Benidorm Fest 2025: Everything you need to know about Spain's selection for Eurovision
Benidorm Fest is Spain's national selection contest for the Eurovision Song Contest. This national selection is organised by Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE). The competition takes place in the town of Benidorm, a famous seaside resort on Spain's east coast, where it has been held every year since its inception in 2022.
History of Benidorm Fest
The Benidorm fest 2025 will be the fourth edition of the annual Spanish selection competition. It is largely inspired by the Benidorm Festival, which ran from 1959 to 2006 with several format changes. The Benidorm Fest was launched as a relaunch project in 2022. The aim of the new format was to modernise the Spanish selection for Eurovision.
Entry selection process and rules
RTVE published the rules for the Benidorm Fest 2025 on 20 May 2024 and opened a submission period lasting several weeks. To be eligible, performers and at least one songwriter must be Spanish citizens over the age of 18, despite the fact that the minimum age for participation in Eurovision is 16. If groups are entered, at least 50 % of the members must be Spanish citizens.
Songs must contain at least 60 % of their lyrics in one of Spain's official languages.
Organisation of Benidorm Fest 2025 and voting system
The competition will consist of two semi-finals and a final. A total of 16 candidate songs will be in competition, divided between the two semi-finals, 8 for each.
The voting system ensures a balanced mix of musical expertise and popular opinion. Each performance is rated according to three main components:
- The professional jury represents 50 % of the votes. It will be made up of four national professionals and four international music industry experts.
- A demographic panel will allocate 25 % of votes. This group reflects a representative sample of the Spanish population, selected according to criteria such as age, gender and geographical region.
- And finally, televoting, equivalent to 25 % of votes which will allow the general public to vote for their favourite songs.
In each semi-final, the 4 songs with the most votes will qualify for the final. The winner of the competition is determined by the same voting system.
Impact and success
The Benidorm Fest has established itself as a springboard for Spanish artists seeking international recognition. After Chanel (2022) and Blanca Paloma (2023) is Nebulossa who represented Spain at Eurovision in 2024. Although their success in France remains limited, these artists embody the dynamism of the Spanish music scene and its growing openness to the international public.
Mark your calendars!
The date has already been set for Benidorm Fest 2025: the candidate songs will be revealed on 18 December 2024, while the semi-finals will be held on 28 and 30 January 2025, before the grand final on 1ᵉʳ February 2025. Mark your calendars!
