Portuguese broadcaster RTP has opened registrations for fans who want to be part of the live audience at this year’s Festival da Canção, Portugal’s national selection event for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
How to register
People interested in attending the shows can now submit applications to secure a spot in the crowd for all three live broadcasts, which will be held at the Valentim de Carvalho studios in Lisbon. Festival da Canção 2026 will feature two semi-finals, on 21 February and 28 February, before the grand final on 7 March.
Sixteen songs are competing for the chance to represent Portugal at Eurovision this year, drawing on a mix of invited composers and selected entries from RTP’s submission process.
What is Festival da Canção?
Festival da Canção is a Portuguese music festival held every year. Artists apply, but they also get invited to take part in the festival by the broadcaster RTP. Festival da Canção selects the Portuguese representative for the Eurovision Song Contest.
This national final is one of the oldest national finals and has been going on for 57 years. The first edition of Festival da Canção was all the way back in 1964. The festival was held in 1970 and 2000 despite the country not taking part in the contest, first due to a boycott, and then in 2000 due to being relegated from the contest.
FdC differs from most national finals by sourcing its competitors by inviting songwriters to compose a song, rather than artists applying directly with a song.
Portugal’s Eurovision journey
Portugal debuted in the Eurovision Song Contest with António Calvário’s “Oração” in 1964. Since then, Portugal has participated in the competition 55 times – appearing in the final 46 times. Their only win in the competition came in 2017 with Salvador Sobral, performing his heart-wrenching song “Amar Pelos Dois”.
Portugal’s most recent participation was with NAPA with the song “Deslocado”. The band managed to qualify for the Grand Final, and once there, they finished in 21st place. They received a total of 50 points, of which 37 points came from the jury, and 13 points came from the televote.
Do you think Portugal can keep up their qualification streak? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Tumblr, Threads and Bluesky as we turn our attention to Eurovision 2026!
News Source: RTP
Photo Credit: RTP
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