'Eesti Laul' final sees victory for Stefan 🇪🇪

📺 Watch: Stefan – Hope

After a round of quarter finals in December and 2 semi finals which were broadcast earlier in February, Estonian broadcaster ERR hosted a final line-up of 10 songs in the running to be Estonia’s Eurovision hopeful in May.

Eesti Laul has been the format used for selecting Estonia’s Eurovision Song Contest entry since 2009. In this year’s final of 10 (which had been arrived at from an opening field of 40 contenders), we had no less than 4 artists who have previously represented Estonia at Eurovision, with each one having given the country a Top 10 placing at the Contest.

The Result

Voting in the Eesti Laul final was done across 2 rounds. During the first round of voting, all 10 artists performed their potential Eurovision entries, with a public vote making up 50% of the score and a jury contributing the other 50%. This resulted in the 10 acts being whittled down to a final 3: ELYSA, Minimal Wind feat. Elisabeth Tiffany, and Stefan.

In the second round of voting, the top 3 songs were performed again, and this time a public vote was the sole method used for determining the winner.

Stefan was that chosen winner, and will now represent Estonia at the 66th Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, with the song 'Hope’

Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest

Estonia made its debut in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994. In 2001, Estonia became the first former Soviet country to win the contest.

Estonia first entered the Contest in 1994 when the late Silvi Vrait took to the stage in Dublin with Nagu Merelaine. The early years of Estonia’s participation in the competition were particularly successful. Between 1996 and 2002 the country finished in the top 10 in 6 out of 7 Contests including fourth in 2000, winning in 2001 and finishing third in 2002.

Stefan will head to Turin in Italy, hopefully without getting lost in Verona on the way.

📺 Watch: Koit Toome & Laura – Verona

Let us know what you think of the Eesti Laul winner via the official Eurovision Song Contest YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter and Facebook channels.