RTP, the Portuguese national broadcaster has announced that it will be holding a special allocation draw for its forthcoming 2018 Eurovision national selection.

The allocation draw for the 26 competing composers at Festival da Cançao 2018 (FdC 2018) will be held today at RTP’s headquarters in Lisbon. During the allocation draw the 26 composers and their respective entries will be allocated into one of the two semi-finals.

The 26 competing composers

• Aline Frazão
• Armando Teixeira
• Benjamim
• Bruno Cardoso
• Capicua
• Daniela Onis
  
• Diogo Clemente
• Diogo Piçarra
• Francisco Rebelo
• Fernando Tordo
• Isaura
• Janeiro
  
• João Afonso
• Jorge Palma
• José Cid
• JP Simões
• Júlio Resende
• Mallu Magalhães
• Miguel Ângelo
• Minta
• Nuno Rafael
• Paulo Flores
• Paulo Praça
• Peter Serrado
  
• Rita Dias
  
• Tito Paris

Mr. Gonçalo Madaíl (RTP) and Mr. Júlio Isidro (president of the jury) will supervise draw, where the names of the composers whose songs will participate in the semi-finals of FdC 2018 will be distributed in one of the two semi-finals, scheduled to be held in Lisbon on 18 and 25 February.

The video of the draw will be available later today on RTP’s Official Facebook page and on RTP’s Official website.

Festival da Cançao 2018

The 2018 edition of Festival da Cançao (FdC) will consist of 3 shows which will be aired on 18, 25 February (semi-finals) and 4 March (Grand Final).

The first 2 shows of FdC 2018 will be held at the RTP studios in Lisbon whilst the grand final will be travelling outside the Portuguese capital, namely to Guimarães. We will be heading to the north of Portugal in order to select the 2018 Eurovision hopeful who will follow Salvador Sobral’s footsteps.

• 18/02/2018: Semi-final 1 (13 participants, 7 qualifiers)
• 25/02/2018: Semi-final 2 (13 participants, 7 qualifiers)
• 04/03/2018: Final (14 finalists, 50/50 combined vote to determine winner)

The 2018 Eurovision Song Contest will be held on 8, 10 and 12 May at the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal.