Who are Vanilla Ninja? Meet Estonia's Eurovision 2026 entry

Bringing rock to the Eurovision stage is the all-female band Vanilla Ninja who dabble as ice cream makers on the side. What a career path.

Already a hugely popular artist outside the Eurovision sphere, the band are no strangers to the stage and have a large following of loyal fans, who presumably love their ice cream.

Vanilla Ninja blends early-2000s pop-rock with female harmonies, along with some added Eurovision drama, but will it be enough to secure Estonia its second ever win at the international song contest?

As we wait to see whether they will qualify for the Grand Final, here's everything you need to know about Estonia's entrant Vanilla Ninja.

Who are Estonia Eurovision 2026 entry Vanilla Ninja?

Instagram: @thisisvanillaninja

Vanilla Ninja is an all-female rock band made up of original members Lenna Kuurmaa (vocals) and Piret Järvis-Milder (vocals, guitar) alongside new comer Kerli Kivilaan (vocals, guitar, bass).

The band was founded in 2002 and quickly found international success with their first album Traces Of Sadness being particularly popular in Germany, Switzerland and Austria.

This year is not their first Eurovision rodeo as in 2005 Vanilla Ninja represented Switzerland at the Eurovision Song Contest with the song Cool Vibes and finished in eighth place at the Grand Final. However, this year is special as it will be the first time they are representing their home country.

If you're not a fan of their music then you might instead like their own ice cream brand which is available in flavours including vanilla, chocolate, caramel and peppermint. Truthfully, I'm more of a rum and raisin girl myself. Launched in 2003, it has it has been a bestselling ice cream in Estonia ever since.

How old are Vanilla Ninja?

Lenna Kuurmaa is 40 years old, Piret Järvis-Milder is 42 years old and Kerli Kivilaan is 33 years old.

What nationality are Vanilla Ninja?

All members of Vanilla Ninja are Estonian with Lenna Kuurmaa and Piret Järvis-Milder both born in its capital Tallinn.

What have Vanilla Ninja said about representing Estonia at Eurovision 2026?

After winning Eesti Laul 2026, Vanilla Ninja said they wanted to give their "very best in Vienna" and added they had reworked their entry song to sound "more powerful" and "rockier" for the Eurovision stage.

What is Estonia's Eurovision 2026 song called?

This year, Vanilla Ninja is bringing the song Too Epic To Be True to the Eurovision stage.

Written by Sven Lõhmus, who has previously penned three other Eurovision bangers, its a sincere love song about being in an "unreal" relationship and is very true to Vanilla Ninja's authentic early-2000s Euro pop-rock sound.

Where did Estonia come in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest?

Last year, Estonia's representative Tommy Cash achieved a podium finish of third place with his song Espresso Macchiato - it was incredible catchy.

The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to take part in the event due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

This year, a number of countries will boycott the contest following the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to expel Israel from the competition.

At the EBU general assembly in December 2025, a vote was held to introduce new rules that would stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters. No vote was held on Israel’s participation.

The EBU said in a statement: “A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place.”

Following this, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland confirmed they would not participate in this year’s Eurovision.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ said: “RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk.”

The BBC, which broadcasts the competition in the UK, has said it supports the decision made by the EBU. “This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive,” it said in a statement.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.

You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.

Check out more of our Entertainment coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.