The road to Eurovision 2026 in Vienna has officially begun for Estonia as submissions for Eesti Laul 2026 are now open. ERR confirmed that this year’s competition will once again culminate in a large-scale live show at the Unibet Arena, promising a night of high-level production, guest performances, and special appearances.
Unlike some previous editions, Eesti Laul 2026 will feature a streamlined line-up of 12 competing acts. According to ERR’s head of entertainment programming, Karmel Killandi, this decision was made to give each entry the best possible preparation and production value. “We want every performance to be polished and ready for a big stage,” she explained.
The 12 songs that make it to the final won’t be chosen at random. They will be carefully evaluated by a jury of at least 25 people, bringing together music professionals and everyday listeners of different ages. Each member of the panel will assess the entries blindly, without knowing who the artists or songwriters are, ensuring that the focus remains solely on the quality of the music. The full line-up of Eesti Laul 2026 will be revealed by 7 November 2025, with the competing songs expected to be released to the public no later than 4 December.
Killandi underlined the importance of stage experience for all artists hoping to succeed, noting that the Eurovision stage is unlike any other. Specifically she said:
“It’s not a regular concert. You have to know which camera to look into and when. Even experienced performers need to rehearse for such a massive production,”
The grand final of Eesti Laul 2026 will take place on 14 February 2026 at Unibet Arena in Tallinn, where the 12 selected acts will compete for the ticket to Vienna. The voting will unfold in two stages. First, the outcome will be determined by a mix of jury votes and public televoting, which together will narrow the field down to the top three songs. In the second stage called the superfinal, the decision will be handed entirely to the audience at home, with televoting alone deciding who will represent Estonia at Eurovision 2026.
Artists have until 20 October 2025 at 12:00 (local time) to submit their entries. From there, the countdown begins toward November’s big reveal, December’s song premieres, and ultimately the arena final in February.
Source: ERR