Iolanda Costa (; born 4 November 1994), known mononymously as Iolanda, is a Portuguese singer and songwriter. She became known for her participation in the first season of the program , broadcast by TVI in December 2008. Iolanda represented Portugal in the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 with the song "".
Early life Iolanda was born in 1994 in Figueira da Foz, but she moved to Pombal as a child. From an early age she revealed a great passion for music, and her vocation did not go unnoticed by her parents, who sent her to study music at Tecnimúsica, a school in Pombal, and later at the Conservatory, in Coimbra. At 17 she moved to Lisbon where she graduated in Communication Sciences from ISCSP whilst studying Jazz Vocals at Escola de Jazz Luís Villas Boas, more commonly known as Hot Club de Portugal. She tried performing in bars and national talent competitions as a gateway, then moved to London, where she studied songwriting at BIMM University in London, United Kingdom.
Musical career At the age of 14, Iolanda participated in the first edition of the talent show ("A song for you"), broadcast by TVI in December 2008 and was eliminated in the 2nd gala, thus failing to reach the final. In 2012, at the age of 17, she tried her luck again on a television program, this time in the 5th season of , on SIC, but did not reach the live gala stage.
In 2014, Iolanda took to the stage of the Blind Tests of the second season of The Voice Portugal, on RTP1, but her performance of "Who You Are", by Jessie J, failed to impress any of the four mentors. In 2022, she made her debut at , the Portuguese selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, as co-author and co-composer of the song "", performed by Blacci. In 2023, Iolanda released her first EP, entitled , which she wrote during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2024, Iolanda was selected to compete in the Festival da Canção 2024 with the song ""; on 24 February 2024, she secured her place by in the final, ultimately winning the festival and going on to represent Portugal at the Eurovision Song Contest 2024. On 29 March 2024, several entrants, including Iolanda, released a joint statement calling for "an immediate and lasting ceasefire" in Gaza, as well as "the safe return of all hostages".
Iolanda was drawn to compete in the first semi-final, where she placed eighth out of 16 with 58 points, qualifying to the grand final, where she placed 10th out of 26 with 152 points (139 from the juries and 13 from the televote).
On 11 February 2026, Iolanda participated in the "Amor ao Centro" benefit concert, alongside with several other Portuguese artists, to support the victims of Storm Kristin.
Discography
Extended plays + List of EPs, with selected details Title Details Cura Released: 31 March 2023 Label: Altafonte Formats: Digital download, streaming Grito Released: 14 June 2024 Label: Altafonte Formats: Digital download, streaming Olhar p'ra baixo Released: 5 July 2024 Label: Altafonte Formats: Digital download, streaming
Singles As lead artist Title Year Peak chart positions Album or EP POR LTU "" 2022 — — Cura ""(with Choro and Matheus Paraizofeaturing Inês Marques Lucas) — — Avalanche – Volume I ""(with Soluna featuring Luar) — — "" — — Cura "" 2023 — — "" 2024 42 65 Festival da Canção 2024 "" — — Olhar p'ra baixo "") 129 — Modas "") — — rowspan="2" "" 2025 — — "" — — Florbela "" 2026 — — rowspan="3" "" — — "" — — "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
As featured artist Title Year Peak chart positions Album or EP POR "Crying Out"(Darko featuring Iolanda) 2015 — Overexpression ""(Carolina Deslandes featuring Iolanda) 2025 108 Chorar No Club "—" denotes a recording that did not chart or was not released in that territory.
Other collaborations Title Year Album or EP "" 2024 Bichinho (paraonde vai o amor?) "" Fases "" "" 2026 Em sonhos, ésabido, não se morre
Awards and nominations Year Award Category Nominee(s) Result 2024 Eurovision Awards Vocal Powerhouse Award Herself 2025 PLAY - Portuguese Music Awards Best New Artist NiT Awards Best Original Song ""
References