For those of you who might not have heard already, The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Rádio e Televisão de Portugal (RTP) has revealed that the city chosen to host the 63rd Eurovision Song Contest in 2018 will be the country’s capital and largest city, Lisbon.
Portugal are hosting the next Contest following Salvador Sobral’s victory in Kyiv this year, scoring a record high 758 points performing “Amar Pelos Dois”, a song written by his sister Luísa. This is the first time ever that the competition will be held in Portugal, as Salvador’s win was the country’s first in their 53 years of competing. 2018 will also be Portugal’s 50th appearance in the Contest.
“We are very pleased to announce that RTP will be hosting the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon. The City has presented an exemplary proposal, and we look forward to working together to make Portugal’s first ever Eurovision the most exciting one yet. We would like to congratulate RTP on their professional and detailed assessments of all the bids.” Jon Ola Sand, the EBU’s Executive Supervisor for the Eurovision Song Contest, commented.
“Hosting Eurovision 2018 is a great opportunity for Portugal, Lisbon, the entertainment industry, and RTP. We look forward to organising an event that will show our creative capabilities.” Gonçalo Reis, the CEO of RTP, commented.