Festival da Cançao 2021 kicked off tonight in Portugal tonight with its first semi-final. We  have the first five FdC 2021 finalists!

The 2021 Portuguese national selection- Festival da Cançao kicked off tonight with its first semi-final in Lisbon with a total of 10 acts battling for 5 spots in the Grand Final. The show was hosted by Jorge Gabriel &  Sonia Araujo.

The following acts have qualified to the Grand Final after a 50/50 special jury- public deliberation:

• The Black Mamba – Love Is on My Side
• Valéria – Na Mais Profunda Saudade
• Fábia Maia – Dia Lindo
• Karetus & Romeu Bairos – Saudade
• Sara Afonso – Contramão

About Festival da Cançao 2021

Festival da Canção 2021 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

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.

All three Festival da Cançao 2021  shows will be held at the RTP Studios in Lisbon due to the COVID 19 pandemic  restrictions and measures .

The 2021 Portuguese Eurovision entry will be determined via a mixed jury/public deliberation.

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.