Watch: Tonight at 22:00 CET, the first semi-final of “Festival da Canção 2026” takes place. Five songs will earn their place in the grand final. Link to watch the live broadcast – Below!
Tonight marks the beginning of Portugal’s “Festival da Canção 2026”. Eight artists will compete for five spots in the grand final, which will feature ten contestants in total. Four finalists will be chosen through a combination of 50% public votes and 50% jury votes, while the fifth finalist will be decided by a second round of 100% public voting.
The semi-final will take place at the Valentim de Carvalho studios in Lisbon, hosted by Vasco Palmeirim, Alexandre Guimarães, and Catarina Maia. This is the first of two semi-finals, with the grand final – where Portugal’s entry for Eurovision 2026 will be selected – scheduled for March 7th in Lisbon.
The first semi-final will start at 22:00 and is expected to run until 01:00 CET.
Watch the first semi-final of “Festival da Canção 2026” live here!
First Semi-Final: Running Order
- Dinis Mota – “Jurei” (Refuses to represent Portugal in Eurovision 2026)
- Nunca Mates o Madarim – “Fumo” (Refuse to represent Portugal in Eurovision 2026)
- Evaya – “Sprint” (Refuses to represent Portugal in Eurovision 2026)
- Andre Amaro – “Dá-Me a Tua Mão“
- Bateu Matou – “Nos Teus Olhos” (Refuses to represent Portugal in Eurovision 2026)
- Marquise – “Chuva” (Refuses to represent Portugal in Eurovision 2026)
- Agridoce – “Onde Quero Estar” (Refuse to represent Portugal in Eurovision 2026)
- Mario Marta – “Pertencer” (Refuses to represent Portugal in Eurovision 2026)
Click on the song title to listen!
Five songs from each semi-final will qualify to the grand final which will take place on March 7th. A combined jury and public vote will choose four qualifiers, while the fifth qualifier will be decided solely by the public.
Who Will Represent Portugal?
660 songs were submitted this year for Portugal’s “Festival da Canção”, from which 16 advanced to the competition stage. The 16 contestants were evenly divided into two semi-finals, set to take place on February 21st and February 28th, with five songs from each semi-final qualifying for the grand final on March 7th. However, this year, winning “Festival da Canção 2026” does not necessarily mean participating in Eurovision.
The group Bandidos do Cante and contestant Andre Amaro are the only ones who have confirmed that they will not boycott Eurovision. Contestant Sandrino has not yet expressed a position regarding his participation in the contest. The remaining 13 participants have officially stated that they will not take part in Eurovision if they win the competition, due to Israel’s participation.
Artists joining the protest movement:
- Agridoce
- Bateu Matou
- Dinis Mota
- Evaya
- Francisco Fontes
- Gonçalo Gomes
- Inês Sousa
- Jacaréu and Ana Margarida
- João Ribeiro
- Marquise
- Mario Marta
- Nunca Mates o Madarim
- Silvana Peres
How Will Portugal Choose Its Entry for Eurovision 2026?
The Portuguese national broadcaster RTP confirmed that the format of “Festival da Canção 2026” would remain unchanged, consisting of two semi-finals and one grand final, where the winner will be selected to represent Portugal in Vienna. In each semi-final, eight songs will compete, and five will advance to the final. A combined jury and public vote will choose four qualifiers, while the fifth qualifier will be decided solely by the public.
A total of 16 songs will take part in the competition: eight invited by the broadcaster, six submitted through the open call, one selected by the songwriter of “Deslocado” (in English: “Displaced”), which represented Portugal in last year’s Eurovision, and the last through an innovative method named “Prova de Assecdo”. It was also revealed that the two semi-finals will take place in February 21st and 28th, while the grand final is scheduled for Saturday, March 7th, 2026.
Following recent controversy, the Portuguese national broadcaster RTP announced last week that despite the artists’ protest, the country will still send a representative to the upcoming Eurovision in Vienna, clarifying the following statement:
“Regardless of the decision of the artists who signed the declaration – which we understand – RTP will once again organize “Festival da Canção” and confirms its participation in Eurovision 2026, alongside the vast majority of EBU member countries”.
Dates of “Festival da Canção 2026”:
- First Semi-Final – Saturday, February 21st, 2026.
- Second Semi-Final – Saturday, February 28th, 2026.
- Grand Final – Saturday, March 7th, 2026.
“Deslocado” (in English: “Displaced”) is the song that will be performed by NAPA band, representing Portugal in Eurovision 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. Portugal finished 21st with 50 points, ranked 19th in jury vote and 21st in public vote.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Portugal’s 57th participation in the Eurovision Song Contest. Portugal joined the competition in 1964 and achieved its best result in Eurovision 2017 when singer Salvador Sobral won first place with the song “Amar pelos dois”.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
