around the heartbreak of a man in love with a woman who is pulling away, Liekinheitin is sung entirely in Finnish, a deliberate choice by the duo. "It's easier to talk about your feelings, especially romantic ones, in your native language," Pete Parkkonen explained to 20 Minutes. Linda Lampenius even drew a parallel with the French song Monroe: "In English, it wouldn't be so good. It had to be in French." Leading in the bookmakers' predictions, the two artists maintain that this position "boosts" them rather than stresses them out. The answer will come during the final on May 16th.