We at That Eurovision Site will be ranking national finals throughout this coming season. The next national final that the team have taken a closer look at is Festival da Canção, which will take place on the 7th of March. Festival da Canção will select the Eurovision representative for Portugal in Vienna.
Who is taking part in the Festival da Canção 2026 final?
There are 10 artists taking part in the final of Festival da Canção. The 10 artists taking part are as follows:
| Entrant | Entry |
| André Amaro | “Dá-me a Tua Mão“ |
| Bandidos do Cante | “Rosa“ |
| Dinis Mota | “Jurei“ |
| Evaya | “Sprint“ |
| Gonçalo Gomes | “Doce Ilusão“ |
| João Ribeiro | “Canção de Querer“ |
| Marquise | “Chuva“ |
| Nunca Mates o Mandarim | “Fumo“ |
| Sandrino | “Disposta a tudo“ |
| Silvana Peres | “Não tem fim“ |
Who is our winner from Festival da Canção?
We ranked the songs taking part in the final, using a 1-10 ranking. 1 being our favourite, 10 being our least favourite song. We then calculated the average of all our rankings.
3rd. Nunca Mates o Mandarim – “Fumo“ (4.75):
3rd. João Ribeiro – “Canção de Querer“ (4.75):
2nd. Sandrino “Disposta a tudo“ (4.25):
1st. Dinis Mota – “Jurei“ (1.50):
What did some of our team members have to say about their favourite songs from Festival da Canção?
George (Dinis): I think “Jurei” is the type of song that could easily become a viral hit. Just like “Deslocado ”, it feels like a hidden treasure, very catchy and memorable. If it wins the national final, I believe it would qualify for the Eurovision final quite easily. The song also gives a strong Portuguese traditional vibe, which makes it stand out. On top of that, the singer is very charismatic, handsome, and has a great voice.
Rory (Sandrino): Having seen his performance in the semi-final, this is definitely one of the standout songs in Festival da Canção this year. The Brazilian samba feel of this, mixed with the bossa nova feel with songs talking about the impact of algorithms in our society is such a unique viewpoint, you can guarantee no one else will have a song like that. While Portugal’s choice for Eurovision is still up in the air despite the ongoing boycott, this would definitely be a worthy winner for FdC itself.
And what were the teams thoughts on the national final as a whole?
Samantha: There is a nice mix of songs here, some that are deeply rooted in different Portuguese traditions others that have taken some influences elsewhere for a more international sound and others that are quite experimental. Overall it’s just very Portugal and I am so here for it. My personal standouts are Dinis Mota, Sandrino and Bandidos do Cante but I honestly don’t know who is going to take the win. No song sounds the same which I think guarantees that everyone can find something they will enjoy at the very least. I think it is going to be quite interesting though as the majority of the acts have said that they would not take part in ESC should they win and who knows how that is going to play out.
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 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 be relegated from the contest.
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 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 the televote.
Who would you like to see represent Portugal in Vienna? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky for all things Eurovision 2026!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Samantha / That Eurovision Site