Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest | |
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Participating broadcaster | Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR; 2008–present)
Former members
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Participation summary | |
Appearances | 29 (19 finals) |
First appearance | 1994 |
Highest placement | 1st: 2001 |
Host | 2002 |
Related articles | |
Eesti Laul | |
External links | |
ERR page | |
Estonia's page at Eurovision.tv | |
For the most recent participation see Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 |
Estonia has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 29 times since making its debut in 1994. Its first appearance would have taken place in 1993 but a qualification round was installed for seven former Eastern Bloc countries hoping to make their debut in the contest, with Estonia failing to qualify. Estonia has won the contest once, in 2001. The current Estonian participant broadcaster in the contest is Eesti Rahvusringhääling (ERR).
Estonia's first participation in 1994 was unsuccessful, finishing 24th (out of 25). Estonia went on to finish in the top eight in six out of seven contests (1996–2002), with "Kaelakee hääl" by Maarja-Liis Ilus and Ivo Linna fifth (1996), Maarja-Liis Ilus returning to finish eighth with "Keelatud maa" (1997), "Diamond of Night" by Evelin Samuel and Camille sixth (1999), and "Once in a Lifetime" by Ines fourth (2000), before "Everybody" by Tanel Padar, Dave Benton, and 2XL gave Estonia its first victory in 2001. With this, Estonia became the first of the new countries that joined Eurovision in the 1990s and won the contest. "Runaway" by Sahlene then finished third for the hosts in Tallinn in 2002.
Since the introduction of the semi-final round in 2004, Estonia has failed to reach the final on ten occasions and has reached the top ten five times, with "Rändajad" by Urban Symphony sixth (2009), "Kuula" by Ott Lepland sixth (2012), "Goodbye to Yesterday" by Elina Born and Stig Rästa seventh (2015), "La forza" by Elina Nechayeva eighth (2018), and "Bridges" by Alika eighth (2023). Estonia's total of eleven top ten results is more than any other Baltic country.