Mimicat wins 'Festival da Canção' in Portugal

Portugal's much-beloved Festival da Canção drew to its exciting conclusion on Saturday 11 March. Portugal has its winner, and it also now has its entry to the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

Mimicat will represent Portugal in Liverpool with the song Ai Coração.

2 semi-finals had already taken place and given Festival da Canção 2023 its widely-lauded batch of finalists. And on Saturday night, we watched those 13 chosen tunes be performed once more, in the hope of becoming Portugal's song for Liverpool.

Voting on the songs was done both by the Portuguese viewers watching at home, as well as seven regional juries. Scores from the public and scores from the juries each equated to 50% of the final vote.

Mimicat ended up in joint first-place in the jury vote, but was awarded the top score with the voting public - and therefore won the contest with the song Ai Coração.

All 13 songs that competed in Saturday night's Festival da Canção final, can be listened to right here.

Portugal will perform in the First Semi-Final at the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest.

Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 

Portugal joined the Eurovision family in 1964 and held the record for the most appearances in the Eurovision Song Contest without a win until 2017, when Salvador Sobral lifted the trophy in Kyiv.

Rádio e Televisão de Portugal, (RTP), is responsible for organising the Portuguese Eurovision Song Contest and uses Festival da Canção as its national selection. Over the years the format has changed to include semi-finals as well as different voting combinations.

Portugal is the most westerly country in mainland Europe and has only missed 5 contests since joining Eurovision; 1970, 2000, 2002, 2013 and 2016. In 2008, Portugal won the Marcel Bezençon Press Award with Vânia Fernandes and the song Senhora do mar (Negras águas). In 2017 Salvador Sobral won the Marcel Bezençon Artistic Award and the Marcel Bezençon Composer Award with his song Amar Pelos Dois.

You can listen to all 37 songs of Eurovision 2024 via your favourite streaming service or watch the music videos on our YouTube channel.

The Eurovision Song Contest will take place in Malmö, Sweden on Tuesday 7 May (First Semi-Final), Thursday 9 May (Second Semi-Final) and Saturday 11 May (Grand Final) 2024.

Don't forget to download our app (for iOS / Android), sign up to the official Eurovision Song Contest newsletter, and subscribe to the official podcast!