The final of Festival da Canção is set for Saturday, March 7, at the Estúdios da Valentim de Carvalho in Paço de Arcos. This year’s competition to select Portugal’s entry for the Eurovision Song Contest – taking place in Vienna, Austria, in May – is facing unprecedented challenges as most of the finalists have announced their intention to boycott the event. Of the ten songs competing, only two artists have confirmed they would participate in the European contest, whereas another remains undecided.
The remaining artists signed a joint statement in December declaring they would withdraw from Eurovision should they win, citing Israel’s participation as the reason. The Portuguese broadcaster, RTP, has acknowledged receiving “enormous pressure” to boycott the festival, but has opted not to do so. Should a boycotting artist win Festival da Canção, RTP will reportedly ask the runners-up – those finishing in second or third place – if they would be willing to represent Portugal in Vienna. The outcome means that, regardless of who wins, only one of three potential candidates is expected to travel to Austria.
