We were back in Portugal on Saturday for semi-final 2 of their Eurovision selection Festival da Canção 2023.
Another ten acts took to the stage, all hoping to secure one of six remaining spaces in the grand final.
The show was hosted by Sónia Araújo and Jorge Gabriel. Inês Lopes Gonçalves was back in the green room.
Festival da Canção 2023 semi-final 2
Results
The voting was done over two rounds. A 50% jury and 50% televote combination determined the first five qualifiers. These were:
- Ivandro – “Povo”
- Edmundo Inácio – “A Festa”
- Bárbara Tinoco – “Goodnight”
- Voodoo Marmalade – “Tormento”
- INÊS APENAS – “Fim do Mundo”
A second round of 100% televote then chose the final sixth qualifier, who was:
- DAPUNKSPORTIF – “World Needs Therapy”
The six qualifiers from semi-final 2 will join the seven who made it through in last week’s semi-final 1 for a 13-act grand final on Saturday 11 March. Here, one act will emerge as the winner and become Portugal’s entry for Eurovision 2023 in Liverpool.
Running order
- Edmundo Inácio – “A Festa”
- The Happy Mess – “O impossível”
- Teresinha Landeiro – “Enquanto é tempo”
- Bandua – “Bandeiras”
- Bárbara Tinoco – “Goodnight”
- INÊS APENAS – “Fim do Mundo”
- Ivandro – “Povo”
- DAPUNKSPORTIF – “World Needs Therapy”
- Lara Li – “Funâmbula”
- Voodoo Marmalade – “Tormento”
Are you happy with the qualifiers? Do you think the eventual winner will come from semi-final 2? Shout out all you thoughts down in the comments below.
This year Portugal has one of the best national finals in a long time. Such a great musical diversity. Mimicat, Cláudia, Edmundo, Neon Soho, You Can’t Win Charlie Brown, Ivandro. I don’t matter which is going to win because all of them are good choices for Eurovision.
I just feel sad that ESC fans are not paying the same attention that are giving to other countries. Thank you Portugal for being so unique!
A Festa is the best choice for Liverpool, he has everything, excellent song, voice, perfomance. I also love Tormento. Nasci Maria, Ai Coracao and Endless World are nice but not at the same level of the first two. I really don’t like Goodnight (dear Portugal, choose a portuguese song, it’s such a beautifull language). Good luck from Italy ????
Edmundo is my winner for Liverpool
My favourites are Edmundo, Voodoo, Claudia and Mimicat. But once more a very great FdC and I like the portuguese language: Obrigado Portugal!
Although everyone did really well tonight, nobody had bad vocals or other major issues, this result is a little disappointing, particularly since a jury is involved. But things wouldn’t be avantgarde, if the world was already ready for them.
I respectfully disagree. Song number 2 had plenty of vocal issues. Even Edmundo and bandua were not flawless. Song 3 was the best vocal performance of the night in my opinion.
It’s not a requirement to sound exactly like the studio cut – as Teresinha did. Bandua and Edmundo weren’t pitchy, that’s all that counts. But Teresinha would have been a clear qualifier in my book as well, that’s for sure. I think we shouldn’t try to rationalise elimination by retrospectively applying overblown standards of vocal perfection or imagining nonexistent staging mishaps. People just didn’t vibe with the songs as much as some of us did, it’s probably as simple as that.
I’m excited because this year there’s a good chance we are sending something energetic and I was thinking we are going to open the Eurovision? ? Claudia and Minicat are my favorites
2nd Semi was pure delight. Edmundo, Bandua, Lara Li, Ivandro and Teresinha did a marvelous performance. I hope Edmundo, Ivandro or Claudia win.
Let’s be real: Bandua were not very smart with their staging. They went far too avant-garde for the song and got the “Conan @ ESC” curse. Needlessly, as their live performances are great in a more classical folky way. Edgar’s vocals was ropey and I hoped he would get a bit of vocal support. The power of the studio version was lost in a messy staging. Still expected them to get the 6th slot, nevertheless, but I guess the alienation of the public was bigger than expected. This semifinal was not as good as the first one, song- and particularly… Read more »
(from a portuguese person) i truly don’t get how bandua didn’t make it to the final. They were my top 1 for the night of FdC but now we cant do anything. Probably Portugal can’t handle 2 mans with skirts. About the ones who got to the final, a few things to say: 1- i get the mensage about Tinoco staging but… doesn’t fell right. The song is cal and beautiful, and the stating makes it even calmer and doesn’t glue me to the screen, but we will see in the final. 2- Ines Apenas needs to be more relaxes,… Read more »
I’ve watched the performances on the playlist after PZE not knowing who made it through, so here we go: I absolutely understand Edmundo, Barbara, Ines, and Ivandro. They were all really great! I am especially smitten by how creative and effective Barbara’s staging is. I am okay with Voodoo Marmelade making it as well. What I’m not okay with is Dapunksportif making it at all, yet alone ahead of Bandua. I thought that they did really well in live, and was certain they’d qualify. Moreover, Lara Li and Teresinha were also much better than World Needs Therapy. For wars and… Read more »
“ were also much better than” says it all, it’s your opinion. Did you bother to vote? I couldn’t as I live outside Portugal, those who voted decided and that is what televote means.
