Riga Music Week 2026 is bringing Europe’s music industry to Tallinas iela, and more than 50 acts with it.
The week runs 4 to 6 November in the Tallinas Street Quarter: a music industry conference by day, a city festival by night. On 4 November, Riga also reveals the 15 nominees for the EU’s Music Moves Europe Awards 2027, a first for Latvia.
Key facts
- When: 4 to 6 November; festival nights on 4 and 5 November, outdoor stage from 5:30 PM, entry from 6:00 PM
- Where: Tallinas Street Quarter, plus partner venues around Riga on 6 November
- Who: 50+ artists from Latvia, the Baltics and Europe, on six stages
- Big moment: the 15 Music Moves Europe Awards 2027 nominees, revealed in Riga on 4 November
- Tickets: festival passes on Biļešu Serviss
Who’s playing Riga Music Week 2026?
The festival programme spreads indie, rock, electronic, folk and jazz across six stages: two in Angārs, plus the M stage, Ezītis miglā, Rocket Bean and an outdoor stage.
Wednesday, 4 November, closes with Tribes of the City at midnight. Before that: France’s Khamsin, Stūrī Zēvele, KRISY, Les Attitudes Spectrales and Trio Elpo, plus a folk run on the outdoor stage with Vilkači and Laimas Muzykanti.
Thursday, 5 November, is the stacked one. Might Delete Later headlines the Angārs NA Events stage at 11:20 PM, after ELPO and France’s Elle Valenci. MARTA, Oil x Gas, Matērija and Finland’s Muovipussi are on too, and the folk crowd gets FolkKardio and Rikši outside.
Aged 12 to 17? You’re in until 11:00 PM, then you need a parent or guardian.
On Friday, 6 November, festival passes get you into partner shows around the city, capped at each venue’s capacity. Very Cool People play the music of ODIS at Splendid Palace, with ODIS frontman Arnis Mednis on keys. Asnāte Rancāne and Staņislavs Judins launch their album Op. 3 at Vagonu Hall, and the Skaņu mežs crew runs SNACK, an experimental showcase, at BAMS on Cēsu iela.
Why does the EU music prize matter here?
The award has helped young European acts break out for 20+ years. Past winners include Dua Lipa, Adele and Rosalía, NRA reports. Latvia’s Carnival Youth won it in 2016, back when it was called the European Border Breakers Awards.
FluxFM presenter Diona Bathily hosts the reveal, which includes a chat with Might Delete Later, herself a nominee for the 2026 awards. The European Commission gave each 2026 winner €10,000.
By day, the conference opens with a panel on music, power and security, with Foreign Minister Baiba Braže and BBC Radio 6 Music’s Chris Hawkins among the speakers.
It’s Riga’s next big music date after an August of Positivus 2026 at Mežaparks and Riga’s 825th birthday weekend.
Pick your stage. See you on Tallinas iela.
Photo: Carnival Youth, 2016 EBBA winners, live in Innsbruck (2016), Simon Legner / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
