Riga Music Week announces first 28 acts for November festival
Riga Music Week has drawn 1,126 artist applications from 89 countries for its second edition, scheduled for November 4 and 5 across seven stages in the Tallinas Ielas Kvartāls. Organizers announced the first 28 accepted acts representing eight countries, a lineup spanning international festival veterans to underground regional specialists.
Global Reach and International Connections
Despite being in its second year, the festival attracted applicants from locations as distant as Melbourne, Australia—approximately 16,000 kilometers away from Riga. Festival organizers noted that 86.7 percent of applicants had not previously considered visiting the city, attributing the surge to the resonance of last year’s inaugural event. The heavy interest from Australian acts was linked by organizers to the Estonian artist NOËP, who has toured Australia and performed frequently in the Baltics, alongside international touring by regional acts like Tautumeitas.
Among the initial 28 acts announced, Estonia’s SADU stands out as a prominent international name. The group’s 2025 debut album, Probleemid Paradiisis, surpassed more than 10 million streams, and the band collected three Estonian Music Awards this year for Album of the Year, Band of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year. Estonian representation also includes Pärnu rock band Sibyl Vane, returning after several prior appearances in Riga, and producer and guitarist Raul Ojamaa. Lithuania is represented by Antikvariniai Kašpirovskio dantys, known for theatrical performances blending Balkan music, reggae, post-punk, and polka across Europe, Asia, and North America. Additional international additions include French singer Elle Valenci, whose hit track “Perfect Blue” exceeds 30 million streams, and Berlin-based electronic producer JKLN.
Domestic Headliners and Export Prospects
Latvian acts form the foundation of the event’s roster. Producer and performer Might Delete Later—also known as Anna Madara Pērkone or her side project Annna—leads the domestic lineup. Having performed her electronic dance music program at European festivals including Tomorrowland and Sziget, she was recently named Latvia’s major export hope at the Gamma Awards. Based in the Netherlands for several years, she will make a rare appearance on a local stage. The domestic program also features Marta, whose track “Villain of the Day” from her latest album aired on BBC Radio 1 following a release concert at the Spīķeri Concert Hall ahead of her upcoming appearance at Eurosonic Noorderslag.
The festival’s growth highlights the logistical scale required to manage an influx of international talent and global applicants.