Portugal’s Festival da Canção 2025 continued this weekend, with semi-final 2 taking place on Saturday evening night.
The remaining ten of this year’s acts took to the stage, all vying for one of the six qualifying spots in the grand final.
A new show brought a new set of hosts — Tânia Ribas de Oliveira and Sónia Araújo were at the helm.
Festival da Canção 2025: Semi-final 2
There are two rounds in the semi-finals.
Initially, five finalists were chosen by a combination of 50% jury and 50% public voting. These were:
- Bombazine – “Apago tudo”
- Emmy Curl – “Rapsódia da Paz”
- Fernando Daniel – “Medo”
- Napa – “Deslocado”
- Diana Vilarinho – “Cotovia”
The phone lines were then opened for a second time, with the public able to select a sixth act as the final qualifier, who was:
- Henka – “I Wanna Destroy U”
Non-qualifiers
- A Cantadeira – “Responso à Mulher”
- Tota – “á-tê-xis”
- Inês Marques Lucas – “Quantos Queres”
- Luca Argel ft. Pri Azevedo – “Quem foi”
The festival returns next weekend, where the 12 qualifiers will battle it out in the grand final for the chance to represent Portugal at Eurovision in Basel.
What do you make of semi-final 2? Could any of these acts go on to win Festival da Canção 2025? Let us know your thoughts.
Fernando is my winner. The song and the performance are so strong.
Everyone keeps saying that Medo is a basic song. Honestly, if this is basic, then I wished more music sounded like this! His song and his voice sounded good in the studio version, but he sounded even better live! I was blown away by the vocal and he staging was so cinematic. I was just so drawn in!
Anyways, Josh is amazing too. Great song, great vocals, and great stunt. How is he floating?! He looked very graceful and elegant. I’ll be happy if either of them win! I don’t really care for Henka?.
Studio: Tristeza >>> Medo Live: Fernando >> Josh Tristeza is a much better song than Medo, Medo unfortunately falls flat in the refrens but Fernando evelates it so much live and it could go very well with juries and public. Tristeza on the other hand, if they fix the staging a bit (the concept is there but they need another outfit, better lights & camera angles, less nails, Josh to loose the left hand at some point) so Josh can deliver his amazing vocals and vibrato better, has the potential to win the whole thing. Pls fix Tristeza and send… Read more »
Henka was amazing and I didn’t even particularly like the song before watching it live. After seeing Peculiar and Henka finishing outside their Top 5 in their respective semifinal obviously due to the juries, just to be saved by the public, I’m particularly worried about what Portugal will choose this year.
I feel like Henka should now dedicate her song to the Portuguese juries lol
It’s a real shame that they can’t see they’ve got an international hit on their hands that imo would give them their best result since Salvador.
Henka was inc9. Portugal must send her. Jury disgraced themselves.
Are we going to ignore that Festival da Canção 2025 is the best national selection this year? It’s way better than Melodifestivalen for sure. Fernando and Diana are my choices here, they were brilliant tonight. I will be also okay with Josh winning.
I really liked Fernando tonight
My favorites were Diana and Tota. In my opinion Diana Cotovia would be the best song to represent Portugal in eurovision Traditional sounds, strong melody, amazing voice.
Close call.
Once again, my favorite only goes through on the televote wildcard. FdC gives me a heart attack every time
Peculiar & Henka has no chance as it seems. It will be between Josh & Fernando
Portugal sending another safe jury-friendly song is becoming boring on its own despite how much I loved Maro and Iolanda. There will be no other Salvador Sobral, so I hope it’s time for Portuguese juries to start embracing diversity or Portugal will start staying in the semis again.
Yessssssss
I am happy with the chosen ones but not surprised with the stupid attitude of a pretentious jury concerning Henka ( I am sure that it she sung in portuguese, it would be different – and awesome)… I just hope the portuguese public is wise
Studio version??? Yes!!! It was actually my favourite. Live performance, awful. What were they thinking with that TikTok dance and pop like staging with all the camera work?? Have they never seen a metal band perform?? The vocals were awful. Too much playback or whatever you call it these days, back vocal support??? You could barely see her face, those green and black effects. Just terrible. Sure the jury is old fashioned and pretentious and if they judged based on the studio recording then it would be stupid not to send her. But based on live act, I wouldn’t pick… Read more »
Well, we have different opinions about it, that is what is important in a democracy
It’s impossible for Henka to win tbh
Omg are they insane? Or the votes has been hacked?
Insanity has been the rule in several NFs unfortunately
I noticed. A lot of that this year…
Put “a lot” in that ….
Henka
Diana
Tota
Ok I lost Tota but luckily Henka and Diana are still with us.
This semi was GREAT – I just wasn’t fond of numbers 2 and 7 – not because they sung badly, just that the songs are not my cup of tea – Henka, Diana and Emmy were the stand outs for me
Diana for the win.
F@&@####### HENKA…. WHAAAAATTTT????? She slayeeeeeddddddddddddd
Diana was STUNNING
Damn.. up to Napa ( included) ALL served vocals
Loved Quantos queres as well
Loved A Cantadeira and Bombazine…. Emmy Curl … I don’t know what to think about the song, too experimental, but she is a genius and elevated it alot like a goddess
I went into Festival da Cancao thinking Henka should win, and my opinion is unchanged.
Deslocado is very easy to listen to. Chill but not so much so that you get bored. I like it.
Quen Foi is well sung, but nothing is happening.
Fernando total professional. Controls the stage with ease.
You’ve heard of a dress reveal, now get ready for a suit reveal. But honestly pretty good performance
Emmy Curl is the best so far in the semi, but her dancers’ costumes look a bit cheap
Tota is quirky, but I think it was too long before anything happened on stage.
We love to see the traditional instruments. I find Responso A Mulher a bit repettative, but it’s not overbearingly so.