Portugal presents its entry for Junior Eurovision 2026. Almost four months after Salvador Rio was crowned the winner of ‘The Voice Kids Portugal 2026’ on May 24, a victory that came with the ticket to represent the country in Malta, public broadcaster RTP has released “Alma,” the Portuguese entry that we will enjoy at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre (MFCC) in Ta’ Qali on Saturday, October 24.
For the creation of the song, the young artist went to the recording studio accompanied by Diogo Piçarra, who was his coach during his participation in ‘The Voice Kids Portugal’. The singer was responsible for the composition of the song that Portugal will perform on the Eurovision stage and, in addition, serves as the producer during the recording of the song.
The young Salvador Rio, aged 11, won the seventh edition of ‘The Voice Kids Portugal’, a competition that, since 2021, has served as the Portuguese selection process for the Junior Eurovision Song Contest.
This is “Alma,” Portugal’s entry for Junior Eurovision 2026
The official presentation of “Alma” was accompanied by the music video, filmed at the RTP headquarters this September. It was produced thanks to the joint work of a large technical and artistic team. Production was handled by Carla Bugalho, head of delegation for Portugal at Junior Eurovision, while Hugo Manso was responsible for the direction, video editing, and color correction.
The cinematography was handled by Inês Sanches, with Paulo dos Passos as camera operator and Miguel Pimenta as assistant director, while Francesco Cerruti handled the on-set photography and Orlando Aurélio collaborated as a technical assistant.
Enjoy all the songs from Junior Eurovision 2026 on the ESCplus playlist on Spotify:
Who is Salvador Rio? Meet Portugal’s representative at Junior Eurovision 2026
Salvador Rio is no stranger to the world of entertainment. Despite his young age, he already has experience in different areas of the entertainment industry. He has worked as a voice actor, providing the voice for the character of Peter Pan, and has also appeared on television programs and in various advertisements as an actor.
In addition to his work as an actor, music has always played an important role in his life. Salvador began singing when he was just four years old and, currently, at 12, he continues to develop his talent and passion for music. In 2025, he began taking singing lessons on a more professional basis, which has allowed him to refine his vocal technique and continue growing as an artist.
Thanks to this combination of experience in front of the cameras, in the world of voice acting, and on stage, Salvador has been building his experience in the entertainment world from a very young age and continues taking steps to consolidate his artistic career.
Who is Diogo Piçarra? Meet Portugal’s composer for Junior Eurovision 2026
Diogo Miguel Ramires Piçarra (1990) is a singer, songwriter, and music producer. Originally from Faro, he is one of the most prominent voices in Portuguese pop of the last decade. He rose to fame after being crowned the winner of the fifth edition of ‘Ídolos’, the Portuguese version of ‘Pop Idol’, in 2012. Since then, he has developed a solid musical career, characterized by the commercial success of his albums and singles, as well as by his work as a songwriter for other artists and as a mentor on television programs.
With millions of streams on digital platforms and a constant presence on the music charts, Diogo Piçarra has established himself as one of the most influential artists in pop music in Portugal.
His first steps in music came at the age of 17, when he founded the band Fora da Bóia, an alternative rock group with which he performed at various venues in Portugal and released the EP 49,5. At the same time, he studied Music at the University of the Algarve and completed part of his education at Palacký University Olomouc (Czechia) through the Erasmus program. Before gaining popularity, he tried to make his way through several television talent shows, taking part in ‘Ídolos’ in 2009 and ‘Operação Triunfo’ in 2010, although he did not achieve the success he had hoped for.
In 2012, his big opportunity came when he won ‘Ídolos’ (on his second attempt in the competition), a triumph that marked the beginning of his professional career. Three years later, he released Espelho (2015), a debut album that immediately reached number one on the Portuguese sales charts and introduced hits such as “Tu E Eu,” “Breve,” and “Volta.” In 2017, he released do=s with songs such as “Dialeto,” “História,” and “Já Não Falamos,” establishing himself as one of the most important artists on the Portuguese music scene. He subsequently expanded his discography with South Side Boy (2019), the EP Abrigo (2019), SNTMNTL (2024), and D≡Z (2025), exploring new sounds within pop, electropop, and urban music.
Throughout his career, Diogo Piçarra has collaborated with some of the most prominent names in Portuguese and Ibero-American music, including Carolina Deslandes, Anavitória, Jimmy P, Bispo, Agir, Fernando Daniel, Valas, and Spanish singer Antonio José, who represented Spain at Junior Eurovision 2005, with whom he recorded a bilingual version of “A Dónde Vas.” In addition to performing his own songs, Diogo Piçarra has established himself as a songwriter and producer, taking part in the creation of songs for other Portuguese artists.
His connection with the Eurovision world began in 2018, when he was selected as a participant in the Festival da Canção with the song “Canção do Fim.” After winning his semifinal with the maximum score, Diogo Piçarra decided to withdraw from the competition a few days before the grand final due to a controversy generated by accusations of alleged plagiarism, because of the strong similarity to the song “Abre Os Meus Olhos,” an adaptation by evangelical pastor Walter McAllister. Although a copyright infringement was never proven, the artist chose to leave the competition to prevent the controversy from overshadowing the contest.
Beyond his recording career, Diogo Piçarra has become one of the most recognizable faces on Portuguese television. Between 2019 and 2023, he was a coach on ‘The Voice Portugal’, while, since 2025, he has been part of the team of ‘The Voice Kids Portugal’, where he works to discover new talent.