Finnish comedy band KAJ won Sweden's Eurovision selection contest, Melodifestivalen, on Saturday night with their song Bara bada bastu — which loosely translates to Let's just sauna.
The band, originally from Vörå, Ostrobothnia, consists of Jakob Norrgård, Axel Åhman and Kevin Holmström.
"This isn't real," Norrgård told Yle after the competition, describing the victory as surreal.
"I saw myself as if from outside my own body," he said.
The band planned to continue their celebrations at the Melodifestivalen afterparty and promised to maintain the same high-energy performance style at Eurovision.
"We're taking the sauna to Switzerland — then we'll see what happens," Norrgård added.
KAJ beat betting odds favorite
KAJ's victory was somewhat unexpected, as betting odds had heavily favored Swedish singer Måns Zelmerlöw, who won Eurovision in 2015 with his song Heroes. This year, he competed with Revolution and finished second.
The international jury awarded Zelmerlöw 76 points and KAJ 74, but KAJ won the public vote with 90 points, while Zelmerlöw received 81.
The final score was determined by an equal split between jury and public votes.
Despite being an underdog, KAJ gained significant popularity after their semifinal performance, climbing to the top of Sweden's Spotify charts and singles list.
KAJ to represent Sweden at Eurovision
KAJ will represent Sweden at the Eurovision final in Basel, Switzerland, on 17 May.
KAJ's ode to sauna will be Sweden's first Swedish-language Eurovision entry since 1998. In the 21st century, the only other Swedish-language song in Eurovision was sent by Finland in 2012, with Pernilla's När jag blundar.
Finland will be represented by Erika Vikman with her song Ich komme.
KAJ's victory was acknowledged not only by fans but also by Finnish government officials.
Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen (NCP) congratulated the band on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), noting that music and sauna culture unite Finland and Sweden at a time when Nordic cooperation is more important than ever.
Finance Minister Riikka Purra (Finns), Agriculture and Forestry Minister Sari Essayah (CD), Science and Culture Minister Sari Multala (NCP), and Education Minister Anders Adlercreutz (SPP) also sent their congratulations to the Ostrobothnian band.
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