Televote has decided. I’m not saying I’m disproving the legitimacy of the result. I’m just saying I disagree. Yes, it’s merely my opinion. As mostly everything written down on these message boards.
That is a little bit rude to classic rock fans Colin. The lyrics are not great but DAPUNKSPORTIF performed the classic rock genre very well, they deserve respect for that.
They have my respect as a band (mostly all contestants from all NFs do), but I just don’t feel like the song was on pair with the rest of the songs in this semi. The lyrics were the least convincint part, but that aspect also matters. The instrumental is solid, but doesn’t stand out either (in my opinion).
Oh no! After the good news from Serbia, Portugal is such a dissapointment! Bandua was an pure art!!!!!
Mimicat NEEDS to win. Portugal, SF1 of ESC is getting very strong. Please, choose the one and only ‘Ai Coração’. You don’t need another 2019 with Claudia. Choose SMART! Greetings from Brazil!
Bandua had the same fate as Sambado and Fado Bicha last year. Portuguese audience is still quite resistant to the idea of mixing folk with queer aesthetics. Sad…
Conan literally won FDC. And he’s gay. Bandua weren’t really that great tonight tbh. The vocals could’ve been better and honestly the reception here at my house was terrible. My mom couldn’t stop laughing at the performance. Unfortunately, after that, I had a feeling it was going to NQ.
I think after what happened with Conan at Eurovision, people are probably scared of voting for a similar act.
I apologize in advance, but your mother is such a normie.
Girl, no need to apologize. She kinda is. She also laughed at Conan’s Eurovision performance (heard the song for the first time that night). So, I wasn’t surprised about her reaction to Bandua.
My mum also said Telemoveis 2.0 in the first seconds of the performance, as if it was a bad thing. Bandeiras was also one of my favourites but it didn’t make me go vote (this year I don’t love a contender with passion). In 2019 I voted Conan dozens of times. It was all our nothing for me. Sorry that Bandua didn’t go through but I don’t have a horse in the race this year.
I’m a trans woman and gay. My brother is about as cis/het as it gets. We both hated Conan’s song in 2019. I think painting us all with the same brush when it comes to music tastes isn’t the best idea.
I only meant it in terms of easily dismissing an entry that’s a bit more inaccessible and out-there just because, I’m actually cis/het too, and from Eastern Europe as well.
Edmundo?????
Immediately, my mind went to Fado Bicha.
I don’t believe that they missed out for musical reasons shall we say?
Oh, no, Portugal why… The only song I liked in this semi didn’t even go through to the final… That, of course, is Bandua – Bandeiras. Damn, so now I only have Claudia Pascoal to hope for.
That generic rock band qualifying over Bandua is extremely and utterly lame, what the hell is wrong with Portugal? I thought that, out of all the countries, they would be ones to appreciate Bandeiras at least to some extent…
Nothing is wrong. People vote in what they want to which might be different of your or my opinion.
What’s even the point of inviting them if the jury is not going to properly reward them? Bandeiras deserved to landslide their vote tonight.
What don’t you understand of the voting system? Even if bandua were 2nd or 3rd in the juries (which I doubt) an 8th or 9th in the televote wouldn’t qualify them. And the vocals were not flawless.
I’m not saying I agree or disagree, it’s the system rules. These are the risks, those who disagree better don’t watch
The vocals not being flawless doesn’t matter that much to me when the song was just on a completely different level to the rest of the field…
But happy that Ines made it.
Dapunksportif would have been my first on the chopping block, but eh, I still kinda like it. It’s just a shame what was lost.
What an horrible end to this night… Bandua not passing… amd dapunksportif??? C’mon…
Disaster. Bandua was the only reason why I followed FdC this year. Now I’m out.
GoodBye!!!!
No. Bandua not going through is bad enough, but losing to that song is just another slap in the face.
I think the song itself is not that bad, all classic rock fans will have voted for it as there’s nothing else like it in the competition. The lyrics are trite but perhaps that doesn’t translate to a non-native speaking audience?
And I share the disappointment of Banda not getting through, they deserved it.
It’s not just the triteness that bothers me, but yeah, I don’t know. Maybe it’s the style, like you say.
lol they saved the worst song.
So… the audience left Bandua behind to give the wildcard to my least favorite entry of the night… Dafunksportif will be in the final.
I don’t believe Nicolas is really a child. There is some trickery involved, he is too mature, too good.
