This weekend sees Portugal begin their search for their Eurovision representative with the 59th edition of Festival da Canção (FdC). With Iolanda having secured 10th place in 2024 with her song ‘Grito’, Portugal will certainly be hoping for even more success in Basel this May.
As always, 20 artists will compete across two semi-finals for a spot in the final, which will take place on Saturday 8th March. Six artists will advance from each semi: a 50/50 split between an expert jury and televote will determine the first five finalists and a second round of televoting will determine the sixth and final qualifier. As in previous editions of FdC, non-competing artists will also perform between acts during all three shows, showcasing the diversity in the Portuguese music industry.
Let’s meet the first 10 artists hoping to represent Portugal at Eurovision!
Xico Gaiato – Ai senhor!
The first competitor is Xico Gaiato, who was born in the town of Fundão in Beiro Interior which borders Spain. He is inspired by a range of musical genres, having grown up in an artistic household, from popular Brazilian music to protest songs. Having competed in The Voice Portugal, Xico is currently working on his debut album. His FdC entry ‘Ai senhor!’ (‘Oh sir!’) is his first commercial release and you can listen to it below:
Rita Sampaio – Voltas
Rita Sampaio is a singer-songwriter and producer who was born in Vila Nova de Famalicão and currently lives in Braga. She has performed in a number of projects, starting out as the lead singer of the band Grandfather’s House before releasing her debut solo album Over and Out in 2019 under the name Ivy. Following this, Rita adopted the name Isa Leen and released her 2023 follow-up album Warrior Angel. Now performing under her given name, Rita was invited to compete in FdC by her brother Tiago Sampaio who she wrote the song ‘Voltas’ (‘Turns) alongside. You can listen to the song below:
Du Nothin – Sobre nós
Du Nothin is the stage name of Duarte Appleton who draws inspiration from classic rock and roll acts such as The Beatles and Elvis Presley, as well as more recent rock legends such as Arctic Monkeys. He released his debut EP ‘Du Somethin’ in 2023. His FdC entry, ‘Sobre nós’ (‘About Us’) was written and produced by songwriter Jorge Ferreira and composer Beato, the latter of whom has also composed soundtracks for movies, TV shows and theatre productions in portugal. You can listen to the song below:
Marco Rodrigues – A Minha Casa
Marco Rodrigues is one of the most famous fado singers in Portugal with a career spanning over two decades. He has won many awards for his music, including winning the Latin Grammy for Best Folk Album for his release ‘Fados do Fado’. He has duetted with multiple well-known Portuguese artists, including his mentor Carlos do Carmo who represented Portugal at the 1976 Eurovision Song Contest, where he placed 12th with the song ‘Uma flor de verde pinho’. Marco will be competing in FdC with the song ‘A Minha Casa’ (‘My Home’) which you can listen to below:
Margarida Campelo – Eu sei que o amor
Margarida Campelo is a musician based in Lisbon who has recorded with a number of well-known Portuguese artists, including 2017 Eurovision winner Salvador Sobral. She released her debut album ‘Supermarket Joy’ in 2023. Margarida will be competing with the song ‘Eu sei que o amor’ (‘I Know That Love’) which you can listen to below:
Josh – Tristeza
Josh is the stage name of João Duarte who is a 22-year-old singer from Cascais. He became known to Portuguese audiences in 2023 when he participated in The Voice Portugal, where he reached the top 10. His music combines a mix of R&B, soul, folk and fado influences. He will be making his debut with ‘Tristeza’ (‘Sadness’) which is his first original composition. You can listen to the song below:
Capital da Bulgária – Lisboa
Capital da Bulgária is the stage name of Sofia Reis who is originally from Sintra. She released the EP ‘Pequeno-Almoço’ (‘Breakfast’) in 2021 and her debut album ‘contei e Deixai que tu me juizsses’ (‘I Told You and Let You Judge Me’) was released last year. She is one of the 6 artists that were selected from an open call for performers, as opposed to being invited by RTP to participate. You can hear her song ‘Lisboa’ below:
Bluay – Ninguém
Bluay is the stage name of José Carlos Coelho Almeida Tavares, who grew up in Lisbon and started making music and posting it on social media as a hobby when he was 14. In 2019, he released the single ‘Louco‘ which went five times platinum, earned him the Play Song of the Year award and has accumulated over 17 million Spotify streams at the time of writing. After a 3 year hiatus, Bluay resumed making music in 2024 and will now be competing in FdC with the song ‘Ninguém‘ (‘Nobody’) which you can listen to below:
Jéssica Pina – Calafrio
Jéssica Pina is a singer and trumpet player who has performed as part of Madonna‘s MADAME X world tour. Following this, Jéssica released her EP ‘Vento Novo‘ (‘New Wind’) and has performed at jazz festivals all over the world. She will be performing the song ‘Calafrio‘ (‘Shiver’) which you can listen to below:
Peculiar – Adamastor
John Nicholas Quintela, otherwise known as Peculiar, is a musician who blends traditional Portuguese music with more modern sounds. Speaking of his name, the artist told RTP, “Being Peculiar is not about wanting to be different, that is just a consequence. It is about wanting to be who we are: exempt, independent and free.” He will be performing the song ‘Adamastor‘ (‘Northwind’) which you can listen to below:
So there you have the 10 artists performing this week! Is your FdC winner among them? Let us know in the comments and be sure to follow our socials.
