Earlier today, the Portuguese national broadcaster RTP held a special press conference, where they presented the 26 acts which are going to be competing at this year’s edition of Festival da Cancao!

Festival da Cancao 2018 will consist of two semi finals, on the 18th and the 25th of February, and the Grand Final on the 4th of March, and the Final will be held in Guimaraes. RTP has revealed the 26 acts and their split per semi finals, as follows:

Semi Final 1

• Peu Madureira – Só Por Ela (composer: Diogo Clemente)
• Anabela – Para te Dar Abrigo (composer: Fernando Tordo)
• Joana Barra Vaz – Anda Estragar-me os Planos (composer: Francisca Cortesão)
• Janeiro – Oficialmente (sem título) (composer: Janeiro)
• Rui David – Sem Medo (composer: Jorge Palma)
• José Cid & Gonçalo Tavares – O Som da Guitarra é a Alma de Um Povo (composer: José Cid)
• JP Simões – Alvoroço (composer: JP Simões)
• Catarina Miranda – Para Sorrir Eu Não Preciso de Nada (composer: Júlio Resende)
• Joana Espadim – Zero a Zero (composer: Benjamin)
• Beatriz Pessoa – Eu Te Amo (composer: Mallu Magalhães)
• Bruno Vasconcelos – Austrália (composer: Nuno Rafael)
• Maria Amaral – A Mesma Canção (composer: Paulo Praça)
• Rita Dias – Com Gosto Amigo (composer: Rita Dias)

Semi Final 2

• Susana Travassos – A Mensageira (composer: Aline Frazão)
• Lili – O Voo das Cegonhas (composer: Armando Teixeira)
• Sequin – All Over Again (composer: Bruno Cardoso)
• Tamin – Sobre Nós (composer: Capicua)
• Diogo Piçarra – Canção do Fim (composer: Diogo Piçarra)
• David Pessoa  – Amor Veloz (composer: Francisco Rebelo)
• Cláudia Pascoal – O Jardim (composer: Isaura)
• Rita Marques – Anda Daí (composer: João Afonso)
• Dora Fidalgo – Arco-Íris (composer: Miguel Ângelo)
• Minnie & Rhayra – Patati Patata (composer: Paulo Flores)
• Maria Inês Paris – Bandeira Azul (composer: Tito Paris)
• Daniela Onís – Para Lá do Rio (composer: Daniela Onís)
• Peter Serrado – Sunset (composer: Peter Serrado)

In the list we only find two songs in English, and both of these will be competing in the second semi final. When it comes to participants, we find José Cid who represented Portugal in Eurovision 1980 with “Um grande, grande amor” and Anabela who represented Portugal in  Eurovision 1993 with “A cidade (até ser dia)”.

Seven acts from each of the two semi finals are going to proceed to the Final on the 4th of March, where the winner is going to be decided by a mix of 50% jury votes and 50% televoting.