Portugal is participating this Saturday in the 23rd edition of the Junior Eurovision Song Contest (JESC) held in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Representing Portugal is Inês Gonçalves, the winner of “The Voice Kids Portugal,” with her performance of “Para Onde Vai o Amor?”.
The song was composed by Miguel Cristovinho, Buba Espinho, João Direitinho, and Aurora Pinto, and it “explores feelings of love and longing that endure after the loss of someone.”
“With ‘Para Onde Vai o Amor?’, Portugal reaffirms its commitment to giving a platform to young talents who blend emotion, tradition, and contemporary creativity,” stated an RTP press release distributed to newsrooms in November.
The teenager, who turns 13 this month, lives with her family in the Alentejo. She started singing at the age of three and took lessons in Cante Alentejano, being a member of the Ourique Children’s Choir and a singing trio.
“A true multi-instrumentalist, Inês has learned to play the drums, acoustic and electric guitar, violin, trumpet, piano, bass, cavaquinho, and flute, instruments she continues to study and perfect,” highlights RTP.
Listen to the song representing Portugal in Junior Eurovision:
How to vote?
Voting is entirely digital, free, and open worldwide through the official JESC website during two distinct periods.
The first voting period opened on Friday at 8:00 PM and will remain available until this Saturday, December 13, at 4:00 PM – the start of Junior Eurovision.
The second voting period will be available again on Saturday after all performances during the live broadcast of the contest.
Does Portugal have a chance to win?
According to a poll conducted by Eurovisionworld’s website, which asks “who should win Junior Eurovision 2025,” Portugal ranks 10th with about 4% of over 26,000 votes.
The 23rd edition of Junior Eurovision takes place in Tbilisi, Georgia, following the country’s victory with “To My Mom” by Andria Putkaradze.
This marks the 10th time Portugal has participated in the festival for those under 14. Portugal first entered in 2006 but was absent from the competition between 2008 and 2016.
In 2024, Victoria Nicole and the song “Esperança” reached 2nd place with 213 points, after winning the public vote, achieving Portugal’s best-ever result.
Junior Eurovision amidst controversy over Israel’s participation
The Junior Eurovision occurs amidst tension between several countries and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) over Israel’s participation in Eurovision.
The decision to maintain the Middle Eastern country, despite the ongoing offensive in the Gaza Strip, has led to several countries withdrawing from the next Eurovision edition, including Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, Slovenia, and Iceland.
RTP announced last week that it voted in favor of changing Eurovision’s rules regarding Israel’s participation and will join next year’s edition.
However, 17 musicians and performers announced on Wednesday that they refuse to represent Portugal in Eurovision if they win RTP’s Festival da Canção, in protest against Israel’s participation.
A petition demanding Portugal’s “immediate withdrawal” from the European contest has collected 25,000 signatures.
This year, 18 countries are participating in Junior Eurovision. In order of performance, they are Malta, Azerbaijan, Croatia, San Marino, Armenia, Ukraine, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Georgia, Cyprus, France, and Albania.
Despite the controversy, Junior Eurovision is expected to proceed as planned since Israel is not among the participants.
After winning ‘The Voice Kids’ on Sunday night, July 13, Inês Gonçalves spoke to Notícias ao Minuto about her victory and expressed happiness at representing Portugal in the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
Marina Gonçalves | 08:25 – 15/07/2025
