The quest for the next Spanish representative for Eurovision 2024 concludes tonight at 10:00 PM with the grand final of Benidorm Fest.
Benidorm will become the Spanish Eurovision epicenter this week with the first semifinal of Benidorm Fest, where we will witness the eight contestants vying to represent Spain in Eurovision, of which only 1 will clinch the bronze microphone.
Who Are the Participants of Benidorm Fest 2024?
Here is the performance order of the eight candidates to represent Spain in Eurovision in the grand final of Benidorm Fest:
| Benidorm Fest 2024 | Grand Final (February 3) |
|---|---|
| Running order | Artist(s) |
| 1 | María Peláe |
| 2 | St. Pedro |
| 3 | Angy Fernández |
| 4 | Jorge González |
| 5 | Nebulossa |
| 6 | Sofia Coll |
| 7 | Miss Caffeina |
| 8 | Almácor |
What Is the Mechanics of Benidorm Fest 2024?
Decisions at Benidorm Fest 2024 are made with a mixed voting system, where 50% is attributed to a professional jury consisting of 8 members, both national and international, and the other 50% is divided between a demoscopic jury conducted by an external company with a total of 350 people and the televote.
Once the eight performances of the first semifinal are completed, the festival presenters (Ruth Lorenzo, Marc Calderó, and Ana Prada) will announce the opening of phone lines so viewers can cast their votes via SMS or calls.
After the lines are closed, it’s time to reveal the results of each participant in the voting. Firstly, the results of the professional jury will be announced, where each of its 8 members will allocate 12, 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, and 3 points to the candidates.
Secondly, the demoscopic jury’s result will be announced, which will result in a ranking based on the number of votes and will translate to 40, 35, 30, 28, 25, 22, 20, and 16 points respectively.
Finally, it will be time to know the verdict of the televote, from which a ranking will also be made based on calls and SMS received, and these positions will also be transformed into 40, 35, 30, 28, 25, 22, 20, and 16 points respectively.
The sum of all points will determine who will represent Spain in the 68th Eurovision Song Contest. In case of a tie after the sum of the jury and public scores, the artist receiving the highest score from the jury will win.
Who Will Be the Jury of Benidorm Fest 2024?
The complete composition of the jury for Benidorm Fest 2024 will hold 50% of the decision in each of the shows, and in case of a tie, they will make the final decision on Spain’s next representative in the Eurovision Song Contest.
The national jury will consist of:
- Beatriz Luengo (SPOKESPERSON): singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. Winner of two Latin Grammy awards.
- Ángela Carrasco: singer-songwriter, actress, and vocal coach. She rose to fame after her success in the musical “Jesus Christ Superstar,” where she portrayed Mary Magdalene alongside Camilo Sesto.
- Carlos Baute: singer, songwriter, actor, and Spanish-Venezuelan presenter. He recently participated in the RTVE program “Incredible Duos.”
- Guille Milkyway: Singer, DJ, songwriter, and music producer. Leader of the group La Casa Azul, which competed in Eurovision 2008, the Spanish pre-selection.
The international jury will be composed of:
- Lee Smithurst, head of the UK delegation at Eurovision and executive producer of the 2023 Eurovision Song Contest in Liverpool.
- David Tserunyan, head of the Armenian delegation at Eurovision, member of the Eurovision reference group, and executive producer of Eurovision Junior 2022 in Yerevan, Armenia.
- Marta Piekarska, head of the Polish delegation at Eurovision.
- Nicoline Refsing, set designer and artistic director of the 2014 Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was responsible for the staging of Melani with “Marte” at Junior Eurovision 2019.
About the hosts
Singer Ruth Lorenzo takes on the great challenge of hosting Benidorm Fest 2024. The Murcian artist began her artistic career in the UK, becoming very popular after her appearance on the talent show “The X Factor.” In 2014, she fulfilled her dream of representing Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen, Denmark. With “Dancing In The Rain,” Ruth Lorenzo received 74 points, translating to a 10th place finish.
After his stint on Telecinco, Marc Calderó joined RTVE in 2022. He recently participated in the debate of the program “El Conquistador.” For a year, he co-hosted the morning show “Hablando Claro” with Lourdes Maldonado. Additionally, he was responsible for introducing Carlos Higes as Spain’s representative at Eurovision Junior 2022.
Ana Prada is a regular reporter for RTVE in the Valencian Community. For years, she was a reporter for the program “España Directo” on La 1. Moreover, in recent years, she has become more popular by being part of the broadcast team for the San Fermín bull runs. Recently, she was one of the presenters of the Three Kings Parade special on RTVE. Ana will be in the green room to chat with the artists.