Moldavia partecipa all’Eurovision Song Contest dal nel 2005. Ha partecipato finora a 19 edizioni e ha conquistato 13 finali. Non ha mai vinto la competizione e il suo risultato migliore è un terzo posto, ottenuto nel 2017 dai SunStroke Project con ‘Hey, Mamma!’. Il debutto della Moldavia al concorso del 2005 fu un successo, con “Boonika bate doba” di Zdob și Zdub che si classificò al sesto posto. Il paese raggiunse inoltre la top ten con “Fight” di Natalia Barbu (2007), “My Lucky Day” dei DoReDoS (2018) e “Trenulețul” di Zdob și Zdub e Advahov Brothers (2022). La Moldavia è arrivata in finale dodici volte, e ha mancato la finale in 6 occasioni (2008, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019 e 2024). Nel 2025, per la prima volta dal suo debutto nel 2005, sebbene inizialmente avesse confermato la partecipazione al concorso, il paese si ritira dalla competizione, citando difficoltà economiche e artistiche, per poi ritornare in gara nel 2026. Quest’anno sarà rappresentato …

• Eurovision Song Contest 2026 artist • Performing in the first half: 

Moldova: Satoshi (Vlad Sabajuc) – “Viva, Moldova!” (Trăiască Moldova!, Long Live Moldova) (Andrei Vulpe, Cătălin Temciuc, Vasile Advahov, Vlad Sabajuc –  Vlad Sabajuc). Language: Multilingual (The lyrics contain sentences in Romanian, Spanish, Italian, Latin & French).

Satoshi is a singer, songwriter and rapper who hails from the city of Cahul in southwest Moldova.

Initially delving into his passion for music by teaching himself how to play the drums, the artist launched his Satoshi artist project in 2019 and has since then released three albums and hit singles aplenty.

The popularity of his music has meant that he’s been able to tour Moldova, Romania and beyond, and he played his first show in London in 2024. On stage, Satoshi creates a unique connection with audiences, offering emotional support through headphones and turning arenas into shared spaces of feeling and belonging.

Satoshi is drawn to contrast, be it intensity and sensitivity, or discipline and imagination. His stage name reflects his fascination with Japanese culture; it conveys the idea of clear thinking and creative awareness.

• Birth name: Vlad Sabajuc
• Also kown as: Satoshi
• Born / Origin: 13 September 1998 (age 27). Cahul,  Moldova
• Occupations: Singer, Songwriter, Rapper, Composer Ι Instruments: Vocals, drums
• Genres:
• Years active: 2019–present
• Finals performance: Semi-final result, points: -, – Ι Final result, points: -, –
• Artist chronology: Natalia Barbu (2025) ◄ Satoshi (2026) ►

Vlad Sabajuc (born 13 September 1998), known professionally as Satoshi, is a Moldovan rapper and singer-songwriter. He is set to represent Moldova in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with his song “Viva, Moldova!”.

Biography. Vlad Sabajuc was born on 13 September 1998 in Cahul, Moldova. He was raised in Cahul, where he lived until the age of 18. He has been passionate about music since childhood. His interest in music manifested at an early age, as he began composing in the seventh grade and taught himself to play the drums. In 2019, he launched the musical project Satoshi. At the beginning of 2022, Satoshi signed with the record label Versus Artist, part of BR Media Group. He studied at the Academy of Music, Theatre and Fine Arts in Chișinău, Moldova.

In January 2026, Satoshi competed in Finala Națională with the song “Viva, Moldova!” He won the contest, winning the public vote and both national and international jury votes, thereby earning the right to represent Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, Austria.

Discography.

Albums. 

• RUSH (2022)
• +373 (2024)
• SPORT ALBUM (2024)
• MINIM EFORT (2025)

Satoshi – Viva, Moldova! (ESC Version) – Single cover

Satoshi – Viva, Moldova! – Single cover

• Eurovision Song Contest 2026 entry • Performing in the first half: 

• Country:  Moldova
• Artists: Satoshi
• Language: Romanian
• English title: “Viva, Moldova!” (Trăiască Moldova!, Long Live Moldova)
• Realeased: 7 January 2026
• Genre: 
• Composers: Satoshi
• Lyricist: Satoshi
• Finals performance: Semi-final result, points: -, – Ι Final result, points: -, –
• Entry chronology: “In the Middle” (2024) ◄ “Viva, Moldova!” (2026) ►

“Viva, Moldova!” (‘Long Live Moldova!‘) is a song by Moldovan rapper, singer, and songwriter Satoshi. The song will represent Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, after winning Moldova’s Eurovision national final, Selecția națională 2026.

Promotion. To promote “Viva, Moldova!” before the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Satoshi announced his intent to participate in various Eurovision pre-parties. He performed at the Nordic Eurovision Party 2026 held at Rockefeller in Oslo on 21 March 2026. He will also participate at Eurovision in Concert 2026 to be held at AFAS Live Arena in Amsterdam on 11 April 2026. Finally, he will perform at the London Eurovision Party 2026 to be held at Here at Outernet on 19 April 2026.

Prior to his participation in the Eurovision pre-parties, Satoshi performed as an interval act at Vidbir 2026, Ukraine’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Selecția națională 2026. On 17 January 2026, Moldovan broadcaster TRM revealed that “Viva, Moldova!” was one of the 16 finalists for Selecția națională 2026. The show took place the same day. After the voting segment, “Viva, Moldova!” achieved the maximum points from the Moldovan jury, international juries, and the televote, earning Satoshi the right to represent Moldova at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, and will consist of two semi-finals to be held on the respective dates of 12 and 14 May and the final on 16 May 2026. During the allocation draw held on 12 January 2026, Moldova was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the first half of the show.

Chart.

Finlandia partecipa all’Eurovision Song Contest dall’edizione del 1961 e da allora ha preso parte alla manifestazione ogni anno fatta eccezione per le edizioni del 1970, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2001 e 2003. Ha partecipato finora a 58 edizioni e ha conquistato 50 finali. Ha vinto per la prima – e finora unica – volta nel 2006 coi Lordi e la loro ‘Hard Rock Hallelujah’ e conseguentemente ha ospitato a Helsinki l’edizione del 2007. Il miglior risultato precedente era stato ottenuto con “Tom Tom Tom” di Marion Rung nel 1973, che si classificò al sesto posto. La Finlandia si è classificata ultima al concorso undici volte, ricevendo zero punti nel 1963, 1965 e 1982. Dall’introduzione delle Semifinali nel 2004, la Finlandia non è riuscita a raggiungere la finale in otto occasioni. Nel 2014, il paese ha ottenuto il suo miglior risultato in otto anni con “Something Better” dei Softengine, che si è classificato all’undicesimo posto, un risultato che sarebbe stato superato da “Dark Side” dei Blind Channel, arrivato sesto nel 2021, e successivamente da “Cha Cha Cha” dei Käärijä, che ha vinto il voto del pubblico e si è classificato secondo assoluto nel 2023, quest’ultimo il secondo miglior risultato di sempre per la Finlandia. Quest’anno sarà rappresentato …

• Eurovision Song Contest 2026 artist • Performing in the first half: 

Finland: Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen (Linda Magdalena Cullberg Lampenius, Linda Brava x Pete Eemeli Parkkonen) – “Liekinheitin” (Flamethrower) (Antti Riihimäki, Lauri Halavaara, Linda Lampenius, Pete Parkkonen, Vilma Alina Lähteenmäki – Antti Riihimäki, Lauri Halavaara, Linda Lampenius, Pete Parkkonen, Vilma Alina Lähteenmäki). Language: Finnish (Contains words in English).

Coming from different musical paths, popstar Pete Parkkonen and the internationally acclaimed violin legend Linda Lampenius are united by a deep love for music, performing and sharing powerful moments with their audience. 

Linda Lampenius is best known worldwide as a classical violinist. At the age of eight, she joined the Helsinki Junior Strings orchestra and, by the time she was a teenager, was touring North America, Europe and Asia.

A classical solo album made her the best-selling Finnish classical artist of her time and over the course of her remarkable career, she has been seen everywhere from the stages of major symphony orchestras to Playboy covers.

Pete Parkkonen became known to larger audiences through the Idols TV show and has since then released several albums and established himself as one of Finland’s leading pop and soul voices. Having toured Finnish clubs and festival stages, as well as his own live shows, Pete has earned a reputation as a charismatic live performer.

• Birth name: Linda Magdalena Lampenius. Pete Eemeli Parkkonen.
• Also kown as: Linda Cullberg Lampenius
• Born / Origin: Linda Magdalena Lampenius, 26 February 1970 (age 56).Helsinki,  Finland
• Genres: Classical, pop, rock, folk, techno, film, jazz, world, Celtic, Christmas
• Occupation: Soloist Ι Instrument: Violin
• Years active: 1977–present
• Also kown as: Pete Eemeli Parkkonen
• Born / Origin: Pete Eemeli Parkkonen. 8 February 1990 (age 36). Pihtipudas,  Finland
• Genres: Rock, pop
• Occupation: Singer Ι Instrument: Vocals
• Years active: 2008–present
• Finals performance: Semi-final result, points: -, – Ι Final result, points: -, –
• Artist chronology: Erika Vikman (2025) ◄ Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen (2026) ►

• Linda Magdalena Cullberg Lampenius (born 26 February 1970), also known by her international stage name Linda Brava, is a Finnish and Swedish classical concert violinist. Born in Finland into a Swedish-speaking Finnish family, she is a dual citizen of Finland and Sweden. Described as one of the most versatile and accomplished players of her generation, Brava has also performed pop, rock, folk, techno, film, jazz, and world music, among others. She is set to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 alongside singer Pete Parkkonen with the song “Liekinheitin“.

Background. Brava was born into a Swedish-speaking Finnish family in which music formed a vital part of life. Her father, Börje Lampenius (1921–2016), was a former theatre director, actor, singer, and also a composer of musicals and operettas. Her mother, Ulla Eklund, is a former actress and singer. Both of them worked at the Swedish Theatre in Helsinki.

At age three, Brava began to perform with her parents as a singer. Later on, in addition to her solo and orchestral performances, Brava would play the violin accompanied by her father on the piano, while her mother sang alongside them. In 1978, Vasabladet reported on Brava, a child violinist to remember, after her impressive solo concert appearance.

After leaving Finland in 1997, Brava has lived in Los Angeles, London, and Stockholm. She is married to Martin Cullberg, a Swedish defense lawyer, and they have two daughters: Olivia, born 2009, and Cecilia, born 2013. Brava’s parents-in-law are professor Johan Cullberg and psychotherapist Marta Cullberg Weston. She has been a dual citizen of Finland and Sweden since 2011, when she received Swedish citizenship.

Early years as a child violinist. After attending a musical kindergarten, Brava began studying the violin at the age of five, under the guidance of Géza Szilvay, the developer of the Colourstrings method. Brava’s career then began as a member and soloist of the Helsinki Strings at the age of seven with players two and even three times her age.

Throughout her childhood, Brava toured all around the world with the Helsinki Strings, giving concerts in the likes of London, New York City, and Tokyo. As a child violinist, she also appeared on Finnish TV numerous times as part of the artistic-educational TV series Minifiddlers in Musicland on YLE.

In fairly rapid succession, Brava was awarded a scholarship by the Swedish Cultural Foundation for being such a promising young violinist, became Concertmistress of the Helsinki Strings, and performed as a soloist of the Radio Symphony Orchestra of Finland at the age of 11. Around the same time, she was also selected for solo roles within the Helsinki Strings, touring among others in England.

Education and orchestral work. Brava studied at the Sibelius Academy in Finland from 1985 to 1997, first in the youth department and then the Department of Soloists. She was one of the first students to get into the university based only on one’s audition performance. At the Sibelius Academy, Brava studied the violin, music theory and history, pedagogy and opera singing, having her own violin students as well. She also played in chamber ensembles, and her Ofelia quartet was chosen to perform in the final concert of the master class course given by the Amadeus Quartet.

Still a student, Brava acquired substantial orchestral experience. From 1990 through 1997, she served as Concertmistress of the Conducting Class Orchestra, taught by professors Jorma Panula and Eri Klas. She also served as Concertmistress of the Sibelius Academy Symphony Orchestra on various occasions as well as played the 1st violin in the Finnish National Opera Orchestra for three years, before embarking on a full-time solo career.

In addition to the Sibelius Academy, Brava also studied privately with professor Mauricio Fuks in the USA as well as took part in numerous master classes in Finland, France, and Israel, including Shlomo Mintz’s Keshet Eilon Violin Programme, studying with Shmuel Ashkenasi.

Lajos Garam, former leader of the Department of Soloists at the Sibelius Academy, has said that Brava “is a sensitive artistic type and very skillful and experienced as a musician. Her playing is high-quality and full-blooded”. For conductor Atso Almila “it was self-evident that she was going to be one of the most notable Finnish violinists.” Violinist and pedagogue Päivyt Meller has stated that “Linda is very multiply gifted. She has aberrantly lots of capability of expression, strength and artistry and her playing is technically on quite a high level”, while violinist and conductor Ari Angervo has said that Brava “just wanted to learn to play as well as possible, to go as deep as possible into music. To my mind she has succeeded in that. Linda is top talented as a violinist.” Furthermore, professor Mauricio Fuks has said that “she has a talent for learning and absorbing new things very quickly – Linda is very talented and takes her playing seriously – I am very happy getting to work with a person this sweet. We have been working daily and her playing keeps improving all the time. I would describe Linda as a natural talent, who is at home with the violin.”

Musical career.

Classical music. Brava has performed chamber music all around Europe, Asia, and the US, working with various pianists, including Timo Koskinen, Folke Gräsbeck, Laura Mikkola, Carina E. Nilsson, Linn Hendry, and John Lenehani. Brava has also made many solo orchestral appearances. In addition to Finnish and Swedish city orchestras, she has played with La Scala Opera Orchestra and toured with the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. “She captivated the audience at the Ulriksdal Palace park with passion – The harmonics, the left- and right-hand pizzicato, the ardour in tone, the double stops – it was there”, wrote Svenska Dagbladet on her performance of Maurice Ravel’s Tzigane with the Stockholm Sinfonietta. Brava has also appeared as a soloist of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra. In addition to headlining music festivals with José Carreras[33] and Kevin Kenner, Brava has also toured with Paul Potts and performed with Andrea Griminelli.

Brava moved to Sweden in 2002 and her first major concert tours in the country occurred a few years later. The outcome was successful as critics raved about her talent and she managed to break into the Swedish music scene. “She has been described as a super violinist with Playboy attraction. When Linda Lampenius takes the stage in light blue coverings it is completely without prima donna behaviour. With total stage presence and a bewitched violin she enchants the ears already from the start and there seems to be no end to the applause after the entrance performance” wrote Dalarnas Tidningar while Göteborgs-Posten reported how Brava’s “music potpourri became a display in virtuoso violin playing” and that “she is undeniably a gifted musician with dazzling technique and a big amount of charm”. Brava has since participated in various concert tours and given concerts all around the country, performing among others with pianist Robert Wells, soprano Hannah Holgersson, and harpist Monica Ramos.

In addition to Sweden, Brava has continued performing internationally as well. Some of her special appearances have included performances for the NATO troops in Kosovo, the Rhapsody in Rock show at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and violin concerts in Astana, Kazakhstan, Irkutsk, Siberia, and the Cannes Film Festival in South of France. Brava also performs in corporate events on a regular basis, both in the Nordic countries and elsewhere, including a Ferrari and Maserati event in Moscow.

In 2010, Brava performed in the last concert of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Concert Series, playing works by Turlough Carolan, Michael William Balfe, and Michael McGlynn. She also appeared as a soloist of the Royal Swedish Chamber Orchestra in the grand finale concert of the 40th Annual Royal Palace Music Festival at the Royal Palace of Stockholm. In 2011, Brava toured as a soloist of the Schoenbrunn Palace Orchestra Vienna, co-headlining concerts in many of the major concert halls in the Nordic countries such as Finlandia Hall and Stockholm Concert Hall.

With her 1781 Gagliano violin, Brava has performed for many heads of state and royals, including the President of Finland, Prince of Monaco, and the Royal Family of Sweden. Brava has also played for various European and American politicians, including the United States Secretary of Defense William Perry. Brava has also performed for some of the Nobel Prize laureates on the Arctic Circle during festivities marking the 300th anniversary of scientist Carl Linnaeus’ birth.

In order to help contribute funds for different charities, Brava has performed in numerous benefit concerts over the years. She has played at the 150th Anniversary Gala Concert of the Queen Silvia Children’s Hospital in Sweden, for several children’s hospitals in Finland, and on behalf of Unicef during the White Turf celebrations on the frozen Lake St. Moritz in Switzerland. Additionally, Brava has also performed in gala concerts for the Swedish Childhood Cancer Foundation. Brava is also a regular performer in Princess Sofia of Sweden’s benefit events that assist underprivileged children in South Africa.

Other music. 

Pop and rock music. Known as a classical violinist, Brava was asked to appear on a Finnish television talk show and play a pop version of Johann Sebastian Bach’s Toccata and Fugue in fall 1996. Brava agreed and was offered a recording contract for pop music with a Finnish record label soon after.

Brava’s debut album, Linda Lampenius, was released only in Finland, but immediately got international attention as well. After seeing a television profile made of her on British TV and tracking down her musical pedigree, Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber invited Brava to take the violin lead in his exclusive rock symphony with Jim Steinman, Metal Philharmonic, that was showcased at the 23rd Sydmonton Festival in Hampshire. The collaboration between Brava and Lloyd Webber meant a significant media exposure for her, including the cover story of The Sunday Times Culture supplement. Thereafter, Brava became known as the Bach Babe in the United Kingdom tabloids.

Brava made some pop rock appearances around Europe and the US, including televised performances at the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles. While living in England, Brava studied, played, and recorded pop rock music with Dave Gregory (the lead guitarist for XTC), Chris Blackwell (drummer for Robert Plant), and Charlie Jones (bass player for Robert Plant and Jimmy Page), under the guidance of Craig Leon (producer for The Ramones and Blondie), in addition to having her own pop rock band Violators. She also worked with Ofra Haza, with whom she recorded at Abbey Road Studios. Their song “Tarab” is the last recording of Haza, who died soon after.

In 2003, Brava starred in her own variety show Fantastix in a Stockholm theatre. The show included her violin playing, acting, dancing, and fire eating.[66] Brava has since performed among others with singers Sofia Källgren,] Pernilla Wahlgren, and LaGaylia Frazier, in addition to playing with rock and heavy metal bands like Takida and Mustasch. In 2008, Brava was one of the leading soloists of the 10th anniversary tour of the Rhapsody in Rock spectacle, which has been staged all around the world, and she was titled as the best artist of the tour, “who awes as usual”, by Aftonbladet, the biggest daily newspaper in Scandinavia.

Over the years, Brava has also performed in various sports events. She has played in national basketball, football, and ice hockey matches in Finland and Sweden, twice at the ATP Champions event at the Royal Albert Hall in London (televised by the BBC and Eurosport), and for Formula One people in Monaco and Monza. For the 2004 Men’s World Ice Hockey Championships in Prague, Brava recorded Tre Kronor (Slå Oss Om Ni Kan), the official song for the Swedish National Ice Hockey Team. In the Ericsson Globe, Brava has opened up various televised sports events, including K-1 galas, the 2008 GE Galan, and the 2012 Swedish Sports Gala.

Brava has also worked as a session musician, playing the violin among others on Celine Dion’s album Taking Chances, Sami singer Yana Mangi’s Kee Marcello-produced album Earth Shadow, Carola’s album Christmas in Bethlehem, and Nanne Grönvall’s album My Rock Favorites.

World music. Brava started collaborating with the Irish choral group Anúna in 2006. Their award-winning music special Celtic Origins on PBS has been broadcast on over 250 TV stations in the USA since 2007 and is also available on DVD. According to Nielsen SoundScan, the Celtic Origins album became North America’s Bestselling World Music CD for five consecutive weeks in 2007, while the Celtic Origins concert tour in the fall of the same year visited over 40 cities across the United States.

As of 2016, Brava has performed with Anúna in concerts in Ireland and Sweden as well. They appeared in the last concert of the RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra’s Summer Concert Series in 2010 and performed in Christmas concerts in Sweden in 2011. Brava has also recorded for Anúna’s other projects, including the 2014 album Illuminations.

Christmas music. Brava has performed in numerous Christmas concerts over the years, most notably headlining Sweden’s original Christmas tour Julkonserten both in 2004 and 2008, touring in concert halls and arenas all around the country.

