Estonian national broadcaster ERR has announced that it will provide Estonian Sign Language translations for the Eurovision Song Contest 2023.
ERR, in continuing their cooperation with the nonprofit organisation Eesti Viipekeele Selts (Estonian Sign Language Society), will once again provide on-screen Estonian Sign Language interpretation for viewers of the Eurovision Song Contest 2023. On-screen interpretation will be available for the grand final on May 13 on ETV2 and via ERR’s online platform Jupiter. Interpretation for the semi-finals on May 9 and May 11, meanwhile, will be exclusively on Jupiter.
The broadcaster has also released sign language versions of all of this year’s Eurovision songs. Interpeters Roza Petrova (pictured above), Merlin Püss, Mari-Liis Ungerson, Hele-Riin Karja, Bella Kurg, and Jegor Andrejev perform their versions of the songs alongside the offical music videos released earlier this year. You can watch all their performances here on ERR Jupiter.
ERR has consistently released Eurovision-related programming in Estonian Sign Language, such as national final Eesti Laul 2023 and previous years’ Eurovision Song Contests.
Source & Image Source: ERR
Estonia debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest in 1994 alongside six other countries. At the contest in Dublin they were represented by Silvi Vrait, who finished second last scoring just 2 points. In 2001 Estonia won the Eurovision Song Contest for the only time to date. They were represented by Tanel Padar, Dave Benton & 2XL, who performed the song “Everybody� and took a surprise victory in Copenhagen. After the success of the late-90s and early 00s, Estonia failed to qualify for the final from 2004-2008. In 2009 Estonia launched a new selection show, Eesti Laul, and has since qualified for the final on eight out of thirteen attempts.