Portugal 2024: 'Festival da Canção's 20 songs released

18 January 2024 at 13:38 CET

Mimicat performed Ai Coração for Portugal at the First Semi-Final at Liverpool Arena Sarah Louise Bennett / EBU

Broadcaster RTP has unveiled the 20 songs in with a shot of winning 'Festival da Canção' 2024 and representing Portugal at the 68th Eurovision Song Contest.

It's a contest that has given us Eurovision fan favourites such as Maro, Conan Osíris and of course Salvador Sobral in recent years. Now, Portugal's Festival da Canção is back with some new names for us all to get invested in.

Celebrating its 60th edition, Festival da Canção will take place across three Saturday nights in late February and March. Save the dates: two semi-finals are scheduled for 24 February and 2 March, leading up to the grand final on 9 March.

On Thursday 18 January, RTP revealed the 20 performers that will compete at the 60th Festival da Canção, and all of the songs have been released as lyric videos on the Portuguese broadcaster's YouTube channel.

If you want to pick out your faves and decide who you're rooting for before the contest begins at the end of February, you can start listening right here and right now!

The 10 songs participating in the first semi-final:

Bispo - Casa Portuguesa

iolanda - Grito

João Borsch - …Pelas Costuras

LEFT. - Volto a Ti

MELA - Água

Mila Dores - Afia a Língua

Nena - Teorias da Conspiração

NOBLE - Memory

Perpétua - Bem Longe Daqui

Rita Rocha - Pontos Finais

The 10 songs participating in the second semi-final:

Buba Espinho - O Farol

Cristina Clara - Primavera

FILIPA - You Can’t Hide

Huca - Pé de Choro

João Couto - Quarto para Um

Leo Middea - Doce Mistério

Maria João - Dia

No Maka feat. Ana Maria - Aceitar

Rita Onofre - Criatura

Silk Nobre - Change

A record 809 songs were submitted to Festival da Canção 2024, so the 20 acts selected can feel even more honoured to be included in its 60th edition.

Portugal’s MARO at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022 Grand Final EBU/Sarah Louise Bennett

From each semi-final, 5 songs will be voted through to March's final via a vote that is made up of 50% public and 50% jury.

Once the finalists are announced from each semi-final, however, voting opens again and the viewers watching at home will have a 100% say in selecting a 6th entry to make it to the final - resulting in an exciting 12-song final for Festival da Canção 2024.

At the 67th Eurovision Song Contest in May of 2023, Portugal was represented by Mimicat and her song Ai Coração.

The feel-good anthem took Portugal to the Grand Final for the third consecutive year, where it finished in 23rd place with 59 points.