Brava has also headlined Christmas concerts in Finland, performing among others at Borgå Cathedral and Temple Rock Church. While living in London, Brava played Christmas music in the local Finnish Church.

In 2015, Brava performed numerous Christmas concerts in Stockholm, including Immanuel’s Church, Hedvig Eleonora Church, and the Finnish Church. She also performed twice at the Gustaf Vasa Church, where one of the concerts were attended by Prince Carl Philip and his wife Princess Sofia of Sweden.

Jazz. Together with Jeff Goldblum, Brava has played and performed jazz music in Los Angeles, in addition to her other jazz performances in New York and Stockholm.

Solo albums. Linda Lampenius. Brava’s pop album Linda Lampenius, which peaked at number 8 on the Finnish Top Album Chart, was released in 1997. Although the album was released only in Finland, Brava’s single “Violator”/”Toccata and Fugue” got international attention: “Pammi lookalike’s great on her Bach” stated the Daily Mirror and the Daily Record wrote that “just when interest in violin music was toning down along comes Linda Lampenius – the fiddling Finn has taken a major bow – she is already a sensation with her version of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue”. Also The Sunday Times reported how Brava “has enjoyed huge success in Scandinavia with an up-tempo version of Bach’s Toccata and Fugue”. Brava has performed material from the album in Finland and abroad, including Sporting Club in Monaco and televised performances at the Royal Albert Hall in London and the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles.

Linda Brava. Brava was offered a recording contract by EMI in 1997, and she worked under the EMI Classics label from 1998 to 2002. In 1998, Brava started recording her first classical album with John Lenehan at Abbey Road Studios in London, and the Linda Brava album was released worldwide in 1999, the track listing including Edvard Grieg’s Violin Sonata No. 3 in C minor as well as lyrical violin miniatures by Edward Elgar, Gabriel Fauré, Jean Sibelius, Johann Sebastian Bach-Charles Gounod, Jules Massenet, Niccolò Paganini, and Fritz Kreisler. The album peaked at number 14 on the UK Classical Chart, and Brava became the biggest selling Finnish classical artist at the time.

Gramophone described the album as “a delightful recital – played with such warmth, and an eloquent simplicity of line, that the ear is instantly beguiled – a welcome collection”. Classic FM Magazine dedicated its cover story for “Linda Brava, Finland’s violin sensation”, and wrote that she plays “with a pleasant, honeyed tone – making the most of her golden-voiced 1781 Galliano violin – and an unaffected grace that will surely win her many friends”. Composer and critic Paul Turok of Turok’s Choice thought “the high point of her fine recital disc with pianist John Lenehan is a strong reading of Grieg’s Sonata” while the Evening Standard wrote “her best playing comes in the three short pieces by her countryman Sibelius: the skittish Rondino extracts her quickest fingerwork, the Humoreske Op.87 No.1 wins her most tortured expression and the Romance Op.78 No.2 sings under her confident touch”. Classic FM UK played music from the album on a daily basis for several weeks, and it was also noted positively by BBC Radio 3 and ABC Classic FM Australia.

With the album release, Brava appeared in various newspapers, magazines and TV and radio shows all around Europe and the Far East, being featured on a major poster on the back of a red double-decker bus driving on Oxford Street in London as well. Brava’s music video for “Ave Maria” was seen on Classic FM TV, and it was also featured in the first edition of Classic FM DVD. Nowadays, Brava’s music video can be seen on C Music TV, which included the video in its August Highlights 2010.

Nordic Light. Brava’s third album Nordic Light was released in the Nordic countries in 2005 and re-released in Sweden in 2008, peaking at number 12 on the Swedish Top Album Chart. The album is a collection of folk melodies from Finland and Sweden, also including a medley from the musical Kristina från Duvemåla by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson of ABBA. Brava was inspired to record the album after her two 25-city concert tours in Sweden together with Kalle Moraeus, a former violinist of the Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and one of the most sought-after folk musicians in the country. On the critically acclaimed album, Brava is accompanied by members of Benny Anderssons Orkester while Anders Ekborg sings on two tracks.

Angels. Brava’s latest album Angels is a collection of Christmas carols from Finland, Sweden, Germany, France, England, and the United States, arranged for solo violin, string quartet, harp, and female choir, in addition to numerous guest artists such as guitarist Ulf Wakenius, trombonist Nils Landgren, and soprano Sofia Källgren.

The album peaked at number 3 on the Swedish Classical Album Chart, and includes classics like “Angels We Have Heard on High”, “Away in a Manger”, “Ding Dong Merrily on High”, “O Holy Night”, “Panis angelicus”, and “Silent Night”. Angels is the first album released through Brava’s own record label Linda Lampenius Productions, although, the album is distributed by Naxos Records. It is also Brava’s first Christmas release.The album was produced by Brava herself and Lars Nilsson, who also produced Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Prince Daniel’s wedding album. The arrangers include Swedish composers Paula af Malmborg, Olov Helge, and Dan Evmark as well as a Norwegian composer Tormod Tvete Vik. The featured string quartet is Hvila from the Gothenburg Symphony, and the female choir is Leif Strands Damkör from Gothenburg as well. The harpist Delphine Constantin is from France.

Released in Finland and Sweden, Angels got warm reviews in various publications. Göteborgs-Posten wrote that Brava is “a good soloist”, who “approaches her music with devotion”, and the critic was especially “fascinated by the strong, melancholic Finnish Christmas song ‘Sylvian joululaulu’ (‘Sylvia’s Christmas Song’)”. Hallands Nyheter positively declared that “musically, the outcome sounds more like a concert recording”, and Västerbottens-Kuriren described the album as “beautiful, caressing and enjoyable, soothing and pleasant”, while Hufvudstadsbladet stated that Brava is “a divinely gifted violinist” and “the performances are high-class”. Furthermore, Rondo-Classica, the biggest classical music magazine in the Nordic countries, thought the album is Brava’s “best release so far – She plays convincingly. The tone of her Gagliano violin has become more beautiful, and her pretty straightforward phrasing is completed well by the clang of the harp and the angelic voices of the female choir.”  Brava promoted the album in Finland and Sweden with numerous television and radio appearances, newspaper and magazine articles, and promotional performances.

Other careers. 

Modelling. Brava attended a modelling school and came 2nd in a major modelling competition in Finland in 1988, appearing in a few fashion shows and a televised coffee commercial. She was also asked to participate in Miss Finland beauty pageants several times, but refused, because she wanted to concentrate on her playing.

In 1996, both Björn Borg and Panos Emporio offered Brava a modelling contract, and she became the spokesperson for the Björn Borg fashion label, appearing in advertisements, fashion shows, and other promotional events in Finland, Sweden, and England from 1996 through 1999. Especially the Björn Borg fashion shows, some of which were also televised, became popular, and Brava drew international media attention as she was playing the violin while modelling swimsuits on catwalks. The shows became so popular that when Brava performed in the NK Stockholm for the first time, there was a queue outside and some people were unable to see the show. Brava’s televised performance at the Royal Albert Hall in London in the middle of the 1st ATP Masters tournament between Björn Borg and John McEnroe made also headlines, and the picture of her in a tiny black, figure-hugging lycra outfit and red faux fur moon boots was prominently featured in the papers the following days.

The Swiss watch manufacturer Maurice Lacroix engaged Brava to promote their Calypso range of watches in England in 2000. In addition to editorial shoots and posters, Brava also played in various Maurice Lacroix events, including at Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park.

Over the years, Brava has also modelled in many magazines, including Café, Elle, Esquire, GQ, Hello!, Maxim and Playboy.

Acting. Brava appeared in the Finnish film classic Akseli and Elina in 1970. Her mother played the lead and she was her daughter-in-arms. Throughout her childhood, Brava had small roles among others in productions of the Swedish Theatre, touring in Sweden and Norway with the theatre company as well. Since the 1990s, Brava has appeared in a few Finnish and Swedish TV series, including Kadonnut näky, Uuno Turhapuro, and Cleo. Brava has also starred in the Finnish comedy television series Kultajukka & kumppanit on YLE. Among her other roles on the show, she parodied her own public image in Finland, playing the “Media Linda”, a stupid blonde, who carries a violin and invades everywhere in little outfits.

While living in Los Angeles, Brava was offered roles in Fame L.A., Melrose Place, and Baywatch, and she was also asked to star a television talk show as its musical guest host. Brava refused to sign any long-term contracts, but agreed to appear in one episode of Fame L.A. as a guest star, playing Ilsa Lundqvist, a Swedish violinist, who ends up playing the violin at a Christmas party of an art school, having one of the students fall in love with her. After months of persuading by Douglas Schwartz, Brava also agreed to appear in one episode of Baywatch, in which she portrayed Ariana, a European violinist in trouble. Both of the shows used music from Brava’s pop album, including pieces “Violator” and “Aquamarine”.

Politics. Brava represented the Swedish People’s Party and was elected to the Helsinki City Council for a four-year term in 1996, serving also as a board member of the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1997, Brava was titled as Finland’s Tourist Envoy in Sweden as she had increased Swedes’ interest in Finland.

Entrepreneur. Brava had her own cider brand, Linda Cider, in the Nordic countries between 1997 and 2000, selling over 12 million bottles in two years. To support the cider sales, Brava had a calendar for 1998 and, every now and then, she would travel all around the country by helicopter, visiting several major supermarkets in one day, giving autographs and posing for pictures.

As of 2016, Brava has designed her own sofa, Nordic Symphony, which is being sold though C/O Home in Sweden.

Author. Brava’s autobiography, Linda, was published by WSOY in Finland in 2003. In her book, Brava talks openly about her upbringing, demanding violin training, tours around the world, years of success, and severe personal struggles, including low self-esteem, unhealthy relationships, legal battles against her former American manager and his millionaire friend, depression and eating disorders.

Over the years, Brava has also published some of her diary entries and short stories in Finnish newspapers. As a blogger, Brava has written about her life and career and other things on the official websites of Swedish Mama (2010–2012) and Kurera magazines (2012–2015). She has also held her own blog site on lindalampeniusblogg.wordpress.com.

Brava suffered from anorexia, orthorexia, and bulimia for over 20 years, and has openly spoken about the issues in the media and as a public speaker. During the 2010s, Brava worked on her memoirs where she discusses her eating disorders, among other things. The book, Klassisk rebell, is published in October/November 2021 in Swedish language and, simultaneously, in Finnish translation.

