The participation of Portugal in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest first began at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest in 2006 which took place in Bucharest, Romania. Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP), a member of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), were responsible for the selection process of their participation. Portugal used a national selection format, broadcasting a show entitled "Festival da Canção Junior", for their participation at the contests. This was a junior version of Festival da Canção, the national music competition organised by broadcaster RTP to choose the Portuguese entry for the Eurovision Song Contest. The first representative to participate for the nation at the 2006 contest was Pedro Madeira with the song "Deixa-me sentir", which finished in second-last place out of fifteen participating entries, achieving a score of twenty-two points. Their worst result to date has been achieved by Rita Laranjeira with her song "Gosto de tudo (já não gosto de nada)" in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2018 where she placed 18th. Portugal withdrew from competing in 2008, and returned in 2017. They withdrew again in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Portugal returned in 2021, where they achieved 11th place, their best result up to that point. In 2022 the country surpassed this record and reached 8th place.
Portugal has sent eight entries to the contest, first entering in 2006. Portugal finished second-last in both 2006 and 2007, and Portuguese broadcaster Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) withdrew after the 2007 contest, despite high viewing figures.[1] On 28 July 2014, it was announced that Portugal would return in 2014,[2] but on 4 September 2014 it was announced that they ultimately would not participate.[3] Portugal returned in 2017 and has participated until 2019. Portugal provisionally confirmed their participation in the 2020 contest,[4] but did not appear on the final list of participants,[5] because covid-19.[6] Portugal returned in 2021 with Simão Oliveira, who came 11th, giving Portugal their best result up to that point. This achievement was then surpassed in 2022, when Portugal came 8th with Nicolas Alves and the song ‘Anos 70’, which was also the first entry sung entirely in Brazilian Portuguese dialect.
The following year, Portuguese-American singer Júlia Machado came 13th out of 16 with 75 points, achieving Portugal's third-best result in Junior Eurovision.
The contests are broadcast online worldwide through the official Junior Eurovision Song Contest website junioreurovision.tv and YouTube. In 2015, the online broadcasts featured commentary in English by junioreurovision.tv editor Luke Fisher and 2011 Bulgarian Junior Eurovision Song Contest entrant Ivan Ivanov.[7] The Portuguese broadcaster, RTP, sent their own commentators to the contest in order to provide commentary in the Portuguese language. Spokespersons were also chosen by the national broadcaster in order to announce the awarding points from Portugal. The table below list the details of each commentator and spokesperson since 2005.
For the most recent participation see
