The EDP Live Bands competition is back. Registrations for the competition, which gives amateur bands the opportunity to play before a renowned jury, have just opened in Portugal, Spain, and Brazil. Registrations are open for bands and artists from all music genres and from all the countries mentioned above.

This contest has proven to be a worldwide success. Since its beginning in 2014, EDP Live Bands has received about 6,500 entries. This year will be the competition's 6th edition in Portugal. In Brazil, the competition was launched in 2016, and in Spain it will have its 2nd edition this year. Since its first edition, EDP Live Bands has awarded 11 bands, which have performed in festivals of international renown.

In this new edition, the winning Portuguese band will be invited to perform at NOS Alive, which will take place in July in Lisbon, and at Mad Cool Festival in Madrid. Moreover, the band will record an album with Sony Music and - for the first time in the history of the competition - it will also have the opportunity to shoot a music video. 

The six finalists will perform in the competition final, which is scheduled for May 24, and will be able to invite friends, family and fans; transportation will be offered by EDP. This purpose of this initiative is to provide support for every band, regardless of the region where they come from.  

In Portugal, registrations are open until March 24. To participate, bands must upload an original song on the competition website (edplivebands.edp.com) and invite their friends to vote online. One of the six finalist bands will be chosen by the fans. The remaining bands will be selected by the jury, based on criteria such as originality, technical quality, and musicality.

Portuguese musician Tiago Bettencourt will join this project for the first time; he will be part of the jury during all selection stages and in the final itself, which will take place at LX Factory, where the best bands will perform and compete for the first place. Tiago Bettencourt will also perform at the event.
All finalist bands will attend a workshop with music industry specialists, which this year will feature Tiago Bettencourt and representatives of the project partners. A unique opportunity to share experiences and listen to advice on how to build a career in the competitive art world.

As in recent editions, the project has the global support of Everything is New and Sony Music. In Portugal, it is also sponsored by Fnac. Besides helping select the winning band, our partners will also support it after the competition by promoting their music.

"Through this initiative and the continuous sponsorship of various music events, EDP further strengthens its position as music's official energy both inside and outside Portugal," says EDP Group Brand Director Ana Sofia Vinhas.

Last year, Churky was the big winner of the Portuguese edition of EDP Live Bands. Diogo Rico Rodrigues, a talented singer, songwriter, guitar player and music producer, beat the competition and has already released his first album - "É".

Visit EDP's Spotify  profile to discover the winners of the latest editions.

Competition Rules at: edplivebands.edp.com

Schedule - Portuguese Edition

February 12    Launch and opening of registrations
March 24    End of registration period
February 12 to April 12    1st online voting round
April 16    Announcement of semi-finalist bands
April 17 to May 2    Voting of semifinalists for the final
May 6    Announcement of finalist bands
May 24    Competition final (LX Factory - Lisbon)

Schedule - Spanish Edition

February 2    Launch and opening of registrations
March 20    End of registration period
February 12 to April 4    1st online voting round
April 8    Announcement of semi-finalist bands
April 9 to April 29    Voting of semifinalists for the final
May 6    Announcement of finalist bands
May 18    Competition final (Madrid) 
 

Schedule - Brazilian Edition

February 12    Launch and opening of registrations
March 12    End of registration period
April 12 to March 3    1st online voting round
March 25    Announcement of semi-finalist bands
March 26 to April 4    Voting of semifinalists for the final
April 11    Announcement of finalist bands
April 27    Competition final (Bourbon Street - São Paulo)