Benidorm Fest is a Spanish song contest organised by the public communication company (RTVE) in collaboration with the to determine 's entry for the Eurovision Song Contest, beginning with 2022. It is held in Benidorm, Valencian Community, at the .
Based on the Benidorm International Song Festival with amendments to accommodate the Eurovision format, the contest consists of two semi-finals and a final, with the winner jointly determined through teams of judges and a public vote. The first edition was won by Chanel with "SloMo", and the second edition was won by Blanca Paloma with "Eaea". A third edition is planned to be held in 2024.
History
Background
The event is loosely based on the ("Spanish Song Festival of Benidorm"), a national song contest created in 1958 and modelled on the Italian Sanremo Music Festival. The competition was held intermittently until 2006, interspersed with several hiatuses and various changes to the format.
Return of a competition to Benidorm
Fifteen years after the final edition of the Spanish Song Festival of Benidorm, RTVE broadcast a conference from the city on 22 July 2021, in which the president of the Ximo Puig, mayor of the city Antonio Pérez, and president of the broadcaster José Manuel Pérez Tornero announced the revival of a song competition held in Benidorm, which would also become a new pre-selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, starting with the edition. During the broadcast, viewers were assured that there would be changes and updates to the contest's format, as well as a "double contest" in which both famous and upcoming singers would take part, whose prize would be the chance to represent Spain at Eurovision.
On 29 September of the same year, the rules and mechanics were published, revealing the name of the revamped competition to be "Benidorm Fest" and that the first edition was scheduled to air at the end of January 2022. It was subsequently announced that a contract had been signed to hold the event for four editions. The invested around €968,000 in the event.
Format
The contest is made up of two semi-finals and a final, in which a number of candidates – soloists, duos, trios or groups – perform their songs live. In the first edition there were seven entries for each semi-final and eight in the final; for the second edition there were nine songs in each semi-final (for a total number of eighteen entries) and eight in the final. It is planned that the third edition will feature a reduced number of sixteen entries, eight in each semi-final.
The public (consisting of the televote plus a panel of judges made up of a sample of the Spanish population selected by statistical and demoscopic criteria) and a national and international jury vote for their preferred songs, with the final result determined by a split vote between the public and the juries. At the end of the programme, the song with the most points is declared the winner and is granted the opportunity to represent Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest.
Voting
Voting during the three shows occurs through a combination of the following methods:
Expert jury (50%) – heads of delegation, artists, musicians and/or other professionals, involving both national and international members. Demoscopic panel (25%) – composed of a statistically-selected sample of the Spanish population. Public voting (25%) – via telephone and SMS.
Presenters
Identity
Theme music
The theme music of Benidorm Fest, entitled "", was composed by the musician Pepe Herrero and it is performed by the RTVE Orchestra and Choir. It is a symphonic piece inspired by classic themes such as "" from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff, combining it with modern compositions by composers such as Hans Zimmer. The lyrics, composed in Latin, highlight the value of music as a means to unite peoples and make them free.
The author produced 15 variations of the piece, of different durations and instrumental templates, for different purposes.
Trophy
The winner of Benidorm Fest receives a Bronze Microphone, made by Madrid sculptor José Luis Fernández. It is a 30 centimeters tall piece, cast in bronze and made with lost-wax casting method.