Public broadcaster Yle's benefit concert to help civilians hit by the war in Ukraine raised more than six million euros on Saturday evening.
The 'Help for Ukraine' benefit concert reached some 1,534,000 viewers on Yle TV1 on Saturday.
As of midday on Sunday, the concert video had attracted more than 570,000 online viewers on Yle Areena. It can be viewed anywhere in the world over the next year.
The all-domestic line-up included pop and rock acts such as Haloo Helsinki!, Anna Puu, Paleface, Maija Vilkkumaa, Olavi Uusivirta and Robin Packalén. Finland's all-time best-selling female singer, Katri Helena, 76, made a rare live appearance after several years of ill health.
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The show was also broadcast live on Radio Suomi and by Ukrainian public broadcaster UA:PBC via the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
"Millions of Ukrainian citizens have been forced to leave their homes as a result of Russia's attacks. We are grateful to every Finn who supports us in this very difficult situation," said Pavlo Korobchuk, Head of Web Content and Social Media at UA:PCB.
As TV functionality in Ukraine is currently unstable, the concert was initially shown via UA:PBC's social media channels.
On 1 March, Russian military strikes damaged Kyiv's TV Tower, interrupting its broadcasts. Five days later, TV and radio broadcasts were knocked out in Ukraine's second-largest city, Kharkiv.
Aid for civilians in and near Ukraine
Yle organised the concert on behalf of the Lutheran NGO Finn Church Aid and the Finnish branches of Save the Children, the Red Cross and Unicef.
The groups say the money will be used to support people fleeing the war, both in Ukraine and neighbouring countries. The fund drive continues until the end of April.
"This is a really great result, thank you! We, the organisations delivering the aid, would like to thank all the donors, performers and partners from the bottom of our hearts," said Sirpa Solehmainen, fundraising director at the Finnish Red Cross.
Other European public broadcasters have arranged similar benefit concerts and telethons.
Danish broadcaster DR also hosted a charity concert on Saturday, which was shown on large outdoor screens in various Danish cities. Sweden's SVT will donate all money raised during Saturday's Melodifestivalen final to alleviate Ukraine's humanitarian crisis.
Norway's NRK arranged a fundraising concert last Monday, which also raised around six million euros for the war-torn country.
The total amount of Finnish donations for Ukraine so far is unclear, but aid groups have reported an exceptionally rapid and generous response, due the close proximity of the crisis. Within just the first week of the war, people in Finland donated more than 10 million euros.
