Portugal announces more details on their 2018 selection!

Last year, Portugal finally found the winning formula for Eurovision, bringing the contest to Portugal for the first time after Salvador Sobral impressed audiences across Europe and beyond. The format the nation used last year to select Salvador is a format that the broadcaster wants to stick with in the hope that Portugal can be a force within the contest in future years.

Similar to last year, the broadcaster RTP has invited composers to create entries for a national final which will be held next year. Originally it was said that there would be 20 entries, however RTP have upped this number to 26! RTP invited 22 of these composers, while another was invited by winning duo Luisa and Salvador Sobral. The 24^th composer was selected through a masterclass program, and the final two composers were chosen by the public.

Here are the composers for the Portuguese national final of 2018:

• Aline Frazão

• Armando Teixeira

• Benjamim

• Bruno Cardoso

• Capicua

• Daniela Onis

• Diogo Clemente

• Diogo Piçarra

• Francisco Rebelo

• Fernando Tordo

• Isaura

• Janeiro

• João Afonso

• Jorge Palma

• José Cid

• JP Simões

• Júlio Resende

• Mallu Magalhãrs

• Miguel Ângelo

• Minta

• Nuno Rafael

• Paulo Flores

• Paulo Praça

• Peter Serrado

• Rita Dias

• Tito Paris

RTP have commented on the decision to change from 20 to 26 composers, stating ‘The enormous enthusiasm with which many figures in the world of music have welcome the RTP proposal, and the expressive number of applications submitted, justifies that rather than keeping to the original 20 songs in Festival da Canção 2018, 6 more have joined, thus we have today revealed 26 composers. The semifinals will now have 13 songs, with 7 qualifying from each, giving us a final with 14 songs.’