Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 1979
Portugal was present at the Eurovision Song Contest 1979, held in Jerusalem, Israel.
| Eurovision Song Contest 1979 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country |  | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Festival RTP da Canção 1979 | |||
| Selection date(s) | 24 February 1979 | |||
| Selected entrant | Manuela Bravo | |||
| Selected song | "Sobe, sobe, balão sobe" | |||
| Finals performance | ||||
| Final result | 9th, 64 points | |||
| Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
| ||||
The Portuguese national final to select their entry, the Festival RTP da Canção 1979, was held on 24 February at the Cinema Monumental in Lisbon, and was hosted by José Fialho Gouveia and Manuela Moura Guedes.
Three semi-finals in February narrowed the final selection from 27 eligible songs to nine; the top three winners in each of the three heats progressed to the final, which was broadcast nationwide. Twenty-two regional juries throughout Portugal, the Azores and the Madeira Islands picked the winner.
The winning entry was "Sobe, sobe, balão sobe," performed by Manuela Bravo and composed by Carlos Nóbrega e Sousa.
National final
| Draw | Artist | Song | Points | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gonzaga Coutinho | "Tema para um homem só" | 102 | 5th |
| 2 | Pedro Osório S.A.R.L. | "Uma canção comercial" | 123 | 3rd |
| 3 | Concha | "Qualquer dia, quem diria" | 78 | 6th |
| 4 | Gabriela Schaaf | "Eu só quero" | 132 | 2nd |
| 5 | Tózé Brito | "Novo canto Português" | 110 | 4th |
| 6 | Teresa Silva Carvalho | "Cantemos até ser dia" | 52 | 9th |
| 7 | Florência | "O combóio do Tua" | 63 | 8th |
| 8 | Manuel José Soares | "Quando chego a casa" | 76 | 7th |
| 9 | Manuela Bravo | "Sobe, sobe, balão sobe" | 149 | 1st |
At Eurovision
Manuela Bravo was the first performer on the night of the contest, preceding Italy. At the close of the voting the song had received 64 points, placing 9th in a field of 19 competing countries. It was the highest ranking Portugal had received since 1972.