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Spain: Benidorm Fest 2023 participants will be announced on October 27!

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According to an announcement by the Spanish broadcaster RTVE, a few days remain until the official announcement of the artists who will compete in Benidorm Festival 2023, where they will compete to represent Spain at Eurovision 2023.

On Thursday October 27, in a special program presented by Inés Hernand and Rodrigo Vázquez, we will see the announcement of the 16 artists chosen by RTVE’s team of experts among the 876 proposals submitted in total from September 1 to October 10.

In this show, each one of the 16 lucky candidates will be presented separately, making reference to their career so far, the reasons that led him to apply, and information about their candidate song. The event will also feature last year’s Benidorm Fest winner, Chanel, who dazzled Europe in Turin and will soon be releasing the official song of the World Cup in Qatar.

The next day, Friday October 28, a press conference with the contestants will take place.

We remind you that for Benidorm Fest 2023, songs were submitted by new talents unknown to the general public as well as by emerging artists, with increased interest from established artists, singers from talent shows, and even artists who have participated in Eurovision in the past.

Notable among the proposals is the presence of singers of all ages, from 16 to 76, bands and alternative artists, while a proposal was also submitted by one of last year’s Benidorm Fest contestants. There are also entries of artists with a lot of followers on TikTok, as happened last year with Britain’s Sam Ryder who took second place in Turin. The songs submitted cover a wide musical spectrum, from commercial pop, ballads, folk, flamenco, fusion and rock, to latin, rap and reggaeton.

Eight songs will compete in the first Semi-Final on 31 January and the other eight will compete in the second on 2 February. The top four from each semi-final will advance to the Grand Final on February 4, where eight acts will battle it out to win the second edition of the Benidorm Festival and the golden ticket to represent Spain in Liverpool.

Source: RTVE

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding Benidorm Fest 2023!

Spain: Which artists are rumoured to take part in Benidorm Fest 2023?

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Although the first semi-final of Benidorm Fest 2023 is almost four months away, speculation is thriving as to which artists intend to submit a proposal before the expiration of deadline or will be invited directly by RTVE to take part in the Festival.

Drawing on information from Louis Mesa, a journalist with a special interest in Eurovision, we report what has come into light so far, attempting, at the same time, to present briefly the artists in question.

Angy Fernández

Angy is a singer, actress, and presenter, who became famous through her participation in X Factor in 2007. She is also the winner of the Spanish version of the first edition of Your Face Sounds Familiar in the country. In recent years she has mainly focused on her television career . Her last album was published in 2013.

 

Maria Arnal

The second singer rumored to take part in Benidorm Fest is the Catalan-born Maria Arnal. The artist from Bandalona draws on the musical tradition of the Iberian Peninsula, providing a new, freer approach.

 

Hugo Cobo

Hugo is from Córdoba and is 22 years old (born 20/12/1999). He became famous through the music reality show Operación Triunfo in 2020 (which was also the means of selecting the representative of Spain at Eurovision), and since then he has released several songs, some of which have become hits.

 

Abraham Mateo

The biggest name on our list is Abraham Mateo. He is one of the most popular young singers in Spain and Latin America. He has collaborated with Jenifer Lopez, 50 Cent and others, and his songs have billions of views and streams on Youtube and Spotify. His carreer is mostly comprised of Latin pop and reggaeton tracks, although in recent years he has also experimented with trap music.

 

Borja Escalona

The case of Borja Escalona is extremely interesting! The previously unknown singer found himself in the spotlight due to the threatening messages he received from social media users. These messages, however, were not actually addressed to the singer Borja Escalona, ​​but to his namesake, a well-known Spanish YouTuber, whose views (justifiably) caused a huge backlash in Spain. Due to the unjustified hate he received, a campaign has started, at the initiative of his promotion company, to represent Spain at Eurovision 2023.

Celtian

Celtian, who have confirmed their intention to take part in Benidorm Fest 2023, are a Spanish symphonic folk metal band, formed in 2017 by flutist Diego Palacio. With obvious influences from Nightwish, Eluveitie and Mägo de Oz, the band experiments with new sounds and folk metal.

 

Durability

The singer from Galicia has also expressed her intention to participate in Benidorm Fest 2023. She is a new indie pop artist who sings mainly in English language.

