Portugal: RTP confirms Eurovision 2022 participation

Portugal: RTP confirms Eurovision 2022 participation
Wednesday, 08 September 2021

  • The Portuguese national broadcaster, RTP, has confirmed that the country will be taking part at the 66th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest next year in Italy. 

    Hello Europe, this is Lisbon calling! Portugal have added themselves to the number of participating countries at Eurovision 2022 next May in Italy. RTP has confirmed that it will be joining the party in Italy marking the nation's 52nd participation in the competition since its debut at the 1964 contest.

    Portugal will be using once again its tradional national selection format of Festival da Canção. Thus RTP has released  the rules and regulations of the 56th edition of Festival. 

    The 56th Festival da Canção will have two semi-finals, each selecting five songs for the grand final. This competition is open to all citizens of Portuguese nationality or residing in our country, whether or not they have published works, including, but not limited to, Portuguese people living outside Portugal, as well as citizens of other nationalities residing in Portugal. 

    Twenty songs will be in the contest, just as happened in 2021. But the first big news is that, this time, there will be four contestants selected by a contest for free submission of songs.

    The competition, which had its first performance in 1964, when Portugal premiered at the Eurovision Song Contest, will take place, in the first months of the year, with the dates still to be announced.

     

    Portugal in Eurovision

    Portugal joined the Eurovision family in 1964 when it was represented by António Calvário, who finished last without any points. Since their debut in 1964 Portugal has missed five times the contest, the latest was in 2016 and has competed in total 51 times in the competition. Before 2016, the best result of Portugal in the contest was a 6th placing in 1996 with Lúcia Moniz performing “O meu coração não tem cor” in Oslo.

    In 2017 the country got its name on the list with the winning countries, as Salvador Sorbal was crowned winner in Kyiv with his song Amar Pelos Dois . Following Salvador’s win the country hosted the 63rd edition of the contest in Lisbon.In 2019 Conan Osiris ,winner of the Portuguese national final Festival da Cançao represented the country in Tel Aviv with his entry Telemoveis. Despite the outstanding alternative performance in the first semi final, Conan failed to qualify to the Grand final.

    In 2020 Elisa won the national final with "Medo de sentir"  but eventually never had the chance to perform on the Eurovision stage as the contest was cancelled due to the covid-19 outbreak.  

    This year the group The Black Mamba won the 55th edition of the Festival da Cançao with the song 'Love is on my Side'  which  competed in the 2nd Semi final and after qualifying to the Grand final finished 12th with 153 points on the overall scoreboard. 

     

    News Source: RTP

    Image: Foto: EPA/SANDER KONING