Tonight the semi final of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2014, the national selection for Finland’s Eurovision Song Contest entry, will air on their YLE, the Finnish national broadcaster.

The eight contestants who qualified from the heats will take to the stage tonight, looking to join heat one winners Softengine and Hanna Sky, the winner of the second heat, in the UMK 2014 final.

The show

The eight acts that didn’t win or finish last in the heats will once again perform their entries as they make a bid to secure one of the final six places in the grand final. This week two songs will be eliminated, meaning the top six will all go on to perform in next weekend’s final.

Voting has been open for the Finnish public since the beginning of the week, and unlike in the heats they will have the complete say in the result. The jury will not have any influence on who makes the final.

Finnish rapper Brädin will be performing during the interval with the UMK judge Toni Wirtasen.

How to watch

[alert-info]The show begins at 20:00 CET with a preview show, UMKPlus, starting at 19:30 CET.

The participants

1. MadCraft – Shining bright
2. Hukka ja Mama – Selja
3. Lauri Mikkola – Going down
4. Jasmin Michaela – Kertakäyttösydän
5. Dennis Fagerström – My little honey bee
6. MIAU – God/Drug
7. Mikko Pohjola – Sängyn reunalla
8. Clarissa feat. Josh Standing – Top of the world

UMK 2014 Schedule

• 28/12 First introduction show/Show 1
• 04/01 Second introduction show/Show 2
• 11/01 Heat 1/Show 3
• 18/01 Heat 2/Show 4
• 25/01 Semi-final
• 01/02 Final

Finland debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961 and has won the event once in 2006 with Lordi’s Hard Rock Hallelujah, and last year they were represented by Krista Siegfrids, finishing 24^th in the grand final with her entry Marry me.

Who would you like to see reach the final of UMK14
and represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2014?