 

Megara

The band Megara tried their luck at Benidorm Fest last year as well, without notable success. However, as the members of the rock group have said, they intend to give it another go this year.

 

Viva Suecia

Another group has expressed its interest in participating in Benidorm Fest. Viva Suecia is a band that moves in indie rock, pop rock, and alternative rock music roads, and has released four albums so far; the last one with the record label Universal Music UK.

Pupi Poisson

Pupi Poisson (stage name of Alberto Zimmer) is a Spanish drag performer who became well-known through Drag Race España. She has hinted that she is taking part in the upcoming Benidorm Fest.

Alfred Garcia Castillo

An old friend of the Contest is not ruling out a return to Eurovision via Benidorm Fest. The 25-year-old Alfred García Castillo, Spanish singer and songwriter who became well-known in Spain when he took part in the ninth edition of Operación Triunfo, finishing in fourth place. Alfred García represented Spain at the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon, together with Amaia Romero, and the song “Tu canción”, finishing in the twenty-third place.

Delaporte Music

Another band that looks set to join Benidorm Fest is Delaporte Music. Delaporte Music is mainly focused on Spanish indie pop, with the majority of their songs being up-tempo.

The Prodigious Decade

La Década Prodigiosa (also known as La Década) are a Spanish music group formed in the mid-1980s who participated in the 1988 Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in the eleventh place. The band has since changed members, but has retained the original (cheesy) pop sounds they are known for.

Trovadorum

The next band comes from Cuenca. Trovadorum, who have already submitted their proposal for Benidorm Fest. Their song is titled “You are not only ready”, and it’s heavily influenced by Celtic music. According to an interview with Trovadorum, the music video of the song has been shot in Cuenca in places like La Toba and Nohales, and will be released on September 30.

Siderland

Another group that confirmed their intention to participate in Benidorm Fest 2023 is Sideland, a Catalan pop group, consisting of young members..

The deadline for the submission of proposals to RTVE expires on October 10, while based on the relevant regulations issued by RTVE, the latter reserves the right to directly invite singers and composers to take part in the Festival.

Could any of the above artists represent Spain at Eurovision? Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all developments regarding Benidorm Fest 2023!

Spain: All the latest news about Benidorm Fest 2023!

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RTVE, Spain’s public broadcaster, has taken up the Eurovision challenge seriously! Intending to capitalise on the success of last year’s edition of Benidorm Fest, and Chanel’s excellent run in Eurovision 2022, RTVE is going all out to present an even more complete and impressive TV show.

The presenters of the show

RTVE confirmed yesterday the names of the two presenters of Benidorm Fest 2023, with Mónica Naranja taking on co-presenting duties, alongside Inés Hernand (last year’s hostess of Benidorm Fest).

According to Formula TV , Mónica Naranjo will be the main presenter of the two semi-finals and the final, which will be broadcast in prime time on La 1, while Inés Hernand will be in the Green Room of the Palau d’Esports L’Illa in Benidorm, where the Benidorm Fest will take place.

Related TV programs

Máximo Huerta, co-presenter of last year’s edition of Benidorm Fest, will be involved again this year in a different capacity. According to the VerTele website, he will present a daily tv program, showcasing all the details and developments of this year’s Benidorm Fest.

Alaska, another co-presenter of last year’s Benidorm, will also be involved, as she is to present a Christmas show that will be broadcast at the end of the year on La 1. In this show, some of the participants of the first edition of Benidorm Fest will also be present, with Chanel Terrero, of course, expected to be (literally) on the spotlight.

Chanel won the first edition of the Benidorm Fest with the song ” SloMo”, and represented Spain in Turin, achieving a 3rd place in the grand final.

Stay tuned for all the developments regarding Spain’s participation in Eurovision 2023!

Spain: Soraya is open to a possible participation in the next Benidorm Fest!

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Soraya Arnelas considers a possible participation at the next Benidorm Fest after finishing the recording of her new single. The representative of Spain in the 2009 contest will release a song with its own music video in September, entitled “Segunda parte”, a dance song written among others, by Ander Pérez, one of the creators, of  “Dime” by Beth. In an interview with Semana magazine, Soraya explained that current circumstances make her think about a possible participation in RTVE’s selection process.