The other 5 would be also my personal qualifiers, but it’s awful that Bandua haven’t qualified after the televote/jury combo. They need at least to get the wild card.
Bandua not among the first 5 qualifiers, really? This is just insane, who gets to decide these results?
Can’t believe Bandua did make it! So said
Still a chance… hope is not lost.
Hope is now lost.
Carlos Mendes. Both times he represented Portugal it was in the UK, so he fits with the theme tonight.
I rememer he was very handsom in 1972….
Filipe Sambado and Surma being very Filipe Sambado and Surma on an interval act. I would like to see them competing in FdC again.
I went to the final in Portimão (>2300km) to see Surma in 2019.
That was a great interval act, I thought I recognized Surma and Filipe Sambado was as striking as ever. Did you catch if this is available to buy or was this just a live performance for FdC?
No. It was an homage to a singer songwriter
I’m taking Edmundo, Happy Mess, Teresinha, Bandua, Barbara and Ivandro. Ines is a cruel cut. Please screw up the voting again, Portugal.
Lololol
A bit disapointed by my two favorites performances:
Lara Li’s is too simple and not very telegenic.
Edmundo a bit high tuned in my opinion
Lara and Edmundo were my two favorite performances. Also liked Bandua.
Same here. Lara was so classy. Just spectacular. Edmundo was stunning too. And Bandua were really strong. Such a shame only Edmundo made it to the final.
Voodoo Marmalade were great, they should really be qualifying at least. Bandua are legendary, please just send them to Liverpool now.
Edmundo was the best of this semi-final.
It’s really hard to make up my mind about this semi, there was no weak vocal performance, everyone really was up to the task. Edmundo, Teresinha and Bandua should be safe, I hope Ines and Ivandro make it as well. But I could honestly not be mad about anyone advancing tonight. It’s a very tight race.
Tormento was so good… fingers crossed for them, Edmundo, The Happy Mess and Bandua to go to the final ( although I really think that Lara Li’s ballad is extremely beautiful, just not for Eurovision)
I don’t mind a little lively guitar tune like “Tormento”, but do I need it to advance? I wouldn’t be mad, but since I can only pick six songs, not every cute song can make the cut.
Voodoo Marmalade were a pleasant surprise, I’ve slept on the studio cut. I’m getting Mumford & Sons vibes.
Thinking the same here. It was flying under my radar, but now I want them to qualify.
I had this as a guilty pleasure, but this live performance felt too lazy and amateurish
same
Lara Li’s performance was lovely, but perhaps a little too simple. And why was there a music stand before her?
To take away any nerves about forgetting lyrics? To give even a slight effort of “staging”? i don’t know.
I was thinking: is she having memory issues or something? Because the lyrics are actually wordy and complex…
It felt strange and like an obstacle between Lara Li and the audience…
I loved her delivery and was captivated.
Yes the music stand was really weird. I guess she has memory issues…
Invisible percussion. Invisible guitar and strings. No pretence that the music is live… I like it. It at least emphasized that the vocals are real and performed with heart.
Lara Li feels very eerie and slightly sinister and I actually really enjoyed it. I can’t speak Portuguese so no idea if that fits the lyrics, but it is the impression I got.
I loved it too. It had a story telling quality.
Not for ESC, but damn this is so beautiful. It’s like the essence of Fado.
I’m not into “World needs therapy”, it has questionable lyrics and is musically not really inventive. In a lineup like this, it shouldn’t stand a chance.
Dapunksportif, Well intended lyrics I’m sure, but no. My least favourite. “I don’t know what’s going on” they sing. That’s the problem, most people don’t.
I love me a slice of classic rock and DAPUNKSPORTIF deliver it very well, some great guitar and drum work and the lead singer has a strong vocal
Ivandro’s vocals and his song’s lyrics are beautiful. But I miss more building on the melody. It starts and finishes the same way and it travels on a straight line.
I just love Ivandro’s voice. The song is perhaps a little folksy for me, but his vocals more than make up for it.
Ivandro has beautiful staging and an exceptional voice. The song is a little bit to one-paced for me.
I’m not sure if it was the best way to stage Inês Apenas’ entry, but her song is a big grower, I hope I can see her in the final.
I love this!
I know that it has its public, but to me it caused anxiety….
The song you mean? I like how it develops, but I guess I can understand why you feel it.
“Fim do Mundo” is one my favourites on studio alone, but ti didn’t quite work for me tonight. I’m not sure why.
I really love Ines Apenas’ song and the performance was good, she was perhaps a little stiff and in a field like this, this could make the difference. I’m a little worried.
Another amazing example of the piano playing itself. It really spoils the authenticity of a performance for me, I don’t know why artists decide to do it?
To show they can!
I think Sabrina and Tibor should marry ?
I tried an emoji again, forgot it shows as question mark.
The emoji I tried 😀
At least about music I guess we wouldn’t fight. 😀 But I’m not single haha
🙂