NAPA qualifies for Eurovision 2025 grand final
The Eurovision Grand Final takes place Saturday, May 17, and will be broadcast live on RTP1 in Portugal and across Europe.
Portugal is through to the Grand Final of the 69th Eurovision Song Contest.
The Madeiran band NAPA secured one of the coveted ten spots in the first semifinal, held Tuesday night at the St. Jakobshalle arena in Basel, Switzerland.
They performed “Deslocado,” an emotional ballad about feeling far from home, which previously won Festival da Canção 2025.
Despite low expectations, with bookmakers ranking Portugal 14th out of 15 in this semifinal and 34th out of 37 in the overall competition, NAPA defied the odds.
According to Eurovision World, Portugal had just a 15% chance of qualifying.
Yet, the heartfelt performance resonated with audiences, earning them a place in Saturday’s final.
NAPA joins nine other qualifiers from the first semifinal: Norway, Albania, Sweden, Iceland, Netherlands, Poland, San Marino, Estonia, and Ukraine. Countries eliminated at this stage include Slovenia, Belgium, Azerbaijan, Croatia, and Cyprus.
Portugal will now appear in its fifth consecutive Eurovision final, a consistent streak since 2021.
The success is particularly symbolic, coming seven years after Salvador Sobral’s historic win in 2017 with “Amar pelos Dois,” Portugal’s only victory in the contest’s history.
While bookmakers remain skeptical of “Deslocado’s” chances in the final, the band has received widespread praise online, especially on TikTok, where the song’s lyrics have struck a chord with many who feel “displaced.”
Eurovision 2017 winner Salvador Sobral recently shared a cover of the song, amplifying its emotional impact.
Tuesday’s show was hosted by Hazel Brugger and Sandra Studer, who herself represented Switzerland at Eurovision in 1991.
The event included tributes to Eurovision legends, such as Céline Dion, whose 1988 winning song “Ne Partez Pas Sans Moi” was performed by last year’s Portuguese entrant Iolanda, alongside artists from Greece, Ukraine, and Lithuania.
The night also featured a nostalgic performance by Jørgen Olsen of the Olsen Brothers, singing their 2000 winner “Fly on the Wings of Love.”
Three of the “Big Four” countries, Spain, Italy, and host nation Switzerland, showcased their acts ahead of Saturday’s final.
As major contributors to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), these countries are automatically prequalified for the final.
Spain presented “Esa Diva” by Melody, Italy performed “Volevo essere un duro” by Lucio Corsi, and Switzerland’s entry is “Voyage” by Zoë Më.
The Eurovision Grand Final takes place Saturday, May 17, and will be broadcast live on RTP1 in Portugal and across Europe.