On 1 October, the window to submit entries for Latvia’s national selection for Eurovision 2026, Supernova, closed. Latvian broadcaster LTV/LSM announced that 124 songs had been submitted.
28 more songs than for 2025
This number, 124, shows a rise of 28 entries since last year’s submission process, for Supernova 2025. This rise has been highlighted by Agnese Štrause-Kubliņa, Head of Entertainment and Documentary Content at LTV.
We are delighted that musicians appreciate Supernova. There are more songs than last year, which shows that the desire to promote Latvia’s name in the world, the millions of Eurovision viewers and the achievements to date have clearly encouraged many to apply. In addition, the variety of genres is very wide – from country music to energetic rock compositions. Viewers will have the opportunity to experience exciting shows. Thank you to everyone for their hard work!
Agnese Štrause-Kubliņa, Head of Entertainment and Documentary Content at LTV
This follows two Eurovision Grand Final qualifications in a row for Latvia, after a long non-qualification streak (2017 to 2023 included) and rising TV ratings and shares for both Eurovision and Supernova in Latvia.
Shortlisting for the semi-finals
The final line-up for the TV shows will be determined by a jury, who will be composed of experts from the music and entertainment industry. The names of the jury members will only be revealed after Eurovision, in May 2026.
The jury will make its decision by judging entries on several criteria: on the merits of the song itself (composition, lyrics, originality, etc.), how they follow current trends from the music industry, as well as the merits of the performer (vocal ability, potential to compete internationally, and previous experiences and achievements in the music industry).
The format of the selection will also change, possibly allowing more songs to make the shortlist. Supernova will indeed go back to a “2-semi-finals” format, with the semi-finals on January 31 and February 7, and the a final planned for February 14. Five songs will qualify from each semi-final, with a potential wildcard being allowed for an eleventh entry.
Who do you hope to see in Supernova 2026? Who do you think will be there? Will Markus Riva come back? And do you think the Latvian selection is now getting stronger and stronger and entering the higher tiers of national selections in the Eurovision season? Tell us more in the comments below or on social media!
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