VIENNA (AP) 鈥� At the , performers get three minutes to make a big impression.
Grabbing viewers鈥� attention as one of 25 acts competing in quick succession in in Vienna means pulling out all the stops, both musically and visually.
In the case of this year鈥檚 favorites to win, the Finnish duo of pop singer Pete Parkkonen and classical violinist Linda Lampenius, that involves jets of flame, a valuable 18th-century violin and a team of 鈥渘injas鈥� working to avert disaster.
The pair鈥檚 song 鈥淟iekinheitin,鈥� or 鈥淔lamethrower,鈥� is a favorite with both fans and betting markets with its melding of pop and classical influences 鈥� and its spectacular staging.
Here鈥檚 what it takes to create the eye-catching performance.
Permission to play
Parkkonen and Lampenius dub their sound 鈥渘ew pop with a classical touch.” Their song of burning love is an explosion of energy in which Parkkonen鈥檚 passionate vocals act as counterpoint to Lampenius鈥� frenetic fiddling.
The Finnish delegation had to secure special permission for Lampenius to play live. Eurovision rules state that lead vocals must be performed live, but instruments are prerecorded, to help speed changeovers between songs.
Lampenius says 鈥淔lamethrower鈥� was 鈥渨ritten as a duet,鈥� and both performers need to be live for it to work.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a woman and a man, it鈥檚 a female voice and a male voice. So I do all my lyrics through my violin, by playing, and you (Parkkonen) are singing it with words. But we are talking. We are (equally) as important, both of us.鈥�
The pair were not certain when they arrived in Vienna that Eurovision organizers would allow the request. They were only given final approval after performing in front of an audience in a live rehearsal.
The European Broadcasting Union, which runs Eurovision, said contest rules allow that 鈥渓ive audio capture of instruments may exceptionally be permitted where artistically justified.鈥�
Lampenius had brought two violins just in case 鈥� a treasured Gagliano made in 1781 so live performance would 鈥渟ound perfect,鈥� and a cheaper instrument to use if she had to rely on playback. That would remove any risk to the Gagliano from the slightly hazardous staging.
Practice makes perfect
Lampenius and Parkkonen say they have been rehearsing for this moment since November. They won Finland鈥檚 national selection contest for Eurovision in February and say by now they have performed the song hundreds of times.
It is crucial to get it right. The performance builds to a climax that sees jets of flame spurt from a stage on which Lampenius, fanned by a leaf blower and wearing a flowing dress, is playing her precious violin.
Lampenius concedes it’s 鈥渁 bit scary when you think of it.”
But she says she is secure in the knowledge she has black-clad stagehands who call themselves 鈥渘injas鈥� on hand to keep her dress away from the flames 鈥� an essential piece of the performance that goes unseen by viewers watching at home.
鈥淭hey鈥檙e running with me 鈥� first one guy carrying my dress when I鈥檓 running, then the other one catching me during my run,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd he helps me also when I jump up on the stage and do the pirouette.鈥�
For the striking final pose in which Lampenius perches atop chairs in high heels, violin aloft, Parkkonen combines singing with his role as a security spotter, there to catch her if she topples over.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 my work,鈥� the singer said.
Copyright © 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
