Palau d’Esports l’Illa de Benidorm is practically ready for the start of Benidorm Fest, the competition organised by the City Council, the Valencian Regional Government, and Spanish Radio and Television (RTVE), which this year celebrates its fifth edition as a leading and fully established musical event. The galas will begin tomorrow, Tuesday, at 10:55 p.m., with the first semifinal, from which the first six finalists will emerge; the second round of eliminations will take place on Thursday at the same time; while on Saturday, February 14, the grand final will be held starting at 10:00 p.m., in which the twelve finalists will compete for the Golden Mermaid award.
The city’s mayor, Toni Pérez, visited Palau d’Esports this Monday to inspect the final setup work, accompanied by Marta Rivas and Sergi Sol, members of the RTVE Board of Directors, and Ana María Bordas and César Vallejo, co-directors of the festival and María Eizaguirre, Director of Participation and Communication at RTVE. Other members of the City Council also participated in the visit, including the Councillor for Events, Jesús Carrobles.
During the visit, Toni Pérez emphasised that Benidorm Fest will “once again transform Benidorm into the music capital of Spain for the entire week” and serve as “the best platform to showcase new talent, while promoting the city and attracting a huge number of visitors to experience this fantastic week of music and fun.”
The mayor also noted that during the 2025 edition, this competition generated a media impact of €243 million, while its social media reach added another €15 million, as confirmed by a study conducted by the Pedro Zaragoza Chair of Tourism Studies.
This, he said, “demonstrates that the City Council’s investment in the festival generates a return in terms of image and promotion that would be unattainable otherwise, while also allowing us to reach a very diverse audience that previously had no interest in the destination.”
In addition to the three competition galas and all the activities organised by the Benidorm City Council and private initiatives, the mayor also announced that, for the second year in a row, Palau d’Esports will open its doors next Saturday, the day of the final, so that all citizens can visit the facilities and experience the inner workings of the festival.
This open house will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., and admission will be free for everyone. “Our aim is that all the fans who haven’t had the opportunity to buy tickets for the galas can enjoy and experience Benidorm Fest firsthand with a tour of the entire venue.”
Finally, the mayor wished “the best of luck to the eighteen participants in this year’s competition” and expressed that “whoever wins the iconic ‘Little Mermaid of Gold’ award, their participation in Benidorm Fest will already be a triumph for all of them.”
Venue features
After weeks of preparation to host this spectacle, Palau d’Esports L’Illa de Benidorm will have a capacity of nearly 3,000 spectators this year to watch the two semifinals and the grand final, thanks to the addition of an extra stand with a capacity of 400 people.
Furthermore, regarding the design of the stands and stages, those responsible explained to the mayor that the set design for this fifth edition is “more inspired by Benidorm than ever before,” as the entire delegation was able to see firsthand, and as the public watching the first semifinal live tomorrow will also be able to see, both at the Palau and La 1 of Televisión Española, RTVE Play, and RTVE’s international channels.
Running order
Regarding this year’s 18 participants, the artists will perform in the first semifinal in this order: KITAI with ‘El Amor Te Da Miedo’; María León ft. Julia Medina with ‘Las Damas y el Vagabundo’; Luna Ki with ‘Bomba de amor’; Greg Taro with ‘Velita’; Izan Llunas with ‘¿Qué vas a hacer?’; Dora & Marlon Collins with ‘Rakata’; Tony Grox & LUCYCALYS with ‘T AMARÉ’; Mikel Herzog Jr. with ‘Mi Mitad’; and finally, Kenneth with ‘Los Ojos No Mienten’.
The second semifinal, scheduled for Thursday, will follow this order: ASHA with ‘Turista’; KU Minerva singing ‘No Volveré a Llorar’; Funambulista with ‘SOBRAN GILIPO**AS’; Dani J with ‘Bailándote’; Los Quinquis with ‘Tú No Me Quieres’; Atyat with ‘Dopamina’; Rosalinda Galán singing ‘Mataora’; MAYO with ‘Tócame’; and Miranda! & bailamamá will close the show with ‘Despierto Amándote’.
The running order for the final will be announced from Benidorm on Friday, February 13th, and will feature the top six finishers from each gala, competing for the ‘Little Mermaid of Gold’ and the other prizes of the competition.
