The EDP Live Bands project – an initiative to promote garage bands and their music - will be extended to Spain for the first time this year.  Following its success in Portugal, where it has been running since 2014, and in Brazil, where it kicked off in 2016, EDP Live Bands is now moving into a new area to give a boost to the garage bands of the country. 

The winning bands from the three countries will get the chance to perform at NOS Alive in Lisbon. The winning band of the Portuguese version will also have the opportunity to perform at the Mad Cool Festival in Madrid. Besides performing in these events, the winners will also have the right to record their first album. 

In the last six years, the initiative in Portugal and Brazil has already benefited more than 4200 garage bands with six coming out of their anonymity for "stardom" by recording a CD and performing in world famous festivals.

As in previous years in Portugal, the project is supported by Everything is New and Sony and has the magazine Sábado, RTP, Antena 3 and Fnac as partners. This year SAPO has joined the project, to complement partners already on board from previous years. In addition to all the support for the initiative, the role of the partners in each of the countries also includes participation in the jury for the selection of the winning band and its dissemination.

In Portugal, the initiative starts today, 8 February, with the launch and opening of the registrations. Once the bands are registered, they will go through two selection phases - by the public and the jury (semifinalists and finalists). The grand final takes place on 18 May, at the LX Factory in Lisbon, contested between the eight finalists.

In Spain, EDP Live Bands also starts today, 8 February, and ends on 9 June, at an event in El Sol, Madrid.

In Brazil, the launch and opening of registrations takes place on 27 February and the overall winner will be announced on 12 May at the Bourbon Street in São Paulo.

This project reinforces EDP's position in and commitment to the dissemination of national and international music, already reflected in several sponsorships of events in the area.

Competition rules at: edplivebands.edp.com

Competition timeline (Portugal)

8 February - launch and start of registrations

26 March - end of registration period

8 February to 6 April - voting on project website

9 April - announcement of semi-finalists

10 to 27 April - voting on which semi-finalists will make the final

30 April - announcement of finalists

18 May - this year's final (LX factory, Lisbon)

Competition timeline (Spain)

 8 February - launch and start of registrations

 8 February to 2 April - registration period

 8 February to 13 April - voting

16 April - announcement of semi-finalists

16 April to 4 May - voting on which semi-finalists will make the final

7 May - announcement of finalists

9 June - this year's final (EL SOL, Madrid)

Competition timeline (Brazil)

27 February - launch and start of registrations

27 February to 27 March - registration period

27 February to 1 April - voting

4 April - announcement of semifinalists

5 to 20 April - voting on which semifinalists will make the final

23 April - announcement of finalists

12 May - this year's final (Bourbon Street, São Paulo)