Sports. Brava got her rally licence in the 1990s, and has since raced Sports 2000 series cars and worked as a co-driver in rally competitions in Finland, in addition to having her own kart racing team. She has also worked as a commentator for Nordic TV channels during ice hockey and Formula One meets in Europe. As for other sports, Brava has gone in for alpine skiing (naming Madonna di Campiglio, Courchevel and Åre as her favorite skiing resorts), boxing, and scuba diving, also practicing archery in Israel. In 2008, Brava trained Muay Thai in Thailand and made a PR video for the Fairtex Bangplee training camp.

Brava has also learnt ballroom dances as she participated in Let’s Dance (the Swedish version of Dancing with the Stars) on TV4 in 2008. Brava and her dance partner Daniel da Silva won several rounds of the competition but, after an injury, came 6th out of 12.

Media. Brava first came into the public spotlight as a child violinist, performing on Finnish TV in the 1970s and 1980s and being featured in Finnish newspapers, in addition to concert tours all around Europe, the US, Canada, and Japan. Brava has always been open about her personal life, and especially the Finnish media has been covering this field of her life in detail throughout the years.

Since 1997, Brava has been featured in numerous TV programmes all around the world. Channel 4’s television profile about her has been aired all around Europe and Japan, while the Inside Edition profile on CBS was broadcast in the USA. Brava has also starred in a music special on Rai Uno, the biggest TV channel in Italy, and the concert was broadcast in 160 countries worldwide, while her solo orchestral appearance with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales was televised for Britain. In 2007, Brava appeared as a violin soloist in Anúna’s Celtic Origins music special on PBS, which aired the show on over 250 TV stations across the USA. Brava has also been featured in news programmes on ABC, the BBC, CNBC, CNN, and Fox News Channel, including shows like BBC Breakfast and The O’Reilly Factor, which is the most-watched cable news show in the USA. Brava has also been featured in light entertainment shows, including on E! Entertainment. With her classical album release, Brava visited several TV shows in Europe and the Far East, playing classical music for 200 million TV viewers at one time.

As for publications, Brava has been featured in the cover stories of The Sunday Times, Classic FM Magazine, Playboy, and many others. Both American Elle and Details chose Brava as the Best Newcomer in Music in 1998, and she has since been featured in numerous other fashion, lifestyle, and entertainment magazines as well, including Entertainment Weekly, Esquire, GQ, Hello!, Maxim, and Vogue. The Times has stated her to be “the gifted Finnish classical violinist”, who is “brilliant” and “acclaimed by critics”, while The Sunday Times stated “she plays like Nigel Kennedy”. Brava has also been called “a striking Finnish blonde with impeccable musical credentials” by the Los Angeles Daily News and “Finnish Phenom” by the New York Post. Additionally, she has been called a “virtuoso violinist” by both The Guardian and The Independent.

In 2010, Brava was one of the judges of the 1st season of X Factor in Finland, a singing competition based on Simon Cowell’s The X Factor franchise.

Discography. This is a list of albums, singles and DVDs, in which the Finnish violinist Linda Brava is featured. The list excludes recordings Brava has done as an orchestral and chamber musician with various Finnish orchestras and chamber ensembles in the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s.

Albums.

Soloist. 

• Linda Lampenius (Audiovox Records, 1997) – Finnish Top Album Chart: 8
• Linda Brava (EMI Classics, 1999) – UK Classical Chart: 14; Swedish Classical Chart: 6
• Nordic Light (Ladybird, 2005/re-released 2008) – Swedish Top Album Chart: 12
• Angels (Linda Lampenius Productions, 2010) – Swedish Classical Chart: 5 (2010); Swedish Classical Chart: 3 (2011)

Guest.

• Paul Oxley’s Unit – The Magic (Sony Music Entertainment Finland, 1996) (violin)
• Osmo’s Cosmos – Just For You (Edel Records Finland, 2003) (guest violin soloist)
• Smalare Än Thord – * World Hockey Party (Sweden’s Official Hockey CD 2004/2005) (Bam, 2004) (guest violin soloist) – Swedish Top Album Chart: 10
• Anúna – Celtic Origins (Elevation, 2007) (guest violin soloist) – Nielsen SoundScan – World Music: 1
• Celine Dion – Taking Chances (Sony, 2007) (strings) – U.S. Billboard 200: 3
• Tiny Harvest – It Hasn’t Been One Normal Day (Universal Music, 2007) (violin)
• Sofia Källgren – Cinema Paradiso (One Voice AB, 2008) (guest violin soloist)
• Carola – Christmas in Bethlehem (X5 Music Group, 2009) (guest violin soloist) – Swedish Top Album Chart: 4
• Yana Mangi – Earth Shadow (Transubstans Records, 2010) (violin)
• Saara Aalto – Enkeleitä – Angels (Yume Records, 2011) (guest violin soloist)
• Nanne – My Rock Favorites (Lionheart Music, 2011) (guest violin soloist) – Swedish Top Album Chart: 4
• Anúna – Illuminations (Danu, 2014) (guest violin soloist)

Singles.

Soloist.

• Violator/Toccata and Fugue in D minor (Audiovox Records, 1996)
• Ave Maria/Salut d’Amour (EMI Classics, 1999)
• Your Song (featuring Gentlemen) (Love No Limit Recordings, 2011)

Guest.

• Magnus Bäcklund – Burn (UNI, 2007) (featured artist) – Swedish Top Singles Chart: 4
• Emilia de Poret – Pick Me Up (UNI, 2008) (strings) – Swedish Top Singles Chart: 1

DVDs.

• Various Artists – Classic FM [2003] DVD (BMG Music Programming, 2003) (“Ave Maria” music video)
• Osmo’s Cosmos – 70’s Rock’n’Roll Show (Edel Records Finland, 2003) (guest violin soloist)
• Anúna – Celtic Origins (Elevation, 2007) (guest violin soloist)
• Robert Wells – Rhapsody in Rock 1998-2008 (Pan Vision, 2008) (guest violin soloist)

• Pete Eemeli Parkkonen (born 8 February 1990) is a Finnish singer. He took part in the Finnish Idol competition in its fourth season, then launched a solo career, releasing the albums The First Album in 2009 that topped the Finnish Albums Chart followed by I’m an Accident in 2010. He is set to represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 alongside violinist Linda Lampenius with the song “Liekinheitin“.

Career.

In Idol. Parkkonen auditioned with “Mies jolle ei koskaan tapahdu mitään”, a song by J. Karjalainen. During the competition, he interpreted various songs, most notably “Queen City” and “I Kissed a Girl”. In the semi-finals, he sang songs from Foo Fighters, Danko Jones and Eppu Normaali making it to the Final 3. The season finals were held on 9 November 2009 with Parkkonen considered the favourite to win. However, he was unexpectedly eliminated in the Final 3 phase finishing third. The grand finale was held on 14 December with Koop Arponen winning the title and Anna Puustjärvi as runner-up.

After Idol. After Idol, Parkkonen received a recording contract from Sony BMG and was the first season 4 contestants to release an album. Appropriately titled The First Album, he debuted at number 1 in its first week of release. The album went on to sell just over 24,000 copies and was accredited a gold award. Parkkonen’s second studio album, I’m an Accident was released on 18 February 2010, but failed to gain the same commercial success peaking at number 21.

He is preparing a third album in 2014 in Finnish language. Preliminary single releases from the prospective album include “Mitä minä sanoin” and “Mun”.

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu. Parkkonen won UMK 2026 with violinist Linda Lampenius with the song “Liekinheitin”, which received a record breaking 570 points and will represent Finland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

In popular culture. Parkkonen has also taken part in a number of reality television shows including season 2 of Livenä vieraissa (2009) where he sang “Womanizer” from Britney Spears and “Girl In A Uniform” his single. He also took part in Kuorosota, the Finnish version of Clash of the Choirs and broadcast on Nelonen station, coming second and donating 20,000 Euros to charity.

Discography

Studio albums.

Singles.

As lead artist.

As featured artist

Other charted songs.

Other appearances. 

Personal life. Parkkonen was born into a musical family, and his brother Ville Eetvartti is also a singer. His paternal grandfather was Pierre Rassin, a black French musician from Martinique, who met Parkkonen’s paternal grandmother in Äänekoski in 1953 when he worked for the traveling carnival Suomen Tivoli. Parkkonen has spoken openly about the childhood bullying he had experienced because of his dark skin color that he inherited from his father, Kari.

Parkkonen has a son (born in 2015) with singer Johanna von Hertzen, a second cousin of the Von Hertzen Brothers. Parkkonen has stated that his statement in an interview that he easily falls in love with people regardless of gender was incorrectly interpreted as him being bisexual. He clarified that he did not mean love in a sexual attraction sense.

• Eurovision Song Contest 2026 entry • Performing in the first half: 

Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen – Liekinheitin cover art

• Country: Finland
• Artists: Linda Lampenius x Pete Parkkonen
• Language: Finnish
• English title: “Liekinheitin” (Flamethrower)
• Realeased: 16 January 2026
• Genre: Pop-rock
• Composers: Antti Riihimäki, Lauri Halavaara, Linda Lampenius, Pete Parkkonen, Vilma Alina Lähteenmäki
• Lyricist: Antti Riihimäki, Lauri Halavaara, Linda Lampenius, Pete Parkkonen, Vilma Alina Lähteenmäki
• Finals performance: Semi-final result, points: -, – Ι Final result, points: -, –
• Entry chronology: “ICH KOMME” (2025) ◄ “Liekinheitin” (2026) ►

“Liekinheitin” (Flamethrower) is a song by Finnish violinist Linda Lampenius and Finnish singer-songwriter Pete Parkkonen. The song was composed by Lampenius and Parkkonen, together with Antti Riihimäki, Lauri Halavaara, and Vilma Alina Lähteenmäki, and was released on 16 January 2026 through Universal Music Oy and PME Records. It will represent Finland at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after winning the Finnish national final Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2026.

Upon its release, “Liekinheitin” became a commercial success in Finland, peaking at number one on the Official Finnish Singles Chart.

Background and composition. “Liekinheitin” was written by Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, with Antti Riihimäki, Lauri Halavaara, and Vilma Alina Lähteenmäki. The song was also produced by Riihimäki and Halavaara.

