Supernova explodes onto screen – Atvara to Vienna

Supernova 2026 is done and dusted, and for once Latvia’s national final felt less like a polite talent show and more like a country having a small identity crisis in public – in a good way. Ten acts took part after qualifying from their respective semi final.

De Mantra had the thankless job of opening, but “Let Them” did exactly what you want from first on: lots of attitude, lots of lights and an instantly memorable hook. It set out Supernova’s stall early – this was going to be a night aimed at the streaming era, not a nostalgia special.

ELPO kept things on a local wavelength with “Blakus”, weaving Latvian‑language lyrics through a modern, radio‑ready production. It walked that line between intimate and accessible, the sort of song that quietly builds a fanbase even if it isn’t the loudest thing on the running order.

Krisy’s “Take It” then swung the pendulum towards more straightforward pop, polished and hook‑driven with the kind of staging that feels lifted from a well‑funded tour rather than a one‑off TV show. It was early proof that Latvia has no shortage of acts ready to look and sound the part on a bigger stage.

The middle that actually mattered

Kautkaili landed in the middle with “Te un tagad”, leaning into a more alternative, band‑driven aesthetic. Organic instrumentation, moody lighting and a slow‑burn build gave it a different kind of weight – less instant, more atmospheric, the sort of thing juries often quietly appreciate.

LEGZDINA followed with “Ribbon”, which felt like it had wandered in from a cool club set: sleek, minimal and self‑assured. The performance was all about presence and groove rather than vocal fireworks, a deliberate choice that made it stand out in a field where several acts were still trying to belt their way into people’s memories.

Emilija’s “All We Ever Had” brought the first big ballad energy of the night, structured around a clean vocal line and a classic verse‑to‑soaring‑chorus build. It ticked the emotional‑moment box without feeling stale, giving viewers a breather from the more rhythm‑heavy entries around it.

Where things got interesting

Atvara’s “Ēnā” shifted things back into darker, more experimental territory, pairing shadowy visuals with a track that flirted with rock, alt‑pop and something altogether harder to pin down. It was the kind of performance that divides opinion but lodges itself in the memory – never a bad thing in a ten‑song final.

Robert Ox turned the dial to “utterly unapologetic” with “Ravin at the Taj Mahal”, arguably the most eccentric package of the night. Genre‑hopping, visually busy and absolutely not designed to fade into the background, it provided the sort of talking point every national final secretly needs.

Then came “#010126 CODA” from TIKASHA SAKAMA, a glitchy, concept‑heavy piece that leaned hard into digital aesthetics and processed sound. It felt more like performance art beamed in from a future Supernova than a safe Eurovision bet, which is precisely why a certain segment of the fandom will have adored it.

Closing with “Cruel Angel”, Miks Galvanovskis did the classic final‑slot thing and threw everything at the staging – big chorus, big lights, big presence. It was built to look good in recap clips and Eurovision previews alike, ending the show on the sort of anthemic note broadcasters love.

And those results?

After just the correct amount of rounds, namely one, the televote and the jury were totted up in the time honoured 50/50 split.  Results in full were not announced, just the positions which is maddening but worse things happen at sea!  Your winner sounds something like this…