Eurovision 2026: Meet Estonia's Vanilla Ninja and their song Too Epic To Be True

We profile the 2026 entry from Estonia, including details on the artist, song, how it was chosen, odds, fan reaction and how the nation has fared at Eurovision.

After a mixed record in the early 2010s, Estonia has had a resurgence at Eurovision in the last decade.

While Estonia has not won the Contest since 2001, with Tanel Padar, Dave Benton and 2XL's song Everybody, since 2018, Estonia has become one of the most consistent performers at Eurovision. The Baltic nation has qualified for the final every year with the sole exception of 2021, achieving three Top 10 results for Elina Nechayeva's La Forza (2018, 8th place), Alika's Bridges (2023, 8th place), and, of course, Tommy Cash's Espresso Macchiato (2025, 3rd place).

Flying the flag for Estonia at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna, and no doubt hoping to continue their qualification streak, is Vanilla Ninja with their song Too Epic To Be True.

You can find out more about Vanilla Ninja and their song below!

2026 entry: Vanilla Ninja - Too Epic To Be True

• Estonia will compete in the first semi-final, performing in ninth position in the running order

• My Eurovision Scoreboard ranking: 32nd

• Odds to win ranking: 34th

(Rankings as of 17 April 2026)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RD8Brb0M3UgEA&v=8Brb0M3UgEA

About the artist

Vanilla Ninja is an all-female rock band formed in Tallinn in 2002. Now a trio, the current lineup consists of original members Lenna Kuurmaa and Piret Järvis, as well as Kerli Kivilaan, who joined the band in 2022.

The band first attempted to represent Estonia at Eurovision in 2003, competing in the Estonian national selection Eurolaul with the Piret Järvis and Sven Lõhmus-penned track Club Kung Fu. Vanilla Ninja proved to be by far the most popular in the telephone polls, but unlike other countries, Estonia used a jury system to select their Eurovision entry that year. This jury ranked Vanilla Ninja joint-last, awarding the Eurovision ticket to Ruffus and their entry Eighties Coming Back.

Nonetheless, this success led the band to release their debut self-titled album Vanilla Ninja, which proved to be a number-one hit in the Estonian charts, leading the group to seek international success in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with their sophomore album Traces of Sadness.

Despite not being as successful in the Swiss charts compared to neighbouring countries Germany and Austria, Vanilla Ninja had become increasingly popular with the Swiss public. After finishing in last place in the semi-final, scoring the dreaded "nul points" in the 2004 Eurovision Song Contest, the Swiss broadcaster SRG SSR internally selected Vanilla Ninja to represent Switzerland at the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest in a format partially determined by chart success in Switzerland. The band and their entry Cool Vibes finished in eighth place in the Grand Final.

In 2007, Vanilla Ninja attempted to represent Estonia for a second time at Eurovision, entering the Estonian national selection, Eurolaul, with the song, Birds of Peace, ultimately placing fourth in the competition's final.

With four number-one platinum-certified albums and five number-one singles in their native Estonia, as well as Top 10 hits in three other European countries, Vanilla Ninja achieved considerable success in the 2000s.

True to their name, the band also launched their own ice cream brand named after them in Estonia in 2003, which is currently one of the best-selling ice creams in the Baltic nation. The ice creams come in four flavours: vanilla, chocolate, caramel and peppermint.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=RDOJX8RWJg7y4&v=OJX8RWJg7y4

About the song

Too Epic To Be True is a simple song with lyrics that celebrate a love that feels almost unreal, as if it's straight out of a movie.

The song combines nostalgic pop-rock elements with modern production in a way that celebrates the history of Vanilla Ninja while remaining authentic to their sound.

The song was written by Sven Lõhmus, who has also composed some of Estonia's previous Eurovision entries, including Rändajad (2009), Rockefeller Street (2011), and Verona (2017).

Sven Lõhmus has been involved with Vanilla Ninja since the band's early days, producing the group's 2003 debut album and their first single, Club Kung Fu.

How were Vanilla Ninja chosen for Eurovision?

Vanilla Ninja were chosen for Eurovision 2026 by winning the Estonian national selection show Eesti Laul 2026.

After placing sixth with the international jury and first with the public vote in the first round of the final voting, the band was one of the top three acts chosen to go to the superfinal of the competition, decided entirely by a public vote. They won in a close result, with 35% of the vote.

Speaking to Estonian broadcaster ERR after being selected, Vanilla Ninja lead vocalist Lenna Kuurmaa described her feelings in the following way:

"A huge drop in tension, but a huge sense of gratitude that after those days, weeks and months of thinking through every detail of how it should look, everything finally turned out this way and the Estonian people were behind us. It's so great."

Estonia will compete in the first semi-final of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on 12 May 2026 in Vienna.

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