Portugal : RTP confirms participation in Eurovision 2021 and kicks off Festival da Cançao preparations

The Portuguese national broadcaster, RTP , has confirmed that the country will take part in Eurovision 2021 and has kicked off the process for the next edition of Festival da Cançao.
Portugal has confirmed that they will be joing the party in Rotterdam next year marking the country’s 52nd participation in the Eurovision Song Contest since 1964. The nation will select its ESC 2021 hopeful like in the past years via the format of Festival da Cançao.
Festival da Cançao 2021
RTP is commencing the process of the next song Festival da Cançao with the selection of authors who will create the songs for next year’s edition. The Portuguese broadcaster is sticking with the same format like in the last editions and the selection will consist of three shows ( two semi-finals and a grand final) scheduled to be broadcast live in February and March.
However , unlike past editions, instead of 16 acts, in 2021 the competition will have the participation of 20 composers: 18 by a direct RTP invitation and 2 selected out of a public submission process of proposals. This means that five acts will qualify from each semi final increasing the number of finalists to 10. The invited composers will be free to chose the artist/s for their songs.The winner will represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2021 (@eurovision 2021), which will take place in the Netherlands, in May 2021.
For the free submission of songs, all citizens of Portuguese nationality or residents of the country may or may not have published work in the past, including, but not limited to, Portuguese living outside Portugal, as well as citizens of other nationalities residing in Portugal. Applications must be submitted by sending their pusic proposals to the email: festivaldacancao@rtp.pt, with the deadline expiring on 25 November 2020.
You can find the overall rules and terms of the next Festival da Cançao here. The Portuguese Eurovision 2021 entry will be determined by a combination of 50%-50% public and regional jury voting .
The Eurovision Story so far
Portugal debuted in the competition in 1964 , represented by António Calvário, who finished last without any points. Since their debut in 1964 Portugal has been absent from five editions, the latest was in 2016, counting 51 appearance in the competition. Before in withdrawal in 2016, the best result for Portugal was a 6th placing in 1996 with Lúcia Moniz performing “O meu coração não tem cor” in Oslo.
In 2017 the nation scored its first victory, as Salvador Sorbal won the trophy Kyiv with his entry ‘Amar Pelos Dois’ . Following Salvador’s victory the country hosted the 63rd edition of the contest in Lisbon. In 2019 Conan Osiris ,winner of Festival da Cançao 2019 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.
This year 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.
Source: Festival da Canção