The collaboration between the two artists started when Riihimäki contacted Parkkonen during a break in one of his performances. At the time, Lampenius was already in the studio developing the song’s structure alongside Riihimäki, Lähteenmäki, and Halavaara. The production team had been evaluating potential collaborators for the track before finalizing the partnership with Parkkonen. 

Thematically, the song explores the idea of a “fiery yet frozen” relationship. Lampenius described the lyrics as being about a person who is “burning hot but suddenly turns ice cold”. Parkkonen further added that the song represents a dialogue between two perspectives: the one trying to get close and the one who does not dare let go. This duality is reflected in the instrumentation, where the violin and vocals are intended to “speak” to one another.

Release and music video. The song was officially released as a single on 16 January 2026 through Universal Music Oy and PME Records.^{[‡ 1]} The music video, directed by Vertti Virkajärvi, was simultaneously released on Yle Areena and the official YouTube channel of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu.^{[‡ 2]} Within its first week of release, the video surpassed one million views on YouTube, making it the fastest-growing video in the history of Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu.

Promotion. To promote “Liekinheitin” before the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Lampenius and Parkkonen announced their intent to participate in various Eurovision pre-parties. They will participate at Eurovision in Concert 2026 to be held at AFAS Live Arena in Amsterdam on 11 April 2026.^{[‡ 3]} They will also perform at the London Eurovision Party 2026 to be held at Here at Outernet on 19 April 2026.

Critical reception. Juuso Määttänen of Helsingin Sanomat characterized the song as “safe erotic pop”, praising Parkkonen’s vocals and Lampenius’ violin melodies while noting that its progression toward an “explosive climax” was reminiscent of previous Eurovision entries, specifically JJ’s “Wasted Love” and Erika Vikman’s “Ich komme”. Writing for Ilta-Sanomat, Iiro Myllymäki gave the song a generally positive review, praising the chemistry between Parkkonen and Lampenius, and considered the entry having the best chance of success at Eurovision, despite offering a minor criticism regarding the song’s “weak hook” and the lack of connection between the title and the chorus. He also called the entry “so Eurovision that it is almost a parody”, though he noted that in the context of the contest, “too much is rarely enough”.

The song has also been received positively by Finnish artists, including UMK winners Erika Vikman and Krista Siegfrids, former UMK participants Sara Siipola, Bess, and Tiina Forsby of Portion Boys, and Finnish personalities, including Maria Veitola and Johannes Holopainen, among others. Lead vocalist Tomi Putaansuu of the Eurovision 2006 winning band Lordi also provided a generally positive assessment of the song, describing it as “quite good” with a “cool vibe”, but he noted difficulty in identifying a definitive “hook”. While he admitted the arrangement was somewhat confusing to him, to which he attributed to his own preference for simpler heavy metal, he concluded that the entry “looks and sounds good” overall.

On the radio show Herman & Toivonen: Very Important Content, musicians Mitja Toivonen and Olli Herman gave the song a polarising review, despite giving it a rating of 7.5 and 8.5, respectively. Toivonen praised its potential for a “grandiose” stage performance, while Herman specifically commended Lampenius’s violin performance and Parkkonen’s vocal ability. However, the latter heavily criticised the song’s lyrical content, describing it as “toxic” and “repulsive”. Using a metaphor based on Snow White, he compared the narrative to a protagonist knowingly consuming a poisoned apple and returning for more, which he argued portrayed a highly unhealthy relationship.

Eurovision Song Contest 2026. 

Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2026. Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2026 was the national final format organised by Yle to select the Finnish representative for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The competition saw seven entries competing in a final on 28 February 2026. Results during the final were determined based on votes from the public and an international jury, with the final result being 75% of the public vote and 25% of the jury vote. Lampenius and Parkkonen were officially announced to compete in Uuden Musiikin Kilpailu 2026 on 14 January 2026, with their song released the following day. “Liekinheitin” was drawn to perform seventh at the final, and won the contest with 570 points, scoring 492 points from public vote and 78 points from the jury vote.

For its UMK performance, the creative team were composed of Ari Levelä, Reija Wäre, Juha-Matti Valtonen, Sergio Jaén, and Matti Myllyaho. The staging featured a dilapidated orchestra stand with chairs and benches both upright and upside down. Lampenius stood on a chair at the beginning of the performance, and Parkkonen was at the front of the stage. The performance also featured flames and other pyrotechnics. Lampenius and Parkkonen remained apart for the most part during the performance which reflects the themes of the song, with them being separated by a burning confessional. The performance ends with Lampenius and Parkkonen meeting in front of the chairs, with the chairs rising into the air.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, and will consist of two semi-finals to be held on the respective dates of 12 and 14 May and the final on 16 May 2026. During the allocation draw held on 12 January 2026, Finland was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the first half of the show. As of March 12th 2026, Finland are first in the betting odds to win the contest.

Charts

Release history

Lyrics: “Liekinheitin”. Finnish Ι English

Ois viisaampi häipyy täält
Miten tunteet vois jäädyttää?
Sä oot, sä oot
(Liekinheitin)

Samas illas, savuu ilmas
Etin ihmisjoukost sua
Puhut muille, sun tutuille
Oot ku et ees tuntis mua
Vähän outoo, ettet sä kato mua silmiin
Ku viime yönä et saanut musta käsiäs irti
Vaik saan sult runtuu
Niin se hyvältä tuntuu

Ois viisaampi häipyy täält
Mut tulel vielkin leikin
Miten tunteet vois jäädyttää
Ku sä oot liekinheitin?
Saat mut palamaan
Saan sust palan vaan
Oot niin kuuma, mut jääkylmä
Sä oot, sä oot
(Liekinheitin)
(Liekinheitin)

Pariin iltaan en sua kii saa
Voiko ihminen kuolla kiimaan?
Aina kun ollaan iho ihoa vasten
Mä saan sust palovammoja kolmannen asteen
Oh dear Lord, saanko viel yhen kasteen
Kun syntiä taas teen?

Ois viisaampi häipyy täält
Mut tulel vielkin leikin
Miten tunteet vois jäädyttää
Ku sä oot liekinheitin?
Saat mut palamaan
Saan sust palan vaan
Oot niin kuumа, mut jääkylmä
Sä oot, ѕä oot
(Liekinheitin)
(Liekinheitin)
(Liekinheitin)

Montenegro ha debuttato all’Eurovision Song Contest nel 1994. Ha partecipato finora a 13 edizioni e ha conquistato 2 finali. ha partecipato per la prima volta all’Eurovision Song Contest come nazione indipendente nell’edizione 2007, dopo la separazione con la Serbia avvenuta nel giugno del 2006. Si è ritirato nel 2010 per problemi finanziari, ed ha fatto il suo ritorno nel 2012. Prima dell’indipendenza, Montenegro partecipò al concorso come parte della Jugoslavia (sia come Repubblica Socialista Federale di Jugoslavia dal 1961 al 1991 che come Repubblica Federale di Jugoslavia nel 1992), e il Montenegro partecipò come parte della Serbia e Montenegro (dal 2004 al 2006). Le canzoni selezionate durante il periodo di partecipazione jugoslava, rappresentarono la Jugoslavia nel 1983 e nel 1984 e la Serbia e Montenegro nel 2005. Anche la canzone della Serbia e Montenegro, ritiratasi nel 2006, fu selezionata da RTCG. Ha raggiunto la finale nel 2014 e nel 2015. Quest’anno sarà rappresentato …

• Eurovision Song Contest 2026 artist • Performing in the second half:

Montenegro: Tamara Živković (Тамара Живковић) – “Nova Zora” (Нова зора, New dawn) (Boris Subotić (Борис Суботић) – Boris Subotić (Борис Суботић)). Language: Montenegrin (Contains lines in English). 

With a powerful voice and a distinctive identity, Tamara Živković is one of the most popular emerging artists in Montenegro.

Raised in a musical environment and classically trained as a flautist, Tamara began performing at a young age. Her early passion for music quickly evolved into a professional career that combines strong vocal expression, stage presence and artistic authenticity.

Throughout the years Tamara has gained recognition through major regional music competitions and festival performances. In her music, Tamara promotes messages of women’s empowerment, equality and love.

Eager to continue refining her artistry, the singer is currently studying performing arts at the Faculty of Music Arts in Belgrade.

• Birth name: Tamara Živković (Тамара Живковић)
• Also kown as: Tamara Živković (Тамара Живковић)
• Born / Origin: 2000 (age 25), Kotor,  Montenegro
• Occupations: Singer, Flautist Ι Instruments: Vocals, flute
• Genres: 
• Years active: 2016–present
• Finals performance: Semi-final result, points: -, – Ι Final result, points: -, –
• Artist chronology: Nina Žižić (2025) ◄ Tamara Živković (2026) ►

Tamara Živković (Тамара Живковић; born 2000) is a Montenegrin singer and flautist. She will represent Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with the song “Nova zora“.

She was a finalist in the fifteenth edition of the Serbian singing competition show Zvezde Granda (2022).

Career. Tamara Živković began her musical career at a young age. She gave her first solo concert at age 14, combining flute playing with vocal performance. She gained wider recognition after taking part in two editions of Montesong (Монтесонгу), Montenegro’s national final for Eurovision Song Contest.

In 2016, she took part in the Serbian singing competition show Pinkove Zvezdice (Пинкове звездице).

In 2022, she took part in the fifteenth edition of the Serbian singing competition show Zvezde Granda (Звезде Гранда), where she made it to the final.

In 2024, Živković competed in Montesong 2024, Montenegro’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 with the song “Poguban let” (Погубан лет), replacing Boban Rajović who withdrew from the competition due to personal commitments. At the end she had finished in 9th place with 6 points.

In 2025, Živković competed in Montesong 2025 with the song “Nova zora” (Нова зора). She won the final, winning the jury vote and achieving second place in the public vote with 12 and 10 points, respectively, thus being given the right to represent Montenegro at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna, Austria.

Personal life. She was born and raised in Kotor, Montenegro.^{[29][30][31][32]} She has also attended music school here.

As of 2025, she is a third-year undergraduate student at the University of Arts in Belgrade.

Since 2022, she resides between Kotor and Belgrade, capital of Serbia.

Živković named Charli XCX, Lady Gaga, Rosalía and Tate McRae as her inspirations.

Discography

Singles.

