The first semi final of the Festival da canção 2010, the Portuguese national selection for the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest was held. Twelve acts competed and six of them were chosen by televoting to compete in the national final this Saturday.

The following six acts have qualified for the national final on 6th March:

• Filipa Galvão Telles – O amor não sabe
  (José Campos Sousa/António Tinoco)
• Jorge Guerreiro – Ai Lisboa
  (José Félix/Catarina Martins)
• The Agency – É assim que as coisas são
  (The Agency)
• Nuno Pinto – Fogo lento
  (Américo Faria)
• Filipa Azevedo – Há dias assim
  (Augusto Madureira)
• Vanessa – Alvorada
  (Nuno Feist/Nuno Marques da Silva)

This was the first of two semi finals. Another twelve acts will compete in the second semi final this Thursday.

esctoday.com poll results

The esctoday.com poll voters widely did not agree with the results in the semi final. Neither of the poll top two Ouro (32.5%) and Nucha (19.3%), who got more than half of the votes together qualified for the final. Still, three of the poll top six did qualify for the final: Vanessa (3rd, 14.9%), The Agency (equal 6th, 4.4%) and Filipa Azevedo (4th, 7.9%).

In 2009, Portugal was represented by Flor-de-Lis, who finished eighth in the first semi final and 15th in the final with their song Todas as ruas do amor. In 2010, the country will compete in the first semi final of the Eurovision Song Contest on 25th May.