“We don’t know what is going to happen. We’ll see… Let’s see what happens, let’s see if we can surprise you. I’m not saying no, but I’m not saying yes either.”

These are the words of the artist who performed “La Noche es para mí”, which became a big hit not only among the fans of the contest, even though the final result in the competition in Moscow was not what they expected (24th place with 23 points ). Although Soraya herself has always been somewhat reluctant to repeat the process, she now says that “there are things that are decided instantly and doors close, but there are other moments that open”, so she no longer rules out a second representation of Spain.

Soraya represented Spain in Eurovision Song Contest 2009 with the song “La Noche es para mí”:

The composer himself, Ander Pérez, posted on his social media that he already has a song ready to send to RTVE, and that the singer is very happy that they worked together. “The new single is at a high level, it’s true. We’re preparing new music” the singer says in between concerts and fulfilling her role as an ambassador for her country, which she’s proud of, also supporting areas affected by the fires. Soraya recently visited Las Hurdes (Cáceres) and showed the different parts of her town to her followers on social media, urging them to visit this “natural paradise”. So maybe we’ll see the singer at the next Benidorm Fest, with hopes for the next Eurovision Song Contest.

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Spanish participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023, in the United Kingdom!

Source: eurovision-spain.com

Spain: RTVE is currently reviewing all elements of Benidorm Fest for 2023!

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The Head of the Spanish Delegation, Eva Mora has confirmed that all elements of Benidorm Fest are under review for the next edition in 2023.

Speaking on RTVE, Eva Mora shared some details of the discussions that are currently underway regarding the next edition of Benidorm Fest, for Eurovision 2023. The broadcaster is discussing all elements regarding the new show including dates, number of shows, and how to encourage artists and songwriters to participate.

Eva Mora confirmed however that the professional jury which helped to select the Spanish representative in 2022 will remain for next year. The Head of Delegation explained:

“You always have to tweak things and modify something. The issue of juries has generated a lot of controversy, but the existence of a professional jury is essential. You cannot leave an international proposal in the hands of televoting because we, as people, do not have that perspective to assess a proposal, we let ourselves be carried away more by passion and by tastes.”

The Spanish Head of Delegation is aiming to make Benidorm Fest an essential part of the Spanish music industry:

“We want everyone to want to be at the Benidorm Fest … The Benidorm Fest has to be the engine of the music industry in this country.”

The winner of last year’s Benidorm Fest, Chanel placed 3rd with “SloMo” scoring a total of 459 points.

https://youtu.be/jSQYTt4xg3I

Stay tuned on Eurovisionfun for all the news regarding the Spanish participation at the Eurovision Song Contest 2023!

Source: eurovoix.com

Spain: Benidorm will host country’s Eurovision Song Contest jury!

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Benidorm will be the home of Spain’s Eurovision Song Contest jury for the 66th contest which takes place in Turin, on May 14.

Hello Europe this is Benidorm calling, we will see Nieves Alvarez saying at the grand final of the 2022 Eurovision Song Contest. The famous model and tv presenter will announce the expert jury votes, with a shot of the Benidorm skyline in the background.

The jury put together by RTVE will be based in the city, with Benidorm council planning to organise an event for the Eurovision fans.

The resort staged the Benidorm Fest in January, the Spanish national final for the Eurovision Song Contest, to choose country’s entry for Turin.

Spain will be presented by Slomo as Chanel won Benidorm Fest despite the fact that the Spanish audience voted for Terra with more than 70%.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3eiW6E0ldc

Stay tuned in Eurovisionfun for all the updates regarding the Eurovision 2022!

Spain: The running order of the Final of Benidorm Fest 2022!

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Through Spain’s official Twitter profile for Eurovision, the running order of the eight finalists of the national final, Benidorm Fest revealed.

The running order and the eight songs are:

  1.  Rayden – Calle de la llorería
  2.  Tanxugueiras – Terra
  3. Varry Brava – Raffaella
  4. Chanel – SloMo
  5. Rigoberta Bandini – Ay mamá
  6. Xeinn – Eco
  7. Gonzalo Hermida – Quién lo diría
  8. Blanca Paloma – Secreto de agua

We remind you that the winner of the first semi-final was Chanel, singing fourth in the final, and the winner of the second semi-final was Rigoberta Bandini, singing fifth. The final of Benidorm Fest 2022 will be broadcasted on Saturday February 29, by La 1, on 22:05 CET.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding the Spanish participation in Eurovision 2022!

Spain: The results of the first semi-final of Benidorm Fest 2022!

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Benidorm Fest, the festival which will determine the representative of Spain in Eurovision 2022 has started tonight with the first semifinal, live from the spanish state channel RTVE.

A total of six candidates (instead of seven, after the withdrawal of Luna Ki) competed in the first semifinal, claiming four places for Saturday’s grand final.

Presenters of the evening were Alaska, Inés Hernard and Máxim Huerta.

The candidates

The six candidates of the night were the following:

  1. Varry Brava – “Raffaella“
  2. Azúcar Moreno – “Postureo“
  3. Blanca Paloma – “Secreto del agua”
  4. Unique – “Mejores“
  5. Tanxugueiras – “Terra”
  6. Chanel – “SloMo“

The voting

50% of the results in all three shows (two semifinals and a final) comes from the jury, while the other 50% from the audience. The jury is divided into spanish and international, while 50% of the audience is divided into televoting and a sample of the spanish population selected on the basis of statistics and demographics (demoscopic jury). This is used in both the Sanremo Festival (Italy) and the Melodifestivalen (Sweden).

The Benidorm Fest jury, which determines 50% of the vote, consists of the following:

National jury:

Natalia Calderón – Professor of Vocals
Miryam Benedited – Director and Choreographer
Estefanía García – Singer, mezzo-soprano of the RTVE choir

International jury:

Marvin Dietmann – Director of many entries in the Eurovision Song Contest
Felix Bergsson – Head of the Icelandic delegation to Eurovision
Results

The results

JURY

  1. Chanel – 55 points
  2. Blanca Paloma – 41 points
  3. Varry Brava – 39 points
  4. Azucar Moreno – 39 points
  5. Tanxuqueiras – 38 points
  6. Unique – 28 points

DEMOSCOPIC JURY

  1. Chanel – 30 points
  2. Tanxugueiras – 25 points
  3. Blanca Paloma – 20 points
  4. Azucar Moreno – 18 points
  5. Varry Brava -15 points
  6. Unique -12 points

TELEVOTE

  1. Tanxugeiras – 30 points
  2. Chanel -25 points
  3. Varry Brava – 20 points
  4. Blanca Paloma – 18 points
  5. Unique – 15 points
  6. Azucar Moreno – 12 points

OVERALL

  1. Chanel – 110 points
  2. Tanxugueiras – 93 points
  3. Blanca Paloma – 79 points
  4. Varry Brava -74 points
  5. Azucar Moreno – 69 points
  6. Unique -55

As a result, the four artists that qualify to the final of Benidorm Fest this Saturday are:

  1. Chanel – “SloMo“
  2. Tanxugueiras – “Terra”
  3. Blanca Paloma – “Secreto de agua”
  4. Varry Brava – “Raffaella“

Chanel with the song “SloMo” managed to win the first semi final. You can watch her full perfomance here:

What are your thoughts on today’s results? Tell us your opinion on the comments below!

Spain: Will Tanxugueiras perform on stage, at Benidorm Fest?

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After Luna Ki, that has withdrawn from Benidorm Fest, another act is in danger of not being able to perform live on stage, at Benidorm Fest, due to Aida and Olaia getting infected by COVID-19.

As the group has already Tweeted a few minutes ago and as some members of their team is already at Benidorm, Aida and Olaia will travel within the next few days, as a precaution.

But how is it going to work with Tanxugueiras at this year’s Spanish national final, but also for any other contestant that might also get infected by COVID-19?

The three scenarios

Three different scenarios have been announced in case an artist tests positive for COVID-19 at Benidorm Fest.

In a recent article, RTVE unveiled the contingency plan in case a competing artist turns out positive before appearing in the upcoming Spanish selection process Benidorm Fest.

The producers, Boomerang TV and the broadcaster, RTVE, have come up with three different scenarios to ensure that every song and artist will be able to compete in this year’s Benidorm Fest.

