Pihtipudas municipality gifts Pete Parkkonen flame-patterned e-bike for Eurovision success

Pihtipudas municipality has awarded singer Pete Parkkonen a custom e-bike adorned with flame patterns, Yle reports, in recognition of his Eurovision success.

Parkkonen and Linda Lampenius placed sixth in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest with their song Liekinheitin. The municipality presented the bike, tuned with flame designs inspired by the track, before Parkkonen’s sold-out opening concert of his summer tour in Pihtipudas on Thursday.

Municipal manager Ari Kinnunen said the award was a deserved acknowledgment of exceptional achievement and Parkkonen’s long-standing promotion of his hometown. “Pete has always beautifully highlighted his birthplace in various contexts. An event with 130 million viewers is a big deal,” Kinnunen said.

In addition to the e-bike, Parkkonen will receive a commemorative plaque on the library’s slate wall, joining one already honoring punk band Ratsia. Lampenius, Parkkonen’s Eurovision partner, will also receive a small token of appreciation from the municipality, despite not being from Pihtipudas.

Parkkonen, who values the tranquility of his hometown Elämäjärvi, said he was deeply moved by the recognition. “It’s an honor. I do this work out of love for the genre and to help people, but it feels good,” he said.

The concert marks Parkkonen’s return to his roots, where he first began playing music at the local workers’ hall. Eurovision fever had already swept Pihtipudas in May, when the municipality hosted a large viewing party for the final, with 300–400 people gathering to watch the live broadcast.