OMSC 27

Online Music Song Contest 27, often referred to as OMSC 27, was the twenty-seventh edition of Online Music Song Contest, held in Oulu, after Finland won the previous edition of the contest.

The Pre-Qualification Round of OMSC 27 occured on the 22ⁿᵈ May 2022, the Semi-Finals on the 29ᵗʰ May 2022 while the Final occured on the 5ᵗʰ June 2022. Fifty-five countries participated in the twenty-seventh contest, under the slogan “Be Healthy!”.

Location
After it's victory in the previous edition, the broadcaster YLE chose to host the contest in the fifth most populous of Finland, Oulu, which has a population of 210,000 inhabitants. Oulu is located in northern Finland, a considerable distance from the other cities in the country. It is located 607 kilometers north of the capital Helsinki. Mainland Finland's northernmost and southernmost points are roughly equidistant from Oulu. Oulu's coast sits at the Bothnian Bay and the Swedish mainland is about 180 kilometers directly west across it. Due to its large population and cultural-historical location, Oulu has been called the "Capital of Northern Finland".

Oulu is situated by the Gulf of Bothnia, at the mouth of river Oulujoki, which is an ancient trading site. The city proper was founded on the 8ᵗʰ of April 1605 by King Charles IX of Sweden, opposite the fort built on the island of Linnansaari. This took place after favourable peace settlements with Russia, which removed the threat of attack via the main east–west waterway, the river Oulu. The surrounding areas were populated much earlier. Oulu was the capital of the Province of Oulu from 1776 to 2009.

In 1822, a major fire destroyed much of the city. The architect Carl Ludvig Engel, chiefly known for the neoclassical buildings around Helsinki Senate Square, was enlisted to provide the plan for its rebuilding. With minor changes, this plan remains the basis for the layout of Oulu's town center. The Oulu Cathedral was built in 1832 to his designs, with the spire being finished in 1844. During the Åland War, part of the Crimean War, Oulu's harbour was raided by the British fleet, who destroyed ships and burned tar houses, leading to international criticism.

Once known for wood tar and salmon, Oulu has evolved into a major high-tech centre, particularly in information technology and wellness technology. Other prominent industries include wood refining, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paper, and steel. Oulu is also considered one of Europe's "living laboratories", where residents experiment with new technology (such as NFC tags and ubi-screens) on a community-wide scale. Oulu's development began when the university was founded in 1958. Oulu has also been very successful in recent urban image surveys; in a study published by the Finnish Economic Survey in 2008, it received the best ranking of large cities in image ratings across the country, including ratings from respondents in all provinces. The city is chosen as the European Capital of Culture in 2026.

Participants
Fifty-five countries participated in the twenty-seventh edition of the contest: fifteen European countries (Åland Islands, Albania, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain), fifteen Asian countries (Abkhazia, Armenia, British Indian Ocean Territories, India, Iran, Israel, Japan, Lebanon, North Korea, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam), nine American countries (Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Grenada, Peru, United States of America, Uruguay), seven Oceanian countries (American Samoa, Australia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Guam, New Caledonia, New Zealand) and nine African countries (Benin, Canary Islands, Egypt, eSwatini, Ethiopia, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe).

In this edition Benin, Dominica, eSwatini and Grenada participated for the first time.

Returning Artists
This edition featured twelve representatives who had performed previously as lead vocalists for a country in the contest.

SICKOTOY

IVE

Parade of Planets

Betta Lemme

Charli XCX

Alewya

Jonas Blue

AWA

PVRIS

Ami

ashs

Felicia Lu

Withdrawing Countries
These countries confirmed their non-participation in the twenty-seventh edition of the contest:

•

Other Countries
• Niue