2008 was the last time Latvia qualified for the Final of the Eurovision Song Contest to date: Back then, Pirates of the Sea (pictured) reached the 12th place in Belgrade with their cheerful act . It was also the last time foreign songwriters were welcomed to enter their songs for the national selection of the Baltic country.
For the 2013 national selection, this rule has been implemented again, yielding as much as 122 entries that were submitted in the open competition till the deadline. However, the performers on stage still have to be Latvian citizens.
A professional jury will now listen to all the potential entries, and on 11 December, the 24 songs to be represented in the national semi-finals, to take place on 8 and 9 February, will be released during a press conference. The Latvian national final will be broadcast live from the city of Ventspils on 16 February.
