Festival da Canção 2023

The format of the competition consisted of three shows: two semi-finals and a final.[1] Each semi-final featured 10 competing entries from which six advanced from each show to complete the 12-song lineup in the final. Results during the semi-finals were determined by the votes from a jury panel appointed by RTP and public televoting; the first five qualifiers were based on the 50/50 combination of jury and public voting where both streams of voting assign points from 1–8, 10 and 12 based on ranking, while the sixth qualifier was determined by a second round of public televoting from the remaining entries. Results during the final were determined by the 50/50 combination of votes from seven regional juries and public televoting, which was opened following the second semi-final and closed during the final show. Both the public televote and the juries assign points from 1–8, 10 and 12 based on the ranking developed by both streams of voting.[2][3]

All three shows of the competition took place at RTP's Studio 1 in Lisbon and were broadcast on RTP1 and RTP Internacional as well as on radio via Antena 1 and online via RTP Play.[4] The shows were also broadcast on RTP Accessibilidades with presentation in Portuguese Sign Language and in Spain online via RTVE Play.[5]

Twenty composers were selected by RTP through two methods: 15 invited by RTP for the competition and five selected from 667 submissions received through an open call for songs.[6][7] The composers, which both create the songs and select its performers, were required to submit the demo and final versions of their entries by 31 October and 30 November 2022, respectively. Songs could be submitted in any language.[2] The selected composers were revealed on 9 November 2022, while the competing artists and songs were revealed on 19 January 2023.[8][9] Among the competing artists was Cláudia Pascoal, who represented Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 2018.

The two semi-finals took place on 25 February and 4 March 2023. In each semi-final, 10 entries competed and six advanced to the final: five based on the 50/50 combination of votes from the televote and a jury panel consisting of Alex D'Alva, Carlos Mendes, Márcia, Maro, Neev, Pedro Ribeiro and Sara Correia. One additional entry was then selected by televoting exclusively.[10][11] The first semi-final was hosted by Tânia Ribas de Oliveira and José Carlos Malato. Throughout all shows, Inês Lopes Gonçalves was in charge of the green room alongside Wandson Lisboa, the social media correspondent. In addition to the performances of the competing entries, HMB together with Nena, Ana Bacalhau and Wander Isaac, Fernando Tordo and Spanish Eurovision 2023 entrant Blanca Paloma performed as guests in the first semi-final. The second semi-final was hosted by Jorge Gabriel and Sónia Araújo, while Filipe Sambado together with Surma and Primeira Dama, juror Carlos Mendes, and Portuguese representative in Junior Eurovision 2022, Nicolas Alves, performed as guests.

Esse Povo, who took part in the first semi-final with their song "Sapatos de cimento", automatically qualified from the jury and televote round due to a technical issue related to their televoting line discovered during the first semi-final, resulting in the final featuring 13 artists instead of the planned 12.[12]

Key:
  Jury and televote round qualifier
  Televote-only round qualifier

The final took place on 11 March 2023 and was hosted by Filomena Cautela and Vasco Palmeirim, who were joined by green room host Inês Lopes Gonçalves and digital content and social media host Wandson Lisboa. Interval acts included a The Beatles medley by Eurovision Song Contest 2017 winner Salvador Sobral, a reprise of "Saudade, saudade" by Maro featuring several finalists of Festival da Canção 2022, and a medley of songs from Liverpudlian artists by David Fonseca. The winner was selected based on the 50/50 combination of votes from seven regional juries and from a public televote.[11]

• Official website of Festival da Canção