Seventeen years after his first appearance in Festival da Cançāo, Marco Rodrigues returns this year with “A Minha Casa.” A veteran of Portugal’s fado houses, he took some time to fill us in on the inspiration behind the song as he prepares for his performance in the Final this evening.  You participated in Festival da Canção in 2008. How does …

Festival da Canção 2025 continued tonight with the second semi-final, and six more artists made it through to the Final next Saturday.  The first five artists to qualify, based on the combined jury and public vote were: Napa – “Deslocado” Diana Vilarinho – “Cotovia”  Fernando Daniel – “Medo” Bombazine – “Apago tudo” Emmy Curl – “Rapsódia da Paz” Henka with …

It’s been a tough week for Diana Vilarinho. Between dealing with illness and rehearsing for the second semi-final of Festival da Canção, which takes place tonight at 22:00 CET, she found time to fill us in on the singers who inspire her, the feminist message behind “Cotovia,” and her plans for the future.  How are you doing this week? Any …

DISCLAIMER: All the opinions stated in this post represent the views of the person quoted and do not represent ESCUnited as a whole. We are an opinionated lot with conflicting opinions, for which we take full responsibility. Welcome back to ESCUnited Reviews! Last week we checked out the offerings from Semi Final 1 of Festival da Canção, so naturally we’re …

Festival da Canção 2025 kicked off this evening with the first semi-final.  Five artists qualified for the final based on a 50/50 split between the jury and public vote: Jéssica Pina – “Calafrio” JOSH – “Tristeza” Marco Rodrigues – “A Minha Casa” Bluay – “Ninguém” Margarida Campelo – “Eu sei que o amor” Joining them in the final is Peculiar, …

Margarida Campelo’s passion for jazz and soul comes through in her Festival da Canção entry “Eu sei que o amor.” Ahead of her performance in the first semi-final, she spoke to us about her family’s musical background, the music she loves, and why she’d like to represent Portugal at Eurovision 2025. Why did you decide to participate in Festival da …

João Nicolau Quintela chose the stage name Peculiar to celebrate his own differences. With his Festival da Canção entry “Adamastor,” he hopes to encourage others to do the same. He took some time to speak with us this week about the song’s mythological influences and his passion for musical diversity.  How are you doing this week? Any nerves about the …

Portugal’s Festival da Canção kicks off today with the first semi-final, and Xico Gaiato has been busy all week preparing for the first live performance of “Ai Senhor!” He took some time to chat with us about the meaning behind the song, his new music video, and his varied musical influences. You’re busy this week preparing for the semifinal. How …

The Portuguese broadcaster RTP has revealed the full song lineup for Festival da Canção 2025. The songs were announced on January 23 during an Instagram livestream hosted by RTP. Semi-Final allocation for competing entries took place in December: Semi-Final 1: Bluay – “Ninguém” (written by Bluay) Capital da Bulgária – “Lisboa” (written by Capital da Bulgária) Du Nothin – Sobre …

Eyes will soon be focused on one specific Swiss city, but before we get that far, Portugal has already set their eyes for finding the next representative of the country. With the Portuguese broadcaster (RTP) confirming participation, they have at the same time revealed the rules and regulations for their upcoming national final. Portugal in ESC 2025 Portugal will in …