• Eurovision Song Contest 2026 entry • Performing in the second half:

Tamara Živković – Nova Zora

Tamara Živković – Nova zora revamp cover art

• Country:  Montenegro
• Artists: Tamara Živković (Тамара Живковић)
• Language: Montenegrin
• English title: “Nova Zora” (Нова зора, New dawn)
• Realeased: 27 November 2025
• Genre: 
• Composers: Boris Subotić (Борис Суботић)
• Lyricist: Boris Subotić (Борис Суботић)
• Finals performance: Semi-final result, points: -, – Ι Final result, points: -, –
• Entry chronology: “Dobrodošli” (2025) ◄ “Nova zora” (2026) ►

“Nova zora” (Нова зора; New dawn) is a song by Montenegrin singer Tamara Živković. The song is set to represent Montenegro in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after winning the national final Montesong 2025.

Promotion. To promote “Nova zora” before the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, Živković announced her intent to participate in various Eurovision pre-parties. She will perform at Melfest WKND 2026 to be held at Nalen in Stockholm on 6 March 2026. She will also participate at the Nordic Eurovision Party 2026 to be held at Rockefeller in Oslo on 21 March 2026. Further, she will perform at Eurovision in Concert 2026 to be held at AFAS Live Arena in Amsterdam on 11 April 2026.

Eurovision Song Contest.

Montesong 2025. On 14 October 2025, “Nova zora” was announced as one of the 15 songs selected for Montesong 2025. The song was made available to the public on 27 November 2025.

On 21 December, in the final, the song won first place in the jury vote and second place in the televote, gaining enough points to earn the victory and granting Živković the right to represent Montenegro at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna.

At Eurovision. The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, and will consist of two semi-finals to be held on the respective dates of 12 and 14 May and the final on 16 May 2026. During the allocation draw held on 12 January 2026, Montenegro was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

Lyrics “Nova Zora”: Montenegrin Ι English

Ko je ovdje ko? Ma kraj je
Moj je jači hod, za dalje
Iz srca sad vadim olovo
Sve je gotovo, sve je gotovo

(Lijepe žene, jake kao stijene, žene)
(Lijepe žene, lijepe su zbog sebe)
Finally breathin’ and finding love inside

Kiša traje, kiša traje, nebo znak mi daje
Grmi sijeva, grmi sijeva, sudbina se mijenja
O-ou, o-o-ou, o-ou-ou
Iza gora, iza mora, rodila se nova zora

(Nova zora)

Ko si ti da mi pričaš, ko sam ja?
Da l’ ću doć’ ili poć’? Ja sam otišla
Sve što vodi do tebe, sam srušila
Iz tvojih otrova, se Sunce probija
I nova zora zasija

(Lijepe žene, jake kao stijene, žene)
(Lijepe žene, lijepe su zbog sebe)
Finally breathin’ and finding love inside

Kiša traje, kiša traje, nebo znak mi daje
Grmi sijeva, grmi sijeva, sudbina se mijenja
O-ou, o-o-ou, o-ou-ou
Iza gora, iza mora, rodila se nova zora

Nema okova, nema okova, nema
Kô od gromova rođena žena
Nema okova, nema okova, nema
Kô od gromova rođena žena

Kiša traje, kiša traje, nebo znak mi daje
Grmi sijeva, grmi sijeva, sudbina se mijenja
O-ou, o-o-ou, o-ou-ou
Iza gora, iza mora, rodila ѕe nova zora

(Nova zorа)

¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦

Who’s who here? That’s the end of it
My stride is stronger, for what’s ahead
Now I’m pulling the lead out of my heart
It’s all over, it’s all over

(Beautiful women, strong as stone, women)
(Beautiful women, beautiful for their own sake)
Finally breathin’ and finding love inside

The rain goes on, the rain goes on, the sky is giving me a sign
Thunder, lightning – thunder, lightning, fate is changing
O-oh, o-o-oh, o-o-oh
Beyond the mountains, beyond the sea, a new dawn has been born

(A new dawn)

Who are you to tell me who I am?
Will I come or will I go? I left
Everything that leads to you, I tore down
From your poisons, the sun breaks through
And a new dawn shines

(Beautiful women, strong as stone, women)
(Beautiful women, beautiful for their own sake)
Finally breathin’ and finding love inside

The rain goes on, the rain goes on, the sky is giving me a sign
Thunder, lightning – thunder, lightning, fate is changing
O-oh, o-o-oh, o-o-oh
Beyond the mountains, beyond the sea, a new dawn has been born

No shackles, no shackles, none
A woman born as if from thunder
No shackles, no shackles, none
A woman born as if from thunder

The rain goes on, the rain goes on, the sky is giving me a sign
Thunder, lightning – thunder, lightning, fate is changing
O-oh, o-o-oh, o-o-oh
Beyond the mountains, beyond the sea, a new dawn haѕ been born

(A new dаwn)

Estonia ha debuttato all’Eurovision Song Contest nel 1994. Nel 1993 il paese, insieme ad altre sei nazioni interessate a partecipare all’Eurovision Song Contest per la prima volta, dovette concorrere in una semifinale ‘Kvalifikacija za Millstreet (Preselection for Millstreet; Présélection pour Millstreet)’ che si svolse a Lubiana, si classificò soltanto al quinto posto e non poté partecipare all’Eurovision Song Contest 1993 (Tanel Padar, Dave Benton & 2XL – ‘Everybody’). Ha partecipato finora a 30 edizioni e ha conquistato 20 finali. Ad oggi l’Estonia ha conquistato una vittoria nel 2001, permettendo così all’emittente di organizzare l’Eurovision Song Contest 2002 a Tallinn. L’Estonia si è classificata tra i primi otto in sei delle sette edizioni (1996-2002), con “Kaelakee hääl” di Maarja-Liis Ilus e Ivo Linna al quinto posto (1996), Maarja-Liis Ilus che è tornata a piazzarsi all’ottavo posto con “Keelatud maa” (1997), “Diamond of Night” di Evelin Samuel e Camille al sesto posto (1999) e “Once in a Lifetime” di Ines al quarto posto (2000), prima della sua prima vittoria nel 2001. Con questo successo, l’Estonia è diventata il primo dei nuovi paesi che si sono uniti all’Eurovision Song Contest negli anni ’90 a vincere la competizione. “Runaway” di Sahlene si è poi classificata terza per i padroni di casa a Tallinn nel 2002. Dall’introduzione della Semifinale nel 2004, l’Estonia non è riuscita a raggiungere la finale in dieci occasioni e ha ottenuto sei piazzamenti tra i primi dieci, più di qualsiasi altro Paese baltico, con “Rändajad” degli Urban Symphony sesto posto (2009), “Kuula” di Ott Lepland sesto posto (2012), “Goodbye to Yesterday” di Elina Born e Stig Rästa settimo posto (2015), “La forza” di Elina Nechayeva ottavo posto (2018), “Bridges” di Alika ottavo posto (2023) e “Espresso Macchiato” di Tommy Cash terzo posto (2025) come migliori risultati per l’Estonia. Quest’anno sarà rappresentato …

• Eurovision Song Contest 2026 artist • Performing in the second half:

Estonia: Vanilla Ninja (Lenna Kuurmaa, Piret Järvis-Milder, Kerli Kivilaan) – “Too Epic To Be True” (Liiga eepiline et olla tõsi) (Sven Lõhmus – Sven Lõhmus). Language: English. 

Vanilla Ninja is made up of Lenna Kuurmaa (vocals), Piret Järvis-Milder (vocals, guitar) and Kerli Kivilaan (vocals, guitar, bass).

The band was founded in 2002 and quickly became a big chart success domestically, as well as in several other countries, with their first international album Traces Of Sadness being particularly popular in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Vanilla Ninja also scored several continental hits with songs such as Tough Enough, When The Indians Cry, Blue Tattoo, I Know and Dangerzone.

In 2005, their Swiss success saw Vanilla Ninja represent Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest, where their song Cool Vibes finished in eighth place at the Grand Final.

A natural path for a band of their name to take, Vanilla Ninja launched their own ice cream in 2003, and it has been a bestselling ice cream in Estonia ever since. There are four flavours available: vanilla, chocolate, caramel and peppermint.

• Birth name: Lenna Kuurmaa, Piret Järvis-Milder,  Kerli Kivilaan
• Also kown as: Vanilla Ninja
• Born / Origin: 26 September 1985 (age 40)/6 February 1984 (age 42)/15 December 1992, Tallinn,  Estonia
• Occupations:  Ι Instruments: 
• Genres: Pop rock, hard rock
• Years active: 2002–2008; 2020–present
• Finals performance: Semi-final result, points: -, – Ι Final result, points: -, –
• Artist chronology: Tommy Cash (2025) ◄ Vanilla Ninja (2026) ►

Vanilla Ninja is an Estonian all-female rock band which enjoyed chart success in a number of countries across Europe, especially in Estonia, Germany, and Austria. They represented Switzerland in the Eurovision Song Contest 2005 with the song “Cool Vibes”, and will represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with “Too Epic to Be True”.

Formed in 2002, the band was originally a four-piece group consisting of Maarja Kivi, Lenna Kuurmaa, Katrin Siska, and Piret Järvis. Kivi left the group in 2004 and was replaced by Triinu Kivilaan. Kivilaan also left in 2005, rejoined in 2021, and left again in 2022 along with Siska. After their debut single “Club Kung Fu” was released in 2003, the band had many hits in Central Europe, including “Tough Enough”, “When the Indians Cry”, “Blue Tattoo”, and “I Know”. Vanilla Ninja are popular in their native Estonia and have had a brand of both ice cream and curd snack named after them, marketed exclusively in their home country due to their celebrity status there.

The band has released five studio albums: Vanilla Ninja (2003), Traces of Sadness (2004), Blue Tattoo (2005), Love Is War (2006), and Encore (2021).

History.

2002: Formation. Vanilla Ninja were formed in 2002 as a four-piece girl band. The original line-up consisted of Maarja Kivi (vocals/bass), Lenna Kuurmaa (vocals/guitar), Katrin Siska (vocals/keyboard) and Piret Järvis (vocals/guitar). Although all of the members were effectively vocalists, the main vocalist would often change between Kivi and Kuurmaa. At the time of formation the group’s producer was Sven Lõhmus.

Early in 2002 Kivi had participated in Eurolaul, Estonia’s Eurovision pre-selection contest, but had finished 7th. Due to her participation in Eurolaul she was chosen to front the band, which subsequently gained some exposure early on in their existence, despite none of the other members having had any previous national success in their career. Kivi had been friends with Kuurmaa for some time before the formation of the group, whilst Järvis and Siska were friends from school.

