Eurovision takes place this week in Switzerland, and Portugal is in the competition

The competition brings together 37 countries, but only 26 will make it to the final on Saturday, and judging by the average of several betting houses, calculated by the website eurovisionworld.com, which specialises in the competition, Portugal will not be one of them. During the first semi-final, which takes place this Tuesday, Portugal will be competing, with Napa taking to the stage, but they are not the only ones. They will join Iceland, Poland, Slovenia, Estonia, Ukraine, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Azerbaijan, San Marino, Albania, the Netherlands, Croatia and Cyprus.

Only ten will go through to the final, scheduled for Saturday, and on Friday afternoon, Portugal appeared in 14th place in the bets for the first semi-final. If it happens, it won't be the first time. It is worth remembering that in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2019, Portugal failed to reach the final.

Also on Tuesday, in addition to Napa, another Portuguese singer will take to the stage, Iolanda, Portugal's representative last year, who will perform at the invitation of the organization.

In the second semi-final, on Thursday, ten more songs will be chosen from the 16 competing. The following will be competing: Australia, Montenegro, Ireland, Latvia, Armenia, Austria, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, Georgia, Denmark, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Israel, Serbia and Finland.

In addition to the 20 countries chosen in the two semi-finals, the so-called 'Big Five' (France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom and Italy) and the host country, Switzerland, will also compete in the final, as they have direct entry.

Last year, at the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Malmo, Sweden, Portugal came in 10th place in the Eurovision Song Contest, with Iolanda and the song “Grito”. Portugal participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 1964, but has since failed to participate in five editions (in 1970, 2000, 2002, 2013 and 2016).

In 2017, Portugal won the competition for the first and only time with the song “Amar pelos dois”, by Luísa Sobral, performed by Salvador Sobral.

As in the previous edition, this year's competition will once again be marked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Last year, since it became known that Israel would be participating in the competition, several calls were made by European political representatives and artists for the country's participation to be banned. There were demonstrations outside the arena that hosted the final, and the participation of the representative of the Netherlands was cancelled, after a backstage "incident" with the Israeli delegation. At the time, Iolanda, the Portuguese representative, appeared in the flag parade wearing a dress from a Palestinian brand and her nails painted in the pattern of the 'keffiyeh', a scarf that symbolizes Palestinian resistance. On stage, when the performance ended, the Portuguese singer said that peace would prevail, as did other participants, such as the representatives of France and Ireland.

Moments before leaving the stage, Bambie Thung, the representative of Ireland, shouted that “love will always triumph over hate”. French singer Slimane ended his performance with the words - “United by music for love and peace”.

In this year's edition, Israel will be represented by Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Hamas attack on the Nova Festival on October 7, 2023.

Israel has participated in the competition since 1973, having won four times, the most recent of which was in 2018, in Lisbon, with “Toy”, a song performed by Netta Barzilai.

This week, more than 70 musicians who have already participated in the competition, including Salvador Sobral, António Calvário, Fernando Tordo, Lena D'Água and Paulo de Carvalho, appealed to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to exclude Israel from participating. In an open letter, they justify their appeal to the EBU by considering Israeli television station KAN “an accomplice in the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza”.

The letter, published jointly by the non-governmental organization Artists For Palestine and the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, is signed by singers, songwriters, musicians, dancers and choir members from several countries. “We believe in the unifying power of music, which is why we refuse to allow it to be used as a tool to cover up crimes against humanity,” the former participants read, in which they claim that Israel’s presence has made the 2024 edition “the most politicized, chaotic and unpleasant” in the competition’s history.

Back in April, Spanish public television, RTVE, had called for the “opening of a debate” on KAN’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, in a letter addressed to the EBU.

RTVE's request came after petitions were launched in Finland in late March asking Finnish public broadcaster Yle to pressure the EBU to exclude Israel from the 2025 edition because of the war in Gaza.

The competition brings together 37 countries, but only 26 will make it to the final on Saturday, and judging by the average of several betting houses, calculated by the website eurovisionworld.com, which specialises in the competition, Portugal will not be one of them. During the first semi-final, which takes place this Tuesday, Portugal will be competing, with Napa taking to the stage, but they are not the only ones. They will join Iceland, Poland, Slovenia, Estonia, Ukraine, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Azerbaijan, San Marino, Albania, the Netherlands, Croatia and Cyprus.

Only ten will go through to the final, scheduled for Saturday, and on Friday afternoon, Portugal appeared in 14th place in the bets for the first semi-final. If it happens, it won't be the first time. It is worth remembering that in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2019, Portugal failed to reach the final.

Also on Tuesday, in addition to Napa, another Portuguese singer will take to the stage, Iolanda, Portugal's representative last year, who will perform at the invitation of the organization.

In the second semi-final, on Thursday, ten more songs will be chosen from the 16 competing. The following will be competing: Australia, Montenegro, Ireland, Latvia, Armenia, Austria, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, Georgia, Denmark, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Israel, Serbia and Finland.

In addition to the 20 countries chosen in the two semi-finals, the so-called 'Big Five' (France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom and Italy) and the host country, Switzerland, will also compete in the final, as they have direct entry.

Last year, at the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Malmo, Sweden, Portugal came in 10th place in the Eurovision Song Contest, with Iolanda and the song “Grito”. Portugal participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 1964, but has since failed to participate in five editions (in 1970, 2000, 2002, 2013 and 2016).

In 2017, Portugal won the competition for the first and only time with the song “Amar pelos dois”, by Luísa Sobral, performed by Salvador Sobral.

