Karija’s “victory celebration” gathered hundreds of fans at Helsinki–Vantaa Airport.
14.5. 22:27
The atmosphere at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport on Sunday can be described as joyous to say the least, when the airport lobby was packed with hundreds of Karija fans.
Many also wanted to catch a glimpse of “Vanta se Järre”, i.e. Järre Poiho, Finland’s Eurovision representative from Karija.
Ilta-Sanomi reporter Annika Hyttinen reports that when Karija met her fans at the airport at 7 pm, the atmosphere was completely explosive. The airport was filled with fans an hour earlier.
Karija fans of all ages were reached, from children to adults. Almost everyone was also wearing the distinctive green color of Karija. Fans even brought gifts to the artist: letters, poems, roses and chocolates.
For example, the rapper received a portrait as a gift from a little boy.
– It is made with love, said the boy.
Hytonen tells how everyone in the lobby was continuously singing Karija’s Eurovision song Cha Cha Chata.
The atmosphere was tight and joyful, even though there was no actual Eurovision victory. The second place didn’t faze the fans, who declared that Karija was the true winner of the Saints.
– Winner, winner, winner, echoed in the hall.
The rapper reached the ground at around seven in the evening. Background dancers were also present for this.
The guards led Karija, who was walking around the field, like a world star.
The rapper was clearly moved by the reception. According to what he said, he did not expect such a reception. He was happily talking to fans and hugging them.
At one point, Karija astounded the audience by jumping on the service desk to chant for the fans. The rapper took out the phone and asked fans to shout over the video.
Karija’s fans of all ages gathered there. Photo: Alexey Jalava
The atmosphere was extraordinary, and it was unclear to anyone who won the hearts of Finnish Eurovision fans.
A member of the airport staff described Ilta-Sanom on the grounds that no artist had seen anything like it before.
Karija finished second in the Eurovision Song Contest with 526 points. The ranking is Finland’s second best in the Eurovision Song Contest. Sweden won the fives with 583 points.
Lordi Suomen won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 and fans flocked to the airport even then, but Sunday’s spectacle has attracted a lot of attention.
Hanna Hämälinen, head of passenger services at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport, could not name the exact number of fans at the airport, but says there were hundreds of them.
Photo: Kimmo Pantinen / Lehtikuva
The airport was able to prepare in advance for Karija’s popularity and the arrival of fans. According to Hämälinen, the airport was aware of Karija’s arrival schedule, and the location of this press conference had been decided in advance.
Hämälinen cannot compare Sunday’s scene with Lord’s victories in previous years, but says his veteran colleagues described the exceptionally large number of enthusiastic fans who turned up.
– There is an exceptionally large number of fans in traffic here. Big success for Finland and Karija. At the airport, we are very happy to be a part of it.
However, Hämälainen says this was not an entirely unheard-of phenomenon, as fans often gather at the airport when Finland is successful at the Games, for example.
– In the spring of 2022, there were many fans at the airport against the Lions’ Olympic hockey team when the spring World Cup was played in Finland.
