RTP, the Portuguese national broadcaster, has unveiled the names of the twenty competing acts the forthcoming Portuguese national selection, Festival da Canção 2021.

Festival da Canção 2020 will consist of three live televised shows ( 2 semi-finals and a Grand Final) scheduled to be held on 20, 27 February and 6 March.

• 20/02/2021- FdC  Semi-final 1
• 27/02/2021- FdC Semi-final 2
• 06/03/2020- FdC Grand Final

The Hosts

A total of six hosts will present the shows, all veteran FdC presenters:  Jorge Gabriel &  Sonia Araujo (Semi-final 1), José Carlos Malato & Tânia Ribas de Oliveira  (Semi-final 2), Filomena Cautela & Vasco Palmeirim (Grand Final). Inês Lopes Gonçalves will be back as the Green Room hostess once again. All three shows will be broadcast live on RTP 1.

Eurovision fans will remember Filomena Cautela as she was one of the four charming hostesses at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon.

The Candidates

RTP unveiled the names of the twenty FdC 2021 candidates and published their respective songs on Festival Da Cançao’s official Youtube channel.

Semi-final 1

• Nadine – Cheguei Aqui (Anne Victorino d’Almeida)
• Fábia Maia – Dia Lindo (Fábia Maia)
• Sara Afonso – Contramão» (Filipe Melo)
• Valéria – Na Mais Profunda Saudade (Helder Moutinho)
• IAN – Mundo (IAN)
• IRMA – Livros (IRMA)
• Karetus & Romeu Bairos – Saudade» (Karetus)
• Miguel Marôco – Girassol (Miguel Marôco)
• mema. – Claro Como Água (Stereossauro)
• The Black Mamba – Love Is On My Side (Tatanka)

Semi-final 2

• Carolina Deslandes – Por Um Triz» (Carolina Deslandes)
• Da Chick – I Got Music (Da Chick)
• Joana Alegre – Joana Do Mar (Joana Alegre)
• Graciela – A Vida Sem Acontecer (João Vieira)
• NEEV – Dancing In The Stars (Neev)
• EU.CLIDES – Volte-Face (Pedro da Linha)
• Pedro Gonçalves – Não Vou Ficar (Pedro Gonçalves)
• Tainá – Jasmim (Tainá)
• Ariana – Mundo Melhor (Virgul)
• Ana Tereza – Com Um Abraço (Viviane)

Portugal in Eurovision

Portugal debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1964 and has won the competition once, namely in 2017 with Salvador Sobral‘s  Amor pelo dois. The country successfully hosted the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon.

Portugal has competed 51 times in the Eurovision Song Contest.

Elisa was set to represent Portugal at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam with her entry ‘Medo de sentir’. Unfortunately she was not able to grace the stage due to the untimely cancellation of the event.

Source: RTP