As in the previous edition, this year's competition will once again be marked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Last year, since it became known that Israel would be participating in the competition, several calls were made by European political representatives and artists for the country's participation to be banned. There were demonstrations outside the arena that hosted the final, and the participation of the representative of the Netherlands was cancelled, after a backstage "incident" with the Israeli delegation. At the time, Iolanda, the Portuguese representative, appeared in the flag parade wearing a dress from a Palestinian brand and her nails painted in the pattern of the 'keffiyeh', a scarf that symbolizes Palestinian resistance. On stage, when the performance ended, the Portuguese singer said that peace would prevail, as did other participants, such as the representatives of France and Ireland.

Moments before leaving the stage, Bambie Thung, the representative of Ireland, shouted that “love will always triumph over hate”. French singer Slimane ended his performance with the words - “United by music for love and peace”.

In this year's edition, Israel will be represented by Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Hamas attack on the Nova Festival on October 7, 2023.

Israel has participated in the competition since 1973, having won four times, the most recent of which was in 2018, in Lisbon, with “Toy”, a song performed by Netta Barzilai.

This week, more than 70 musicians who have already participated in the competition, including Salvador Sobral, António Calvário, Fernando Tordo, Lena D'Água and Paulo de Carvalho, appealed to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to exclude Israel from participating. In an open letter, they justify their appeal to the EBU by considering Israeli television station KAN “an accomplice in the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza”.

The letter, published jointly by the non-governmental organization Artists For Palestine and the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, is signed by singers, songwriters, musicians, dancers and choir members from several countries. “We believe in the unifying power of music, which is why we refuse to allow it to be used as a tool to cover up crimes against humanity,” the former participants read, in which they claim that Israel’s presence has made the 2024 edition “the most politicized, chaotic and unpleasant” in the competition’s history.

Back in April, Spanish public television, RTVE, had called for the “opening of a debate” on KAN’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, in a letter addressed to the EBU.

RTVE's request came after petitions were launched in Finland in late March asking Finnish public broadcaster Yle to pressure the EBU to exclude Israel from the 2025 edition because of the war in Gaza.

The competition brings together 37 countries, but only 26 will make it to the final on Saturday, and judging by the average of several betting houses, calculated by the website eurovisionworld.com, which specialises in the competition, Portugal will not be one of them. During the first semi-final, which takes place this Tuesday, Portugal will be competing, with Napa taking to the stage, but they are not the only ones. They will join Iceland, Poland, Slovenia, Estonia, Ukraine, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Azerbaijan, San Marino, Albania, the Netherlands, Croatia and Cyprus.

Only ten will go through to the final, scheduled for Saturday, and on Friday afternoon, Portugal appeared in 14th place in the bets for the first semi-final. If it happens, it won't be the first time. It is worth remembering that in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 and 2019, Portugal failed to reach the final.

Also on Tuesday, in addition to Napa, another Portuguese singer will take to the stage, Iolanda, Portugal's representative last year, who will perform at the invitation of the organization.

In the second semi-final, on Thursday, ten more songs will be chosen from the 16 competing. The following will be competing: Australia, Montenegro, Ireland, Latvia, Armenia, Austria, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, Georgia, Denmark, Czech Republic, Luxembourg, Israel, Serbia and Finland.

In addition to the 20 countries chosen in the two semi-finals, the so-called 'Big Five' (France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom and Italy) and the host country, Switzerland, will also compete in the final, as they have direct entry.

Last year, at the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which took place in Malmo, Sweden, Portugal came in 10th place in the Eurovision Song Contest, with Iolanda and the song “Grito”. Portugal participated in the Eurovision Song Contest for the first time in 1964, but has since failed to participate in five editions (in 1970, 2000, 2002, 2013 and 2016).

In 2017, Portugal won the competition for the first and only time with the song “Amar pelos dois”, by Luísa Sobral, performed by Salvador Sobral.

As in the previous edition, this year's competition will once again be marked by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Last year, since it became known that Israel would be participating in the competition, several calls were made by European political representatives and artists for the country's participation to be banned. There were demonstrations outside the arena that hosted the final, and the participation of the representative of the Netherlands was cancelled, after a backstage "incident" with the Israeli delegation. At the time, Iolanda, the Portuguese representative, appeared in the flag parade wearing a dress from a Palestinian brand and her nails painted in the pattern of the 'keffiyeh', a scarf that symbolizes Palestinian resistance. On stage, when the performance ended, the Portuguese singer said that peace would prevail, as did other participants, such as the representatives of France and Ireland.

Moments before leaving the stage, Bambie Thung, the representative of Ireland, shouted that “love will always triumph over hate”. French singer Slimane ended his performance with the words - “United by music for love and peace”.

In this year's edition, Israel will be represented by Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the Hamas attack on the Nova Festival on October 7, 2023.

Israel has participated in the competition since 1973, having won four times, the most recent of which was in 2018, in Lisbon, with “Toy”, a song performed by Netta Barzilai.

This week, more than 70 musicians who have already participated in the competition, including Salvador Sobral, António Calvário, Fernando Tordo, Lena D'Água and Paulo de Carvalho, appealed to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to exclude Israel from participating. In an open letter, they justify their appeal to the EBU by considering Israeli television station KAN “an accomplice in the genocide against Palestinians in Gaza”.

The letter, published jointly by the non-governmental organization Artists For Palestine and the Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions (BDS) movement, is signed by singers, songwriters, musicians, dancers and choir members from several countries. “We believe in the unifying power of music, which is why we refuse to allow it to be used as a tool to cover up crimes against humanity,” the former participants read, in which they claim that Israel’s presence has made the 2024 edition “the most politicized, chaotic and unpleasant” in the competition’s history.

Back in April, Spanish public television, RTVE, had called for the “opening of a debate” on KAN’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest, in a letter addressed to the EBU.

RTVE's request came after petitions were launched in Finland in late March asking Finnish public broadcaster Yle to pressure the EBU to exclude Israel from the 2025 edition because of the war in Gaza.