By Lennart Simonsson May 22, 2006, 15:40 GMT
Helsinki - 'The winner takes it all,' sang Swedish superstars ABBA in one of their hits - perhaps the best-known group to benefit from winning the Eurovision song contest.
A member of group Lordi from Finland attends a press conference after winning the 2006 Eurovision Song Contest (ESC), at the OAKA's Olympic Indoor Hall in Athens, Saturday 20 May 2006. EPA/ORESTIS PANAGIOTOU
How much controversial Finnish rock group Lordi can cash in on their Eurovision victory Saturday remains to be seen - but Finnish tourist agencies and businesses certainly hope to earn a euro or two.
Lordi have definitely put Finland on the musical map with the country's first ever win in 41 years in the competition.
Doom and loom had been predicted before the finals in Athens.
The group's costumes and Hard Rock Hallelujah song went radically against the usual mainstream offerings of pop songs, folk songs and ballads - often performed by scantily clad singers.
The clash boiled down to a 'battle of latex versus botox,' as a reporter of leading Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat journalist noted.
The rockers, that hail from Rovaniemi above the Arctic Circle, surprised many pundits, and may likely have broadened the scope for future Eurovision acts with their masks and fireworks on stage.
President Tarja Halonen and Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen were among the many who congratulated the group on their win as did Juhani Juuruspolvi, chairman of the Rovaniemi City Council.
Juuruspolvi noted that voters in Finnish Lapland played a key role in propelling Lordi to the Athens finals, and the city hopes to use the victory in its bid as European Cultural Capital in 2011.
'Rovaniemi now has two magnetic figures - Santa Claus and Lordi,' Juuruspolvi said.
Cash-strapped Finnish public broadcaster YLE, which gets the honour of organizing the 2007 European finals, may not have jumped for joy.
The costs for the broadcast were estimated at 10-14 million euros (12-17 million dollars) - but fears that the show would gobble up budgets slated for other programmes were rejected by YLE management.
YLE Director-General Mikael Jungner also said licence-fee hikes was not on the cards.
Vanhanen said that the show had national interest, suggesting the government could help out. Other income included ticket sales.
Kjell Ekholm, head of entertainment at YLE's Swedish language department, said the 'cost was worth it' considering the publicity Finland could generate in Europe, Japan and Australia.
Among Finnish cities that hope to host the event was Rovaniemi, which also plans to name a square or park in honour of Lordi.
The group were due back Monday to Finland. A formal welcome home celebration at Helsinki's Market Square was moved to the end of the week.
Jubilant Finns crowded downtown Helsinki, and bars and restaurants in other cities also served up more drinks after the results were announced late Saturday in Athens.
Lordi lead singer Tomi Putaansuu and other members of the band have also urged media not to 'out' them without makeup or the latex masks and costumes that raised quite a few eyebrows.
Putaansu told reporters in Athens that nobody really wanted to 'out' Santa Claus, either.
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