Estonia has opened its submissions process for Eesti Laul 2024 — and it’s also introduced some big changes to this year’s format.
First things first: The deadline to submit songs for their Eurovision 2024 national final is October 23 at 12:00 local time.
“We are waiting for songs for the competition that would represent Estonia in the best way in front of the whole of Europe,” Karmel Killandi, editor-in-chief of the program, says. “The culmination of Estonia’s biggest singing competition will come on February 17, when the final will take place in Tallinn.”
Eesti Laul 2024 drops second semi-final
In their announcement, the broadcaster revealed several changes for this year’s competition.
Unlike last year — when the country had two semi-finals — this year there will only be one. The preliminary event will take place on January 20 in the city of Tartu.
“Considering the changing world and the complex economic environment, we are also holding back, but we are bringing new Estonian music to the fore in the best possible way,” Karmel Killandi says. “And what better place to look for a song heading to Europe than Tartu, the European capital of culture in 2024.”
This preliminary round will include a “broad-based jury” that will choose 20 songs. Five of those songs will go directly to the final, while the other 15 will compete to advance from the semi.
There will be “several dozen members” on that jury, “representing musical knowledge and experience, but it also includes ordinary people for whom music is written.”
Ultimately ten songs will compete in the final. As we’ve seen in recent years, the winner will be determined in a superfinal that’s 100% televote.
Other Eesti Laul 2023 rules
We’re pasting these verbatim to avoid any confusion.
“Songs can be submitted for the Estonian Song 2024 competition until October 23, the deadline is 12 noon. Until October 21, the fee for participating in the competition is 50 euros for a song in Estonian and 100 euros for a song in a foreign or multilingual language. In the last days of the competition, the participation fees double and are 100 and 200 euros, respectively.”
“Authors and collectives of authors who are citizens of the Republic of Estonia, foreign residents of the Republic of Estonia within the meaning of the Income Tax Act or non-residents can participate in the Estonian Song Contest. The song may not have more non-resident authors than citizens and/or resident authors of the Republic of Estonia combined. The singer(s) can also be citizens, residents or non-residents of the Republic of Estonia. The principle of up to five songs applies to both performers and authors.”
“The winners of the preliminary round of Eesti Laul 2024 will be announced at the beginning of November, the first presentation of the songs will take place at the beginning of December. In order to give the best possible platform to the songs participating in the Estonian Song Contest, we cooperate with ERR channels. In order to support new music, this year Rádio 2 also wants to present songs that were left out of the final competition.”
“The song together with other material listed in the regulations must be uploaded to the ERR website eestilaul.ee.”
“The regulations of Eesti Laul 2024 and the necessary information for participation can also be found on the website of the Estonian National Broadcasting Company at www.eestilaul.ee.”