Third Benidorm Fest picks Spanish Eurovision song on 3 February

Benidorm Fest 2024, the third edition of Spain’s national Eurovision selection, will take place in Benidorm from 30 January to 3 February 2024. Organised and broadcast by RTVE, the contest will select the Spanish entry for the Eurovision Song Contest 2024.

Two semi-finals

The competition will include two semi-finals on 30 January and 1 February 2024, followed by a grand final on 3 February. A total of 16 candidate songs, divided evenly between the two semi-finals, will compete. The four songs with the most votes in each semi-final—determined by a professional jury (50%), a demographic panel (25%), and televote (25%)—will qualify for the final. The same voting system will be used in the final to determine the overall winner.

Participants

RTVE revealed the list of participants for Benidorm Fest 2024 on 11 November 2023, at the Alameda Theatre in Seville during the 2023 Latin Grammy Awards. RTVE’s head of communications, María Eizaguirre, introduced the selected contestants.

The event featured performances by some of the participants from previous editions of Benidorm Fest, including 2023 winner Blanca Paloma, who performed her new single “¡Ay amor!”.

Rules

In preparation for the contest, RTVE published the rules and regulations on 11 May 2023, opening a submission window from 16 May until 10 October 2023. The broadcaster also reserved the right to invite renowned singers and authors from the current music scene and organised a songwriting camp in September 2023, open to both local and international composers. In total, 825 entries were received, 23 of which were composed at the songwriting camp.

In case you were wondering – the songs will ‘drop’ online from 14 December – just in time for Christmas!

Benidorm Fest 2024 is set to offer a diverse range of musical styles and performances, showcasing the depth of talent in the Spanish music industry. The event’s significance extends beyond selecting Spain’s Eurovision entry; it also serves as a platform for artists to gain exposure and recognition nationally and internationally. The festival’s blend of jury and public voting aims to balance professional opinion with popular appeal, making it a transparent and democratic selection process. With its growing popularity and impact, Benidorm Fest is quickly becoming a key event in the European music calendar.