2003: Eurolaul and debut album. In 2003 the group participated in Estonian ESC preselection Eurolaul 2003. Performing the song “Club Kung Fu” the group proved to be by far the most popular in the phone polls, but unlike other countries, Estonia used a jury to decide the song for Eurovision instead of the televote. The jury, which included figures such as Michael Ball, proved to not share the opinion expressed by the televoters and placed the group joint bottom of the ten entrants. The participation and popularity of the song, however, helped the group and created exposure for the release of their debut album, Vanilla Ninja, released in May 2003. Containing the original version of the song “Club Kung Fu”, along with a drum and bass remix and thirteen new pop-rock tracks in English and Estonian, the album proved to be a success in Estonia and launched the band into the national mainstream, pushing the group to seek international success in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

2003/2004: Expansion into Europe and 2nd album. Following a successful debut in Estonia, Vanilla Ninja have launched themselves as a band in three German speaking countries of Europe – Germany, Austria and Switzerland. The band did not release their debut album or “Club Kung Fu” in these countries, instead opting for a new track called “Tough Enough”. Proving to again be a pop-rock track, although with less of a ‘novelty’ style to it, the song was released in Germany on 8 December 2003, and then later in Austria and Switzerland on 4 January and 8 February 2004 respectively. It proved to be a success, gaining large amounts of airplay on the popular VIVA music video channel, and making the top twenty in both Germany and Austria. The single also featured in the dance mat games “Dance Dance Revolution ULTRAMIX 2” and “In The Groove”.

Following the success of their debut single the group released “Club Kung Fu” in Germany, and then a third single, “Don’t Go Too Fast”, in both Germany and Austria on 4 and 5 April (and in Switzerland during March, although it missed the top 100). The latter just missed the top twenty in both countries, and was followed up by their second album Traces of Sadness in June 2004. The album included “Tough Enough” and “Don’t Go Too Fast”, as well as numerous other tracks, such as “When The Indians Cry” and “Liar”. It’s along with the album track “Metal Queen” have also both featured in the “DrumMania” series of drumming games.

2004: New Bandmember and Eurovision for Switzerland. Despite not having as much chart success in Switzerland as in Austria and Germany, the band had become increasingly popular with the Swiss public. Their chart performance had also been improving, with the Traces Of Sadness album making #14, but despite that no-one would have expected the shock announcement that the group would represent Switzerland in the 2005 Eurovision Song Contest. The Swiss selectors had suffered several years of poor results in the Eurovision, culminating in ‘null points’ for Piero and the MusicStars in the 2004 semi-final, and so looked to the group due to their popularity in both Switzerland and various other European countries. The announcement angered some people, especially Estonians, who felt that the group should represent their home country and not a country that they have minor connections to. In Switzerland some also opposed the selection, again on the basis that none of the group were Swiss. The selectors responded by stating that the song would still have a Swiss component due to it being mostly written by David Brandes. Ironically, although Brandes was born in Switzerland and went to school there, he is essentially German.

Their selection and participation in the contest was put into jeopardy soon after the announcement, though, after Maarja Kivi left the group due to becoming pregnant with her first child. Her replacement was Triinu Kivilaan, who at the time was only 15 years old. Their participation was put into doubt due to regulations stating that competitors must be at least 16 years old, a rule introduced to eliminate participants such as the 13-year-old 1986 Eurovision winner Sandra Kim. Kivilaan had in fact initially claimed to be 17 years old, but the Swiss selectors doubted this and eventually found out her true birth date was 13 January 1989.

It began to look as if Vanilla Ninja would not represent Switzerland in 2005, but the Swiss selectors decided not to reverse the selection, on the basis that Kivilaan would turn 16 before the contest. There was no danger of the EBU blocking their participation, because their own age rule specified a cut-off date of the contest itself, whereas national selectors could tweak their age regulations to their own liking. This annoyed some, who felt that the selectors had acted in a heavy-handed manner by selecting Vanilla Ninja.

Following the Eurovision selection the group went on to continue their success in Europe, releasing the single “Liar”. The single scraped into the top twenty in Germany and Austria, but performed disappointingly in Switzerland (reaching only #43 despite the announcement regarding Eurovision 2005). The following single, however, would prove to be their biggest hit to date and would launch them into the German top ten for the first time.

“When The Indians Cry”, their fifth Central European single, would be the group’s first slow, soft, ballad-like song. The music video would also be the first to feature Triinu Kivilaan, with previous videos featuring Maarja Kivi. Kivilaan proved to fit into the group well, looking older than her age of 15 and silencing critics who believed she would be out of place in a band with girls all three or more years older than her. Incidentally, one of the reasons that Kivilaan was chosen to replace Kivi was due to their similar appearance, making it easy to mix the two up. The song would be Vanilla Ninja’s first ballad, featuring a slow tempo, unlike most previous songs which had been fairly upbeat. It proved to be a hit, reaching #8 in the German charts in September 2004, #7 in the Austrian charts and #27 in the Swiss charts (which had not reacted as expected to their selection for Eurovision).

With the song putting them into the German chart mainstream, and gaining huge airplay on the music video channel VIVA, Vanilla Ninja would begin to become one of the biggest acts in Germany. The follow-up to “When The Indians Cry”, a new track called “Blue Tattoo” and in a similar style to their previous release, would also reach the German top ten whilst making the Austrian top twenty and Swiss top thirty.

2005: 3rd album and Eurovision. Following the success of the “Blue Tattoo” single in November and December 2004, the group would take a three-month break from releasing material in order to tour Asia. In 2004 the group had reportedly set an ambitious target of “conquering the world”, and the tour proved to be successful in helping them to begin to do that, winning new fans in countries such as Japan, China, Malaysia and Thailand. The group also played a key role in VIVA’s 2004 “Your Stars For Christmas” show, singing a re-worded version of “When The Indians Cry” called “Light Of Hope”.

In May 2005 the group returned to the charts, releasing a new song called “I Know”, which featured a mildly controversial video based around domestic abuse. The song was again successful, peaking at #13 in Germany and #17 in Austria. Two weeks after its release their third album, Blue Tattoo, was released in various European countries and proved to be as successful as the previous album, charting at #4 in Germany and, unsurprisingly (as it included the Eurovision song “Cool Vibes”), Switzerland.

During their hiatus in order to tour Asia the Swiss Eurovision song had been completed and had been announced as being called “Cool Vibes”. A short song, in order to comply with Eurovision regulations, the track received mixed response. Many saw it to be a good pop-rock song, but many believed it was not the girls’ best, and that it was not the type of song suitable for Eurovision.

The song failed to get off to a good start, though, as the song was banned from the German charts after writer and producer David Brandes was accused of manipulating the charts by buying thousands of copies of his artist’s singles. Among the songs he had allegedly bought many copies of were the groups “When The Indians Cry” single, and the German Eurovision entry “Run and Hide” by Gracia. Soon after Gracia was fired by her record company, and the two artists (along with “Virus Incorporation”) were banned from the charts for initially three weeks. The girls came out unaffected, although it would be a blow for the songwriter and may have meant the high position of “When The Indians Cry” was helped by the mass-buying of singles by Brandes.

Due to Switzerland getting no points in the semi-final of the 2004 contest, Vanilla Ninja had to compete in the Eurovision semi-final on 19 May 2005. Against artists such as Wig Wam, Luminita Anghel and Zdob şi Zdub the competition was difficult, but the group progressed to the final and were given good odds of 10/1 for winning the contest. The group’s performance in the final on 21 May was, according to some, not as good as it could have been, although those criticising the performance also criticised the song (believing a song similar to “When The Indians Cry” or even “Club Kung Fu” would have been better).

In the voting, however, the group did well in the early stages. Despite not representing their native Estonia, their home country responded well and gave the group the full 12 points (Estonia’s entry, Suntribe’s “Let’s Get Loud”, had been eliminated in the semi-final). Latvia also gave the group 12 points, whilst Germany rather surprisingly only gave them four. Austrian voters were even less impressed by the performance, not giving any points to the group at all.

Despite leading at the one-third stage, Vanilla Ninja eventually slipped down the leader board and finished 8th. The result allowed Switzerland to achieve their best result for years and automatic qualification for next year’s final, but for the group it was a disappointment considering their popularity and good odds for winning the contest.

Post-Eurovision, split from Brandes and fourth/fifth album. On 12 June 2005 the group released “Cool Vibes” in Switzerland, the single charting at number 17. Despite failing to make the top ten, a surprise as the girls represented Switzerland, the release became their best-placed Swiss single release yet. The single was not released in Germany initially, possibly due to the April 2005 allegations that David Brandes manipulated the chart placing of several of his songs, including “When The Indians Cry” by Vanilla Ninja, which resulted in a short ban from the charts for the group. However, on 2 July, the single charted in Germany at the comparatively poor position of #42, and in Austria at #70.

In a May 2005 interview with The Baltic Times, the group attempted to distance themselves from the pop music genre. Piret Järvis told the newspaper that the group “started out with a pop-rock style of music”. The band also claimed that their music is gradually become heavier and more typical of the rock genre.

Following the arguably disappointing performance of the “Cool Vibes” single, the group stopped releasing singles from their Blue Tattoo album, instead concentrating on touring commitments. By the second half of 2005 it would become clear that the group was starting to have problems with their record label, Bros Music, and their manager David Brandes. Since moving from the TopTen label the group had suffered from problems such as the scandal of Brandes buying their singles in bulk to boost chart positions, with the label also suffering problems (such as being ‘booted out’ of the Sony BMG Music Entertainment group). The problems escalated toward the end of 2005 when the girls parted company with Bros Music and Brandes, moving to the EMI-owned Capitol Music label. According to press releases from the group’s new management, their relationship with Bros Music and Brandes is now “hostile”, and any future affiliation with their former manager is therefore unlikely. Brandes himself has claimed that their career “is over”, and that their new management company are “amateurs”.

After leaving Bros Music, the group began work on what was intended to be their fourth album. Bros Music, however, released a ninth single, “Megamix”, in December 2005, along with a “greatest hits” album Best Of. According to the girls, they were not consulted about the release of the single or the album, with Järvis asking fans to not buy either release.^[11] This, along with the lack of promotion on Bros part, made both the single and album a flop (the single only made the lower reaches of the Swiss and German charts, failing to make the Austrian Top 100 at all, with the album making #70 in Switzerland and failing to chart elsewhere). The band’s not knowing about the releases was further backed up by 2004 promotional photos being used for the CD covers, with Maarja Kivi appearing, despite leaving the group over a year beforehand. Kivi’s appearance has also been claimed by some to be clever promotion on the part of Brandes, as Kivi is now signed to Bros as a solo artist.

