It’s confirmed! RTVE has revamped Spain‘s selection method for Eurovision and will host a three-day long festival in the tourist hot spot of Benidorm at the beginning of 2022. Three galas, lots of music and heavy Spanish extravaganza. None of us is ready.
The news has been spreading over the past few days, and now both RTVE and the regional government of Valencia have confirmed the event.
Benidorm 2022: Three shows
On Thursday, the broadcaster confirmed that the event will last for three nights in early 2022. The idea is to have three consecutive nights: two semi-finals and one final.
However, they did not confirm further details on how many artists will compete. It’s unknown as well if there will be any invited artists.
President of RTVE, José Manuel Pérez Tornero, explained that the idea came from the regional government, and he said the most exciting words: “We are coming to win”. “Let’s forget the melancholy and the bad results. We are now coming to win”.
The name of the event is not known yet, but the idea is to establish a format that lasts more than one year. A group will be set with experts from both RTVE and outside to start selecting the entries.
RTVE’s online platform will have a role as well: it will air the selection of the songs in autumn.
The presentation event was a taste of what’s to come. Eurovision 2014 star Ruth Lorenzo performed a medley of Spanish entries, including her own “Dancing in the Rain” and “Waterloo”.
Ruth — who’s responsible for Spain’s last top 10 result at Eurovision — did not want to comment whether she’ll be present or not in Benidorm. Is it time for a comeback?
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Benidorm and Eurovision? An untried formula
Coral Segovia — a Spanish fan favourite in the last decade — was one of the last winners of the festival in 2005. She would later go on to finish second twice in Spain’s national selection, in 2008 and 2010. Barei entered in 2001, as part of a duo, but she didn’t win.
Spain has used small-scale national finals to select its act in recent years, including Mira quién va a Eurovisión, the drama-filled Objetivo Eurovisión and the talent show Operación Triunfo. RTVE internally selected Blas Cantó for 2020 and 2021.
Are you excited about Spain’s new national selection? What do you expect from RTVE? Will 2022 see the birth of Spain’s golden age at Eurovision? Let us know in the comment section below!
Finally! Spain needs to win in the next 5 years, they have one of the best music industries in Europe, pity they dont capitalize on it for Euovisision
As a Big 5 country it’s only normal to take it serious.
Maybe they are inspired by France?
Germany and UK, take notes please.
Germany had great entries in 2010, 2011 and 2018 tho.
Hopefully, there will be another moment that the land of my great-grandfather will be proud of! Viva Espana!
I was expecting a little more information on this press event, but as usual RTVE says a lot without saying much. I believe it’s important that they secure a deal for at least 3 years, because one problem that Spain has on their selection process is how they always keep changing everything, making it difficult to find the right way of doing things. At least, it was a demonstration that they’re putting some effort and planning ahead. I hope it works!
Wow, RTVE is really taking it seriously this year…i hope tho that they dont screw this up and actually send a latin pop song for once (or Rosalia but i might have my hopes too high).
Asking for a Latin Pop Song is like asking the UK to send a Bollywood themed song for Eurovision lol
Spain has been exporting their artists to the Latin American market for a long time now: Julio Iglesias, David Bisbal, Enrique Iglesias, Sergio Dalma, and Pablo Alborán are some of the names that have crossed the Atlantic to find success in that region.
If this is what it takes to turn Spain’s fortunes around next year, then good luck! Let’s hope we get some great competitive songs.
I hope this works… it would be nice just to showcase Spanish artists.
So if they flop again, let’s say a place between 20th and 26th in Final, they’ll still try this format again in 2022/23?
If it can bring Eurofans to the show, and to Benidorm by extension, then probably yes.
Local media have already confirmed that it’s a three-year contract.
Spain you can do it!!!! Send a good song! I know you can do it!! I’m excited for this new format, hope it works out well for them
Well as a Serbian fan I can say Tijana in 2017 also said and hyped “We are coming to win” before releasing ITD and then live happened…
Point is, before we have the candidates and songs, It’s early to say but It’s nice to see the enthusiasm and I hope the shift from average to golden will happen to Spain.
