Polish your crowns. Stretch those voting fingers. Estonia has chosen its Eurovision 2026 warrior queens — and yes, Australian Estonians, your May watch parties just levelled up.
On Saturday night in Tallinn, Estonia selected its Eurovision representative at the annual Eesti Laul showdown — a night where juries deliberate, the public decides, and polite applause coexists bravely with barely concealed side-eye. After two rounds of voting (jury + public first, then a public-only superfinal), it was Vanilla Ninja who claimed the crown with their anthem “Too Epic to Be True”.
And honestly? The title alone is a mood. Intrigue. Drama. Slight disbelief. You lean in immediately. And no, you don’t have to search far for the theme — it’s about epic love (of course it is). The song was written by Sven Lõhmus, a name Eurovision fans know very well.
How the final unfolded
Twelve artists competed in this year’s final. After the first round combining jury and public votes, three acts moved into the superfinal:
Vanilla Ninja – Too Epic to Be True
NOËP – Days Like This
Ollie – Slave
Then the scoreboard reset. The public alone decided.
And Estonia made its preference clear: familiarity, spectacle and a chorus you can shout dramatically into your kitchen spoon-microphone still win hearts. Vanilla Ninja secured 35% of the final vote in a tight finish, booking their ticket to Vienna in May.
A comeback in style
Vanilla Ninja are no strangers to big stages. Formed in the early 2000s, the trio — Lenna Kuurmaa, Piret Järvis-Milder and Kerli Kivilaan — became one of Estonia’s most internationally recognised pop exports, especially across German-speaking Europe. They have released five studio albums, most recently “Encore” in 2021.
Eurovision déjà vu? Absolutely.
Back in 2005, Vanilla Ninja represented Switzerland at Eurovision with song “Cool Vibes”. They placed 8th — a result many countries would happily frame and hang in the hallway.
Your Estonia-on-Eurovision facts
Estonia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 30 times, debuting in 1994 (and only skipping 1995).
Estonia has qualified for the Grand Final 11 out of 21 times and has won once — in 2001 — with the song “Everybody”, performed by Tanel Padar, Dave Benton and 2XL. (Yes, we still talk about it. As we should.)
What this means for Australian Estonians
We all know Eurovision is not simply a song contest. And while some people — usually the ones who don’t wake up at 4am for it — still wonder why Australians care about a European competition, we politely ignore them.
Because we know what happens every year. There is photographic evidence.
Across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth and beyond, living rooms transform into miniature Eurovision arenas. Snacks are themed. Someone brings kiluvõileivad and kartulisalat. Someone else critiques staging choices like a professional lighting designer. Dance moves are rehearsed in advance. Alarm clocks are set at unreasonable hours.
Then it begins
People gather in front of television screens in the dark, clutching extra-strong coffee, yelling “Eesti! Eesti! Go, Estonia!” at volumes that absolutely concern the neighbours. It is a national celebration. It is diaspora bonding. It is part sporting event, part cultural ritual, part sleep-deprivation experiment. And we would not have it any other way.
The band has already spoken about the importance of fan support and international backing. Given how many Australian Estonians sacrifice sleep for this event every year, we suspect that support is guaranteed.
So start planning your Eurovision night in May. Group chat activation begins… now.
And as for the title? Too epic? We’d argue there’s no such thing. But we’re ready to see it.
Read more
Estonia: Vanilla Ninja wins Eesti Laul 2026 with “Too Epic To Be True”
Vanilla Ninja – Eurovision 2026 Estonia
Follow Vanilla Ninja on Facebook: @vanilla.ninja.official
Instagram: @thisisvanillaninja
Spotify: Vanilla Ninja
