Latvia in the Eurovision Song Contest 2026

Latvia is set to be represented at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with the song "Ēnā", written by Jānis Jačmenkins and Liene Stūrmane, and performed by Stūrmane herself under her stage name Atvara. The Latvian participating broadcaster, Public Broadcasting of Latvia (LSM), organised the national final Supernova 2026 in order to select its entry for the contest.

Prior to the 2026 contest, Latvijas Televīzija (LTV) until 2024, and Public Broadcasting of Latvia (LSM) since 2025, had participated in the Eurovision Song Contest representing Latvia 25 times since its first entry in 2000. It won the contest once in 2002 with the song "I Wanna" performed by Marie N. Following the introduction of semi-finals in 2004, it was able to qualify for the final between 2005 and 2008. Between 2009 and 2014, it failed to qualify to the final for six consecutive years before managing to qualify to the final in 2015 and 2016. Having once again failed to qualify to the final for six consecutive contests between 2017 and 2023, it managed to qualify to the final in 2024 with the song "Hollow" performed by Dons, placing 16th with a score of 64 points, and once again in 2025 with the song "Bur man laimi" performed by Tautumeitas, placing 13th with a score of 158 points.^[1]

As part of its duties as participating broadcaster, LSM organises the selection of its entry in the Eurovision Song Contest and broadcasts the event in the country. The broadcaster confirmed their intentions to participate at the 2026 contest on 1 August 2025.^[2] Since their debut in 2000 until 2012, LTV had organised the selection show Eirodziesma, which was rebranded and retooled as Dziesma in 2013 and 2014. Since 2015, LTV and LSM have organised the Supernova national final in order to select its entry. Along with its participation confirmation, the broadcaster announced that it would again organise Supernova in order to select its entry for 2026.^[2]

Supernova 2026 was the eleventh edition of the national final format used to select Latvia's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The competition commenced on 31 January 2026 and concluded with a final on 14 February 2026. All shows took place at the Riga Film Studio in Riga, and were hosted by Ketija Šēnberga, Lauris Reiniks and Māra Sleja. The competition was broadcast on LTV1, online via the streaming platform Replay.lv, the broadcaster's official website lsm.lv, and via radio on Latvijas Radio 5 with commentary by Mārtiņš Pabērzis.^[3][4]

The format of the competition consisted of three shows: two semi-finals and a final. The two semi-finals, held on 31 January and 7 February 2026, each featured twelve competing entries from which the top five advanced to the final. The final, held on 14 February 2026, selected the Latvian entry for Vienna from the remaining ten entries. Results during the semi-final and final shows will be determined by the 50/50 combination of votes from a jury panel and a public vote.^[5][6] Viewers will be able to vote via SMS and online through the official LSM website.^[7]

On 1 August 2025, LSM opened a song submission window for artists to apply, with the deadline set for 1 October 2025. Performers were required to be Latvian nationals or permanent residents of Latvia, while songwriters and producers could be from any country.^[5] Additionally, a songwriting camp was held in Riga between 25 and 28 August 2025 in order to create songs to be submitted for the competition.^[8] At the end of the submission period, 124 entries had been received.^[9] The twenty-four competing artists and songs were selected by a jury composed of representatives of the Latvian music, event and television industry, as well as foreign professionals, and were announced on 20 November 2025 on the programme Rīta Panorāma, broadcast on LTV1.^[10][11][12]

Among the selected competing artists are Robert Ox, who represented Latvia in 2022 as a member of Citi Zēni, and Amanda Bašmakova, who represented Latvia in Junior Eurovision 2011 as a member of Elpo.^[10]

The semi-finals took place on 31 January and 7 February 2026. In each semi-final, twelve acts competed and the top five entries qualified to the final based on the combination of votes from a jury panel and the Latvian public.^[5][6]

The final took place on 14 February 2026 where the ten entries that qualified from the semi-final competed. The song with the highest number of votes based on the combination of votes from a jury panel and the public, "Ēnā" by Atvara, was declared the winner. In addition to the competing entries, guest performers included 2023 Latvian entrants Sudden Lights and Estonian singer Noëp.^[15]

The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 will take place at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna, Austria, and consist of two semi-finals held on the respective dates of 12 and 14 May and the final on 16 May 2026. All nations with the exceptions of the host country and the "Big Four" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) are required to qualify from one of two semi-finals in order to compete for the final; the top ten countries from each semi-final will progress to the final. On 12 January 2026, an allocation draw was held to determine which of the two semi-finals, as well as which half of the show, each country will perform in; the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) split up the competing countries into different pots based on voting patterns from previous contests, with countries with favourable voting histories put into the same pot.^[19] Latvia was scheduled for the second half of the second semi-final.^[20]

• Official Supernova website