More selections and songs the better and good luck!
They hyped it because of Milanov’s song just like (North) Macedonia did hype their song in 2017 because of Milanov only!
Milanov was still building up his credentialsand he managed to finally get noticed following the success of “Beautiful Mess” that same year.
That’s exactly why I think Bulgaria managed to come second that year
The absence of Russia made other ex-Soviet countries to vote for Kristian
I mean, I think people also voted for Kristian because he had one of the best songs of the year
To be honest I still love that song. The snippet teaser was spectacular, too bad they changed the arrangement. The live performance was a hot mess. I don’t agree with people saying she sounded horrible – she hit all the notes but it was down to some awful sound mixing. However the staging was abysmal. There was lots of drama going on backstage. From them not being allowed to use the planned hoop to there obviously being a male backing vocalist even though they only brought female backing vocalists with them…
I may or may not be excited, can’t tell. I do think it is good to try something new and this has been on the table for a long long time. I hope they are getting invoved for good this year. And I also expect some good artists and songs to set up an interesting line-up, and above all, a modern approach to the music and the contest.
What about having fun? If everyone comes for win, we’ll end up with over 40 sore losers
Everyone should be trying to win, thats how you have a competitive contest. Less filler, more killer!
Isn’t that exactly the problem with the Spanish entries? They are just there, average and non-competitive songs. They should aim for the win or at least for the top 10.
I mean they’re average at best but community acts as if each one was a masterpiece.
Yeah sure we all should listen the advice of the most patriotic and pretentious italian on wiwibloggs.
“We are coming to win” sounds like “It’s coming home”
You don’t come like that and win easily, it’s a work of several years to come back at the top. A top 10 for Spain will be something already incredible.
that’s all good and positive but they forget that it;s about THE SONG and not the festival or the format.
If the experts of RTVE select a list of bad/borings/old-fashioned songs, then forget about it…
I hope they put pressure on record companies to promote new artists and modern music.
The call is for everyone. New artists, composers, established names, record companies… This sounds similar to DE 2018-9, which record labels were involved with songs.
I hope 2022 to be a year of a good result for Spain, so it can attract better entries in the future
Well NF worked for france. Really hope it does too for Spain and they find their own San remo/melodifestivalen. #Valencia2023
The problem is San remo has always had prestige as a national festival and the benidorm festival will need to build that with good results and large viewing numbers for it to work.
Unfortunately very few things in Spain have a worse reputation for being cheesy and outdated than Festival de Benidorm. It was suspended years ago because it was too bland, even for TVE´s standards.
Duuuuude there’s so many singers I would love to see representing Spain in Eurovision, and even some to make a comeback and be better than ever! Eurovision Singers I’d Love To See Again: From Spain: Sergio Dalma, Serafín Zubiri, Anabel Conde, Marcos Llunas, Rosa López, Soraya Arnelas, Daniel Diges, Lucía Pérez, Pastora Soler, Ruth Lorenzo, Edurne, Barei, Miki Núñez, & Blas Cantó And there’s one Andorran representative that deserves a second chance with a better song, better staging, and better outfit and that is the one and only Gisela Lladó Cánovas! And for the backup singers that participated along with… Read more »
That’s okay – it’s perfectly normal to be excited. Spain is the land of my great-grandfather, so I’m naturally interested in what they’re sending.
So, I just realized there’s one more Spaniard singer that I forgot to mention in my previous post here. I also think that Álvaro Soler would be another great Spanish artist to participate in Benidorm and/or Eurovision! 😀 (wish wiwibloggs had the ability to edit our own posts even if it’s been days later so that I wouldn’t have to post this :P)
Wasn’t the last Spanish NF in 2017? Well, we know THAT didn’t end well… I can see Spain breaking that negative streak of bottom 6 finishes since 2013 this year, like they did in 2012… or 2002… man, Spain must have a thing for 2’s
the NF in 2017 didn’t end well because they broke the rules and sent Navarro who did not win the televoting.