Shortly after the failure of their uncommissioned single and album releases, the group announced that Triinu Kivilaan was leaving the group, with Kuurmaa, Siska and Järvis continuing as a trio. According to the remaining members of Vanilla Ninja, Kivilaan left because of the stress of being in the group, and to concentrate on her studies. Some have still, however, suggested that her leaving may have simply been down to a lack of vocal talent, or due to a rift with the other members. Despite rumours suggesting Kivi might be rejoining the group, it seems that the group will not be adding a fourth member again.

The group released their first original single for almost a year in April 2006, with “Dangerzone” seeing the girls retain their pop-rock sound from previous albums. The single charted on 7 May 2006 in Switzerland, peaking at #18, with the release in Germany placing one position higher. The Austrian release would also make #23, suggesting that the group is likely to continue the success that Traces of Sadness and Blue Tattoo had in Central Europe. Meanwhile, the girl’s fifth album Love is War is expected to be released in the near future.

The group is extremely popular in their native Estonia, with the girls seen as a-list celebrities in the Baltic countries. The three members are also seen as something of sex symbols in their homeland, with a 2006 poll by the Estonian magazine Kroonika voting Piret Järvis the country’s most attractive female. The top five of the poll also featured Siska (2nd) and Kuurmaa (4th). Kivilaan was not included, despite being a former model.

Eurolaul 2007. Vanilla Ninja participated in Eurolaul 2007, the Estonian preselection for the Eurovision Song Contest 2007, with the song “Birds of Peace”. Their song placed 4th.

Viña del Mar Festival 2008. Broken Records International S.A. founder, Héctor Faune, tried to contact Vanilla Ninja with no success, until two Polish fans (Tomek & Yo – Tomek), from the site love-ninjas gave to Faune Lenna’s direct contact, so he could propose to the band the idea to participate in the Viña del Mar International Song Festival 2008, representing their native Estonia.

This festival is the most important of this category in Latin America, girls participated with their power ballad “Birds of Peace”, and they won the “Silver Seagull” which is the maximum trophy of the Festival and ten thousand dollars as the Best Performers / Interpreters of the festival contest.

Vanilla Ninja recording a Per Gessle song. Vanilla Ninja’s 2008 single “Crashing Through the Doors” was written by Per Gessle from Roxette with lyrics by Piret and Lenna. Broken Records International put the Vanilla Ninja girls in contact with Per Gessle himself, who was glad to cooperate. The song peaked at #2 in Estonian charts.

Eurovision 2026. The band will represent Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after their victory in Estonia’s national final Eesti Laul. They are set to perform in the second half of the First Semi-Final on 12 May 2026.

Recent period. On 27 November 2020, after not releasing an album for almost 14 years, Katrin Siska posted on her facebook page that they will be releasing a new album in 2021, with Triinu re-joining the group. That album has been released and is called ‘Encore’.

In March 2022, Kerli Kivilaan, younger sister of Triinu Kivilaan, joined the group.

Music videos. Vanilla Ninja have made music videos for all of the singles they have released, although some have proved to be more popular than others. The first music video to feature Triinu Kivilaan was “When The Indians Cry”, with previous videos featuring the now departed Maarja Kivi. “When The Indians Cry”, along with “Tough Enough” and “Blue Tattoo” have been the most successful of Vanilla Ninja’s videos, in terms of airplay, to date. The video for “Cool Vibes” is the most recent of their videos to gain airplay, featuring regularly on Central European Video Channels throughout June and July 2005.

All of the girls’ videos have been extremely popular on German video channels, gaining airplay mainly on the popular music channel VIVA. The feat of airplay on VIVA is even more impressive because, from late 2003 until late 2005, the girls were signed to Bros Records, distributed by Sony BMG Music, when the station has been exposed as being biased for the airplay of artists signed to rival record company Universal.

Vanilla Ninja received a considerable amount of bad publicity for their “Cool Vibes” video, which seemingly stole material from Deine Lakaien’s video for their single “Mindmachine”. There is currently no proof that the band members of Vanilla Ninja knew about the alleged stolen material. That is because the video was produced in a phase of separation from David Brandes and he alone did the production for the video.

Discography. This is a comprehensive listing of official releases by Estonian pop-rock band Vanilla Ninja.

Studio albums.

#	Year	Title	Director	Place
1.	2003	“Nagu Rockstaar”		Tallinn, Estonia
2.	2003	“Tough Enough”	Mathias Vielsäcker, Christoph Mangler	Berlin, Germany
3.	2004	“Don’t Go Too Fast”	Mathias Vielsäcker, Christoph Mangler	Berlin, Germany
4.	2004	“Liar”	Carsten Gutschmidt, Bernard Wedig	Germany
5.	2004	“When the Indians Cry”	Mathias Vielsäcker, Christoph Mangler	Playa Caragol, Mallorca
6.	2004	“Blue Tattoo”	Sascha Kramer, David Brandes	Iceland
7.	2005	“I Know”	Sascha Kramer	Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Germany
8.	2005	“I Know (Unplugged)”
9.	2005	“Cool Vibes”
10.	2005	“Megamix”	video collage
11.	2006	“Dangerzone”	Jeffrey Lisk & Bernd Possardt	Cape Town, South Africa
12.	2006	“Rockstarz”	Sandra Marschner	Berlin, Germany

• Eurovision Song Contest 2026 entry • Performing in the second half:

Too Epic to Be True

• Country:  Estonia
• Artists: Vanilla Ninja
• Language: English
• English title: “Too Epic To Be True” (Liiga eepiline et olla tõsi)
• Realeased: 5 December 2025
• Genre: 
• Composers: Sven Lõhmus
• Lyricist: Sven Lõhmus
• Finals performance: Semi-final result, points: -, – Ι Final result, points: -, –
• Entry chronology: “Espresso Macchiato” (2025) ◄  “Too Epic to Be True” (2026) ►

“Too Epic to Be True” is a song by Estonian band Vanilla Ninja. It will represent Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 after winning Estonia’s Eurovision national final, Eesti Laul 2026.

Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

Eesti Laul 2026. Eesti Laul 2026 was the 18th edition of the national selection Eesti Laul, organised by ERR to select its entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026. The competition consisted of a 12-song final on 14 February 2026 at the Unibet Arena in Tallinn.

A 34-member jury panel selected Vanilla Ninja as one of the finalists from the submissions with the song “Too Epic to Be True”, which was announced during the ETV entertainment program Ringvaade on 30 and 31 October 2025. They previously represented Switzerland in 2005 with the song “Cool Vibes”. In the final, they finished in sixth and first place in the juries and public televoting respectively, earning a total of 19 points. In the superfinal, Vanilla Ninja earned approximately 35% of the total televotes. As a result of winning the competition, they earned the right to represent Estonia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.

Eurovision 2026. The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place at Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, and will consist of two semi-finals to be held on the respective dates of 12 and 14 May and the final on 16 May 2026. During the allocation draw held on 12 January 2026, Estonia was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, performing in the second half of the show.

Charts. 

Lyrics “Too Epic To Be True”: English Ι Estonian

Too epic to be true
But here I am with you
The spark between us
Wrote the plot for us
Too epic to be true

Maybe this could be heaven
Maybe I’m just a fool
Maybe we’re closer than we think
And I’ve got a clear view

When I said I loved you
I meant it
It is not so hard to believe it

Too epic to be true
But here I am with you
The spark between us
Wrote the plot for us
Too epic to be true

Maybe I am so reckless
I don’t play by the rules
Maybe we’re closer than we think
And we’ve got the clear view

When I said I loved you
I meant it
It is not so hard to believe it

Too epic to be true
But here I am with you
The spark between us
Wrote the plot for us
Too epic to be true

My life was uncontrolled
Pure rebel rock’n roll
Before you came to me, like that

I can’t take my eyes off you tonight
Then don’t
Your kisses are like dynamite
How dramatic, but do say it again

Too epic to be true
But here I am with you
The spark between us
Wrote the plot for us
Too epic to be true

Too epic, too epic, too epic, epic to be true
Too epic, too epic, too epic, epic to be true
The spаrk between us, wrote the plot for uѕ
Too epic to be true

¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦¦

Liiga eepiline, et olla tõsi
Aga siin ma olen sinuga
Säde meie vahel
Kirjutas meile süžee
Liiga eepiline, et olla tõsi

Võib-olla see võiks olla taevas
Võib-olla olen ma lihtsalt loll
Võib-olla oleme lähemal, kui arvame
Ja mul on selge vaade

Kui ma ütlesin, et ma armastan sind, siis
Ma mõtlesin seda tõsiselt
Seda pole nii raske uskuda

Liiga eepiline, et olla tõsi
Aga siin ma olen sinuga
Säde meie vahel
Kirjutas meile süžee
Liiga eepiline, et olla tõsi

Võib-olla olen ma nii hoolimatu, et
Ma ei mängi reeglite järgi
Võib-olla oleme lähemal, kui arvame
Ja meil on selge vaade

Kui ma ütlesin, et ma armastan sind, siis
Ma mõtlesin seda tõsiselt
Seda pole nii raske uskuda

Liiga eepiline, et olla tõsi
Aga siin ma olen sinuga
Säde meie vahel
Kirjutas meile süžee
Liiga eepiline, et olla tõsi

Mu elu oli kontrollimatu
Puhas mässumeelne rokenroll
Enne kui sa minu juurde niimoodi tulid

Ma ei saa täna õhtul sinult silmi ära võtta
Siis ära
Su suudlused on nagu dünamiit
Kui dramaatilised, aga ütle seda uuesti

Liiga eepiline, et olla tõsi
Aga siin ma olen sinuga
Säde meie vahel
Kirjutas meile süžee
Liiga eepiline, et olla tõsi

Liiga eepiline, liiga eepiline, liiga eepiline, eepiline, eepiline, et olla tõsi
Liiga eepiline, liiga eepiline, liiga eepiline, eepiline, et olla tõsi
Säde meie vahel kirjutas meie eest süžee
Liiga eepiline, et ollа tõѕi