Portugal: Last six qualify for Festival da Canção 2024 Final

In a week's time, RTP – the Portuguese public broadcaster – will be broadcasting the very last national selection show of the season as Festival da Canção 2024 reaches its end.

With tonight's show, the lineup for next week's event is now complete as the last six acts have been chosen. While Buba Espinho, No Maka feat. Ana Maria, Leo Middea, Silk Nobre, and Cristina Clara made it through taking into consideration both the jury vote and the public vote, both worth 50%, Rita Onofre was the public's wildcard and will be back next Saturday for one more chance.

As RTP is celebrating the 60th edition of Festival da Canção, many familiar faces got to host a little bit of the show. Nonetheless, the event was mainly hosted by Jorge Gabriel and Sónia Araújo in RTP's studios in Lisbon, as well as Inês Lopes Gonçaves who was in charge of the green room.

The show was opened by former Eurovision host Catarina Furtado, who also interviewed the very first guest of the night: Simone de Oliveira (Portugal 1969). The parede continued with former Festival da Canto host Helena Coelho, Rui Drummond (Portugal 2005), Jorge Fernando (Portugal 1985), Isaura (Portugal 2018), Rita Guerra (Portugal 2003), and even Vânia Fernandes (Portugal 2008).

As stated previously, a jury was in charge of half of the decision. The pannel featured last week's judges:

• Gisela João (singer)
• Benjamim (musician)
• Lia Pereira (journalist)
• Miguel Esteves Cardoso (writer)
• Lura (singer)
• Pedro Oliveira (musician)
• Mimicat (Portugal 2023)

Festival da Canção 2024

While failing to compete in the two most recent and previous editions of the Eurovision Song Contest held in Sweden (2013, 2016), Portugal will be in Malmö hoping to continue the series of good results.

Festival da Canção 2024 marks the 60th anniversary of the show that has almost always been used as the country's national selection contest for Eurovision. There will be three shows, two Semi-finals and a Final, and all will be held in RTP's studios in Lisbon.

• 24 February 2024: Semi-Final 1
• 2 March 2024: Semi-Final 2
• 9 March 2024: Final

Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest

Portugal has participated in the contest 54 times since 1964. It was a very bad start, as they managed to get zero points in their debut year.

Before Eurovision 2017, they had never won the contest, and had never made the top 5. In fact, Portugal held the record for most appearances in the contest without a win!

But that changed in 2017, when Salvador Sobral won with "Amar Pelos Dois."

Since the introduction of the Semi-finals in 2004, Portugal has only qualified for the Grand Final 8 out of 17 times.