Well, they changed the rules so that they jury would prevail. Was it suspiciously convenient? Yes. Were the panelists biased? Yes.
and even so “do it for your lover” was the one rtve broke the rules for? well, that’s something unexpected! but hey, Eurovision is a game where you have to try.. I am happy they are trying.. and winning is not the most important thing.. is doing a good job and showcasing the country’s best! so, enhorabuena España!
“Winning is not the most important thing” lol saying the italian…..
yeap, the Italian is saying that.. we are all happy Italy won, but if we didn’t we would still have Sanremo and send the best we have in our culture. Eurovision is a contest and winning is part of it, but more than anything is based on a great showcasing of different talents and cultures.
I would say, the issue that year was it was obvious there was a clear conflict of interest with one of the voting jurors being professionally close to Manel.
all songs were bad/boring so let’s not pretend that any other aong would get a much higher result.
Let’s not pretend the rest of the field that year was amazing, though.
It’s not like they would have succeeded with the other act (Mirella?) ^^
‘A group will be set with experts from both RTVE’
Where were they hiding before then?
I am scared that this group of experts will be a bunch of old people having no clue about current music, same people that would not vote for Maneskin…
They mentioned it will involve people from Radio 3 specifically, which is RTVE’s music station playing alternative, indie, hip music. They haven’t been involved in designing the selection format / selecting the songs before. Let’s see.
omg yes!
Because people who would not vote for Maneskin are forcefully bad…. give us a break, thank you.
I’m just supposing. Imagine RTVE gets international support for Benidorm, so they try to gain credibility, just like Albania’s RTSH tried for FiK 58 and it failed.
I am glad that Spain is finally changing the approach to Eurovision, and interestingly, they confirmed their participation in the junior 2021
This is where the fun begins. Can’t wait to see what’s about to come.
my recommendation for the festival’s rules: -at least one of the songwriters should be a Spaniard -the lyrics must be mostly in Spanish or any other “local” language of Spain (Basque, Catalan, Galician, Valencian, etc.) -the maximum duration of each submitted song should be three minutes, the same as it is in Eurovision. -the maximum number of people performing the song on the stage should be six. again, the same as it is in Eurovision. . I know that the RTVE team is more unlikely than likely to see this comment of mine, but at least I have shared my… Read more »
I want to add to the above with my own additions: DON’TS: -Do not ruin perfectly good songs with unnecessary revamps -Do not ruin the staging by using elements that have nothing to do with the song -Do not ruin the staging AT ALL. FULL STOP. -Do not make the singers wear crappy outfits that have nothing to do with the song -In fact, do not make the singers wear crappy outfits at all! -Do not make singers sing outside of their comfortable vocal range -Do not make singers sing a music genre they’re not familiar with or not good… Read more »
Welcome to my beautiful home we are very excited to have you in Benidorm
They have great songwriters and singers. Come on spain it is your time to shine.
I really want to see Spain have some success.
Wish they will bring many kinds of genres to this festival.
They are trying to San Remo. I give them credit for at least attempting something fresh. I tend to like national finals because at least the songs have to go through an wide approval process after seeing an actual performance. Sometimes a song can be fine when you play it but then when you see the acts on stage and a voice not cleaned up through technology—it changes things.
Totally agree! I think that such a format might open the music industry a little bit. Because it can be treated as Spanish musicians using it as a platform to show their music and not necessary intending it directly to Eurovision – similarly to Sanremo. It’s great that an underperforming broadcaster is trying to take notes from better performing countries without trying to copy them, what usually happens.
I agree that if you don’t intend to follow a specific recipe for Eurovision, like San Remo, the result will be very good.
@Roxen
Spain, I am BEGGING you do not let me down. this is the most excited I have been for Spain in ages, please do not let this flop. I believe in you
RTVE’s Head of Entertainment Toñi Prieto was nowhere to be seen, RTVE’s new Head of Content Amalia Martínez de Velasco seems to be in charge. She comes from Paramount and Samsung.
This is the best news ever
Well, she is indeed, unfortunately. Look at the right of the picture above.
That’s not Toñi.
Okay, I’m excited for Spain