RTP, the Portuguese national broadcaster, has revealed that it has received a total of 660 songs via the public song submission window for Festival da Cançao 2026.
Out of the 660 songs only 6 of them will make it to Festival da Cançao 2026 after a special jury deliberation.
Festival da Canção 2026
The 2026 Fdc will consist of three shows ( two semi-finals and a grand final) scheduled to be broadcast live in February and March (dates , host cities and venues yet to be determined).
A total of 16 acts will compete in the semi-finals, the top 5 acts from each semi-final will proceed to the Grand Final. A total of 10 acts will battle for the Grand Prix at the Grand Final of FdC 2026.
RTP will use three mechanisms to determine the 16 competing acts:
- 8 acts via an invitation to composers
- 6 acts via a public open song submission window
- 1 act via an invitation extended by NAPA
- 1 act via an Entrance Exam selection
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 56 times in the Eurovision Song Contest.
In 2025 NAPA represented Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest in Basel with their epic entry ‘ Deslocado’.
