Benidorm Fest is here to stay. Eurovision or no Eurovision, the good news is, the event isn’t going anywhere (at least for now).
After RTVE’s board voted on 16 September to pull Spain out of the 2026 contest in Vienna if Israel is allowed to take part, all eyes turned to Benidorm and its much-loved music festival.
On 17 September, the president of the Valencian Community, Carlos Mazón, confirmed what many had been hoping: Benidorm Fest will still happen.
“It is a star product, a successful product,” he said. “The festival doesn’t just showcase Benidorm, but also Spanish creativity and tourism.”
The regional government has already set aside €1.5 million to ensure the event goes ahead in its usual format. In just five years, Benidorm Fest has managed to build a reputation as a shining cultural exports of the Valencian Community.
Of course, the festival was originally created as Spain’s official way of choosing its Eurovision act.
But if Spain sits Eurovision out in 2026, what then? Will the competition be just for glory at home? Or, will it perhaps evolve into a showcase of Spanish talent with no European stage at the end?
For now, RTVE has said the decision about Eurovision doesn’t affect plans for Benidorm Fest itself. So, while it remains uncertain whether Spain will send a song to Vienna, one thing is for sure: the Costa Blanca will still host the glitzy, sparkly, Benidorm Fest in 2026.
Benidorm Fest: Brief history
Benidorm Fest is not some recent invention. The very first one took place in 1959. Monna Bell won the top prize, though instead of the famous Eurovision trophy, she was handed a statue of the Little Mermaid. Back then, it was called the Spanish Song Festival of Benidorm.
Of course, Julio Iglesias also graced the winners’ list, snatching victory in 1968 with La Vida Sigue Igual.
But keeping the festival relevant hasn’t been easy. From 1972 to 1985, audiences grew restless, complaining that the songs had lost their sparkle.
The event was eventually shelved between 1986 and 1992, and later attempts to revive it weren’t smooth. An experiment with two categories, one for pop-rock, the other for lighter tunes, lasted just a year before being binned.
Things perked up a little in 2004 when the festival rebranded as the Benidorm International Song Festival, but by 2006 the enthusiasm had fizzled out again. Eurovision eventually breathed fresh life into the project, but now, thanks to politics, the festival could be facing yet another intermission.