  • The first scenario is that if the artist has already completed his first rehearsal, it will be broadcast during the live show instead of a live performance.
  • Second, if the artist comes out positive before his first rehearsal, then the official music video for the song will be played.
  • The final scenario is that, if there is no music video, the song will be played with montage of images and photos of the artist.

It was announced by Eva Mora, head of the Spanish delegation, that it was not possible to produce live performances, such as those created for this year’s ESCZ selection process and the expected process of Northern Macedonia, due to lack of time.

The Benidorm Fest will be held with two semifinals on January 26 and 27, leading to the Grand Final on January 29. The songs and the artists have been revealed and the order of the two semifinals has also been decided and announced.

The voting system

Only eight artists will make it to the grand final of the Benidorm Fest. The result will be done through a mixed voting system between a professional jury (national and international), televoting and a poll jury:

  • 50% of the grade will correspond to the professional jury consisting of five experts (three of Spanish nationality and two, international).
  • The remaining 50% will be in the hands of the public (where 25% will be by phone and SMS and the remaining 25% will be selected by a poll jury).
  • The artists will be given a phone number and as soon as everyone completes the show, the hotlines will be open for voting. The voting period will be approximately 15 or 20 minutes and the presenters, Alaska, Inés Hernand and Máximo Huerta, will be responsible for the announcement.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all news regarding Benidorm Fest and the spanish representative at Eurovision 2022!

Source: Tanxugueiras Twitter Account

Spain: The members of the Benidorm Fest jury unveiled!

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The Spanish broadcasting union, RTVE, announced a few moments ago, the members of the jury for Benidorm Fest, the National Final for the selection of the Spanish representative for Eurovision 2022.

The members of the jury of Benidorm Fest, that will determine the 50% of the voting, are the following:

National Jury Group:

  • Natalia Calderón – Vocal Coach
  • Miryam Benedited – Director and Choreographer
  • Estefanía García – Singer, mezzo soprano at RTVE choir

International Jury Group:

  • Marvin Dietmann – Director of many Eurovision entries
  • Felix Bergsson – Icelandic Head of Delegation

Benidorm Fest: How will it work?

14 artists will be split in two finals, of 7 contestants, that will be held on the 26th and 27th of January respectively and will last 70 minutes each.

The Grand Final that will last 90 minutes, will be shown on the 29th of January, when the 8 finalists will get the chance to perform, bidding to represent Spain at this year’s 66th Eurovision Song Contest, that will be held in Turin the forthcoming May.

All the shows will be broadcast on La 1 de Televisión Española, at 22:40 CET. Benidorm Fest will take place at Palacio de Deportes L’Illa, at the Spanish city of Alicante.

The artists

The 14 artists that will compete int he hopes of becoming this year’s Spanish representative at the Eurovision Song Contest are:

First Semi Final

  1. Luna Ki – “Voy a Morir“
  2. Varry Brava – “Raffaella“
  3. Azúcar Moreno – “Postureo“
  4. Blanca Paloma – “Secreto del agua”
  5. Unique – “Mejores“
  6. Tanxugueiras – “Terra”
  7. Chanel – “SloMo“

Second Semi Final

  1. Xeinn – “Eco“
  2. Marta Sango – “Sigues en mi mente“
  3. Javiera Mena – “Culpa”
  4. Gonzalo Hermida – “Quién lo diría“
  5. Rigoberta Bandini – “Ay Mama“
  6. Rayden – “Calle de la llorería”
  7. Sara Deop – “Make you say“

The voting system

Only 8 artists will be going through to the grand final. The result will be determined by a mixed system made up of the jury (national and international), televoting and demoscopic jury:

  • 50% of the voting will correspond to the votes of the jury consisting of five experts, three of Spanish citizenship and two internationals.
  • the rest 50% will be determined by televoting (25% through the phone calls and SMS of the audience, 25% by choice of the demoscopic jury)
  • The artists will get assigned with a phone number and when all of their performances are complete, the lines will be open and the voting will start. The voting window will last approximately 15 to 20 seconds and the presenters, Alaska, Inés Hernand and Máximo Huerta, will then announce the winner that will represent Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.

Stay tuned to Eurovisionfun for all the latest developments regarding Benidorm Fest and the Spanish entry at Eurovision 2022!

Source : RTVE