Portugal 2026: Bandidos do Cante with "Rosa"

Here's a confession worthy of some existential angst, pyro and a violin solo - My first listening to this (beyond the official recap where I just remembered some guys holding flowers) was today March 20th. If the vast majority of FdC artists threatening to boycott Eurovision achieved anything it was in dampening my interest to go and check out anything. Throw in the usual melfest clash, late night finish, odds at like 700-1 and no one else talking about it and one thing led to another.

The raw, fresh take: It's a bit dull. Not one of the guys really connects or sells this but it's sweet and I guess that earnestness is the charm. A lot of the comments on YouTube are positive with the old Salvador Sobral "music is feeling not fireworks" quote being dragged up and whilst technically bed fellows that's like comparing Jonas Lovv to Maneskin. Oh wait.

Seriously, this is very weak within it's genre and one of probably 50 similar entries that have been in FdC over the last decade, but that doesn't mean it's hopeless and it does have a niche at Eurovision: those two positions can and do exist exclusive to each other.

Portugal qualified against the odds last year from the first half of semi one and technically there are reasons why the return of the juries to the semi finals would help this. On the other hand, their top 3 supporters in the semi last year are not here and nor are Luxembourg or France, the source of their only televoting support in the final last time out. Dicey. This is pure vibes on whether it saw tooths against the madness in that first half as a pallete cleanser or is a toilet break. We might only see on the night. Jury support is possible and a bit harder to predict whether this receives a moderate push or has to make do with 1-4 points here and there. 

As an aside, I've typed 2 paragraphs checked last year's stats and I've already forgotten the melody, which pushes me to lean out on this and it likely needs to take the spot of something in the second half of this semi and hope for a front loaded split.

Personal Rating: 6/20

Televote Potential: 8/20

Jury Potential: 10/20

Staging Potential: 10/20

Track Record: 15/20

Overall Rating: 49/100

Volatility Factor: 2/5 - Could vary between pretty comfortable qualifier or completely buried but not likely to do much in the final.