Portugal has participated in the Contest 54 times since its debut at the Eurovision Song Contest 1964 in Copenhagen with "Oração " by António Calvário , which finished in joint last place with the entries from Germany , Switzerland and Yugoslavia . It has finished last on three further occasions - in 1974 , 1997 and 2018 - the latter as host nation.
It has been absent from five Contests - in 1970 , 2000 , 2002 , 2013 and 2016 .
Its best result of the 20th century came when Lúcia Moniz finished in sixth place with her entry "O meu coração não tem cor " at the Eurovision Song Contest 1996 in Oslo.
Following the introduction of the semi finals at the 2004 Contest in Istanbul, the country has failed to qualify nine times for the final. At the 2017 Contest in Kiev it broke the record for the longest participation without a win when its entrant Salvador Sobral won on the country's 49th attempt with his entry "Amar pelos dois " - the country's first-ever Top 5 placing.
The country debuted at the Junior Eurovision Song Contest 2006 in Bucharest, finishing second-last, which was repeated the following year. Following this, they decided to withdraw and first stated that they would return for the 2014 Contest in Marsa, which did not materialise. Upon their return at the 2017 Contest in Tblisi, they again finished in 14th place. They scored their worst result to date the following year when they finished in 18th place. They took a year off in 2020, but came back in 2021 and finished in 11th place. They achieved their best placing to date the following year when they finished in 8th place.
Participants [ ]
Eurovision Song Contest [ ]
Year
Performer(s)
Song
Language
Translation
Position
Points
Semi
Points
1964
António Calvário
"Oração "
Portuguese
Prayer
13
0
No semi-finals
1965
Simone de Oliveira
"Sol de inverno "
Winter sun
13
1
1966
Madalena Iglésias
"Ele e ela "
He and she
13
6
1967
Eduardo Nascimento
"O vento mudou "
The wind changed
12
3
1968
Carlos Mendes
"Verão "
Summer
11
5
1969
Simone de Oliveira
"Desfolhada portuguesa "
Portuguese husking
15
4
Did not participate in 1970
1971
Tonicha
"Menina do alto da serra "
Portuguese
High ridge girl
9
83
No semi-finals
1972
Carlos Mendes
"A festa da vida "
The party of life
7
90
1973
Fernando Tordo
"Tourada "
Bullfight
10
80
1974
Paulo de Carvalho
"E depois do adeus "
And after the farewell
14
3
1975
Duarte Mendes
"Madrugada "
Dawn
16
16
1976
Carlos do Carmo
"Uma flor de verde pinho "
A green-pine flower
12
24
1977
Os Amigos
"Portugal no coração "
Portugal in my heart
14
18
1978
Gemini
"Dai li dou "
-
17
5
1979
Manuela Bravo
"Sobe, sobe, balão sobe "
Rise, rise, balloon rise
9
64
1980
José Cid
"Um grande, grande amor "
A great, great love
7
71
1981
Carlos Paião
"Playback "
-
18
9
1982
Doce
"Bem bom "
Very good
13
32
1983
Armando Gama
"Esta balada que te dou "
The ballad I give you
13
33
1984
Maria Guinot
"Silêncio e tanta gente "
Silence and so many people
11
38
1985
Adelaide Ferreira
"Penso em ti, eu sei "
I think of you, I know
18
9
1986
Dora
"Não sejas mau para mim "
Don't be mean to me
14
28
1987
Nevada
"Neste barco à vela "
In this sailing boat
18
15
1988
Dora
"Voltarei "
I'll come back
18
5
1989
Da Vinci
"Conquistador "
Conqueror
16
39
1990
Nucha
"Há sempre alguém "
There's always someone
20
9
1991
Dulce Pontes
"Lusitana paixão "
Lusitanian passion
8
62
1992
Dina
"Amor d'água fresca "
Fresh water love
17
26
1993
Anabela
"A cidade (até ser dia) "
The city (until dawn)
10
60
Kvalifikacija za Millstreet
1994
Sara Tavares
"Chamar a música "
Call the music
8
73
No semi-finals
1995
Tó Cruz
"Baunilha e chocolate "
Vanilla and chocolate
21
5
1996
Lúcia Moniz
"O meu coração não tem cor "
My heart is colourless
6
92
18
32
1997
Célia Lawson
"Antes do adeus "
Before goodbye
24
0
No semi-finals
1998
Alma Lusa
"Se eu te pudesse abraçar "
If I could embrace you
12
36
1999
Rui Bandeira
"Como tudo começou "
How everything began
21
12
Did not participate in 2000
2001
MTM
"Só sei ser feliz assim "
Portuguese
Only can be happy this way
17
18
No semi-finals
Relegated from competing in 2002
2003
Rita Guerra
"Deixa-me sonhar (só mais uma vez) "
Portuguese, English
Let me dream (just once more)
22
13
No semi-finals
2004
Sofia Vitória
"Foi magia "
Portuguese
It was magic
Failed to qualify
15
38
2005
2B
"Amar "
Portuguese, English
To love
17
51
2006
Nonstop
"Coisas de nada (Gonna Make You Dance) "
Meaningless things (Gonna Make You Dance)
19
26
2007
Sabrina
"Dança comigo "
Portuguese
Dance with me (Come be happy
11
88
2008
Vânia Fernandes
"Senhora do mar (Negras águas) "
Lady of the sea (Dark waters)
13
69
2
120
2009
Flor-de-Lis
"Todas as ruas do amor "
All the streets of love
15
57
8
70
2010
Filipa Azevedo
"Há dias assim "
It's one of those days
18
43
4
89
2011
Homens da Luta
"A luta é alegria "
The daily struggle is all about fun
Failed to qualify
18
22
2012
Filipa Sousa
"Vida minha "
My life
13
39
Did not participate in 2013
2014
Suzy
"Quero ser tua "
Portuguese
I want to be yours
Failed to qualify
11
39
2015
Leonor Andrade
"Há um mar que nos separa "
There's a sea that separates us
14
19
Did not participate in 2016
2017
Salvador Sobral
"Amar pelos dois "
Portuguese
Love for both of us
1
758
1
370
2018
Cláudia Pascoal
"O jardim "
The Garden
26
39
Host country
2019
Conan Osíris
"Telemóveis "
Mobile phones
Failed to qualify
15
51
2020
Elisa
"Medo de sentir "
Afraid of Feeling
Cancelled
2021
The Black Mamba
"Love Is on My Side "
English
-
12
153
4
239
2022
Maro
"Saudade, saudade "
English, Portuguese
-
9
207
4
208
2023
Mimicat
"Ai coração "
Portuguese
Oh heart
23
59
9
74
2024
Iolanda
"Grito "
Shout
Junior Eurovision Song Contest [ ]
Junior Eurovision Song Contest