Latvia Cranks Up the Volume: Five Supernova Finalists Shine in First Semi

Forget your wine and cheese evenings — Supernova 2026 has landed, and Latvia is clearly in it to sing, not just to show up. The first semi-final of the country’s Eurovision selection just wrapped up at Riga Film Studio, and while some acts sparkled, others… let’s just say they’re now free to enjoy the catering.

Your first five finalists, please!

It was a night of light shows, key changes and at least one performance that featured a singer levitating emotionally. Here’s who made it through:

• TIKASHA SAKAMA with «#010126 CODA» — the title may be a Wi-Fi password, but the vibes were high-frequency (it was our favorite!).
• ELPO brought electropop with “Blakus” (that’s “Beside”, for those not fluent in poetic Latvian).
• Emilija serenaded us with “All We Ever Had” — and apparently, it was more than enough.
• Kautkaili took us “Here and Now”, reminding us that the present moment includes some serious stage presence.
• De Mantra told us to “Let Them” — and we did. Straight into the final.

The remaining seven acts… well, they gave it their best. And who knows — one lucky non-qualifier might still be awarded a wildcard to the final. Because, as we’ve all learned by now: Latvia loves a twist.

The Setup: Sleek, Smooth and Decidedly Latvian

The night was presided over by a triple-threat hosting dream team: Ketija Šēnberga, Lauris Reiniks, and Māra Sleja, who juggled banter, bios and that mysterious jury silence with remarkable grace.

Results came courtesy of a 50/50 split between public televote and jury panel. A refreshingly balanced approach that neither rewards mass popularity alone nor leaves everything to a panel of music professors.

Who’s still in the running?

With five finalists now through, all eyes turn to next week’s second semi-final, where another batch of hopefuls will battle it out for a spot in the grand final.

Oh, and let’s not forget that wildcard slot. Somewhere among tonight’s unlucky seven may lie Latvia’s secret Eurovision weapon. Stranger things have happened. (See: Moldova, 2010.)

Final thoughts: No gimmicks, just good music (and some delightful nonsense)

Latvia’s Supernova format is a gift. It feels authentic, it sounds solid, and — crucially — it doesn’t try to out-Eurovision Eurovision. Whether you were won over by vocal prowess, emotional lyrics or outfits that would make a drag queen blush, there was something here for every flavour of Eurofan.

So if you missed it? Catch up. Because Riga just quietly reminded us: when Latvia takes it seriously, the rest of us should pay attention.