Iolanda

Iolanda Costa was born in São Pedro, Figueira da Foz, on November 4, 1994. In her childhood, she moved to Pombal, where she discovered her passion for music. Her parents supported her interest, enrolling her in music studies first at Tecnimúsica, a local school, and later at the Conservatory.

By the age of 14, in December 2008, Iolanda participated in the first edition of the contest Uma Canção para Ti, aired on TVI, but was eliminated in the 2nd gala. At 17, she again sought television exposure by participating in the 5th edition of Ídolos in 2012 on SIC, but did not advance to the live gala phase.

After completing high school, Iolanda moved to Lisbon to pursue higher education and graduated in Communication Sciences from ISCSP. During this period, she sought to break into the music scene through performances in bars and national talent contests.

Her journey continued when she moved to London to study songwriting at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute at the University of Sussex. In 2014, she competed in the Blind Auditions of the second season of The Voice Portugal on RTP1, performing “Who You Are” by Jessie J, yet none of the four mentors turned their chairs for her.

Iolanda’s first significant contribution to music came in 2022 as a co-author and co-composer of the song “Mar No Fim,” performed by Blacci at the Festival da Canção. The following year, in 2023, she released her first EP titled “Cura,” which was inspired by her experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2024, Iolanda achieved a notable milestone by being selected to compete in the RTP Festival da Canção with her song “Grito.” She won the contest on March 9, 2024, and was thus chosen to represent Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest.