Ulls Secs, MiQ Puigserver and Espurna, among the five finalists of the Pop Rock 2026 contest

PalmaUlls Secs, MiQ Puigserver, Cometa Javi, Pau Vizcaíno and Espurna are the five musical projects that will compete in the grand final of the Pop Rock 2026 contest, which will take place next November 15th at the Es Gremi venue in Palma. The jury made public this Monday the names of the selected ones after evaluating the performances of the 16 semi-finalists who have passed through the competition during the last weeks.

The five finalists have obtained the best scores among the 92 proposals that were initially presented to the contest. The jury for this edition is made up of Pep Toni Ferrer, Núria Maruny and Manuel Ramos, who will be joined for the final by the Barcelona singer and actress Helena Miquel, known for having been the vocalist of the groups Élena and Facto Delafé y Las Flores Azules. In 2017 she released her first solo album, El sol en la sombra.

The gala will begin with the performances of the five selected projects and will also include two guest performances: that of U.R. Bad, the winning band of Pop Rock 2025, and that of the composer, singer and instrumentalist from Palma, Maika Makovski, who began her artistic career at only 12 years old.

Five different musical proposals

Among the finalists are three Mallorcan bands exploring different facets of alternative rock. This is the case of Ulls Secs, a band made up of Miquel Seguí, Jaume Hurtado, and Víctor Ricci, which combines alternative rock with indie influences and introspective atmospheres. The group released its first album in 2025, Llàgrimes, and is currently working on a second album with a more experimental sound. Furthermore, this year they have been selected to participate in the Sona9 competition.

There is also Cometa Javi, a Palma-based indie rock and midwest emo trio formed by José Carlos Riutort, Miguel Vidal, and Tomeu Adrover. The band was born from the reunion of three high school friends who, after participating in other musical projects, decided to launch their own proposal, with everyday lyrics that combine nostalgia, humor, and emotions.

The third alternative rock project is Espurna, a band from Manacor formed by Arnau Galmés, Ari Santos, Roger Moragues, and Joel Moragues. The group emerged from the A Part o Banda call, promoted by the Manacor collective Neura, which provided them with a rehearsal space at the Goya cinema. Last June, they presented their first short-length work and won the first prize for the Guillem d'Efak Song at the Ciutat de Manacor awards.

The list of finalists is completed by MiQ Puigserver and Pau Vizcaíno. The former, the stage name of Miquel Puigserver Barceló, is a Mallorcan musician and producer who has been part of independent scene groups such as Post, Rec On, White Bear, and Misery Strings. After beginning to develop a solo career, he has released his first album, Two Doves.

Pau Vizcaíno is a musician and producer born and raised in Madrid, but living in Palma. Son of the artists Nazareth Sánchez and Alberto Vizcaíno, he has developed his own proposal that moves between pop-funk and hip-hop, with more than a dozen published songs and several collaborations.

Prizes of up to 3,000 euros

The five finalists will compete for the top three prizes of the contest, endowed with 3,000, 2,000, and 1,000 euros, respectively. In addition, the overall winner will be able to be part of the program for the next edition of Fira B, with remuneration from the Institut d'Estudis Baleàrics.

The competition also provides for several runners-up prizes for which all semi-finalists will be eligible, regardless of whether they have reached the final or not. The awards are linked to Satèl·lit Fest, which joins the contest for the first time this year, the Fira del Disc in Mallorca, the magazine Enderrock, the Es Gremi venue, the Mallorca Live Festival, and the Cranc Illa de Menorca Festival. The other 11 semi-finalists who did not secure a spot in the final are Stress Pills, Fera, Creepy Demons, Pablo Bronze, Hyato, Leo Cervan Project, Na Xisca, Carol Hazas, Eve Calletti, En Dani, and S-SEÈ.