Benidorm Fest 2022: Azúcar Moreno and Rigoberta Bandini among the 14 confirmed participants

The long-awaited Benidorm Fest line-up is a secret no more. In a press conference in Madrid, broadcaster RTVE surprised fans and released the names of not 12, but 14 acts hoping to represent Spain at Eurovision 2022 in Turin. The line-up includes many of the names teased last week. In fact, only Alicante-Madrid Indie band Niña Polaca is missing. The official line-up includes a mixture of emerging artists, next to jaw-dropping picks.

RTVE has also confirmed that all 14 competing songs will be made available on 23 December. So far, two of the entries are already out. While we wait for the remainder to drop, let’s take a look at the 14 hopefuls.

Benidorm Fest 2022: 14 Acts

Azúcar Moreno – “Postureo”

The beloved Spanish duo and Eurovision 1990 representatives with “Bandido” are back. Sisters Toñi and Encarna Salazar never go unnoticed, delivering a mixture of contemporary flamenco and rhumba/pop. With a musical career of over 30 years, they have become one of Spain’s top-selling artists in the Latin scene. Their song “Postureo” will come with the same vibe, but also, with innovation.

Blanca Paloma – “Secreto de Agua”

Stage and theatre costume designer Blanca Paloma has always been behind the scenes. But now she’s ready to go centre stage. Blanca is an emerging artist who has mainly performed in theatres. Her Eurovision song “Secreto de Agua” is her first studio-recorded piece. Her Benidorm song is also part of RTVE’s documentary series Lucía en la Telaraña, and has already been released.

Chanel – “Slo mo”

Chanel is a multifaceted artist, from acting to dancing, to singing. She has journeyed all across Spain doing musicals. She comes to Benidorm with a team familiar with success. The songwriters behind “Slo mo” have worked with pop sensations like Madonna, Black Eyed Peas, Britney Spears, Ricky Martin, Mariah Carey and Nicki Minaj.

Gonzalo Hermida – “Quién lo Diría”

Singer and songwriter Gonzalo Hermida has experience in the industry, having worked next to Spanish names like Malú, India Martínez or Antonio José. This year, Gonzalo has managed to start his solo career, filling arenas all over Spain.

Javiera Mena – “Culpa”

Electropop icon, singer and songwriter Javiera Mena is originally from Chile, but resides in Spain. She already holds a Latin Grammy nomination and six studio albums. She’s worked with familiar names like Julieta Venegas, Miss Caffeina, La Casa Azul or El Guincho.

Luna Ki – “Voy a Morir”

Her futuristic vision has turned her into a performer with a sound that leaves no one indifferent. The release of her studio album back in 2019 culminated in more than 18 million streams. Outlets such as Billboard and Vogue have featured her work and all agree on the same thing — “Luna is creating the sound of a new generation.”

Marta Sango – “Sigues en mi Mente”

Operación Triunfo 2018 contestant Marta Sánchez Gómez – known as Marta Sango – is not missing Benidorm. Her journey throughout OT changed her life. After she left, she has not stopped, and now has two singles to her name. She classifies her music as a midpoint between “mainstream” and indie-pop with pulsing 80s beats. Now, she wants to build her musical career, and with her song “Sigues en mi Mente”, Eurovision could be another start.

Rayden – “Calle de la Llorería”

Writer and rapper David Martínez Álvarez – known as Rayden – has worked next to big names in Spain’s music industry like Pablo López, Leiva, Rozalén and Bely Basarte. His music has received praise including nominations for Best Spanish Artist at the MTV Europe Music Awards in 2015 and Los 40 Principales Awards. He fuses rap with pop and introduces his poetry in all his verses. Listening to his songs is a unique experience. His song is “Calle de la Llorería”.

Rigoberta Bandini – “Ay mamá”

Paula Ribó González – known as Rigoberta Bandini – is one of the hottest names in Spain’s music industry. She’s been listed on Forbes’ 100 most creative Spaniards within the art category. Her catalogue includes slickly produced, fresh and quirky electronic pop, mixed with spoken word or chord-like interludes. She is going to Benidorm with “Ay mamá”, a song that will feature her signature musical sound.

Sara Deop – “Make you say”

Emerging artist Sara Deop started her career after her journey on The Voice Kids Spain back in 2017. She has two songs out, whose songwriters have worked for Dua Lipa and Grammy-winning artists.

Tanxugueiras – “Terra”

Strong, brave and empowered are the three attributes that best describe this three-piece group. From Galicia to Eurovision, the folk band has been offering a fusion of traditional music and sounds close to trap and electronic in their most recent music. They’re popular across Spain, winning this year’s Eurovision-Spain.com poll “La Elección Interna 2022” – which assesses reader’s favourites to represent the Iberian nation at Eurovision. Their song “Terra” will be the first attempt within Spain of sending a song in one of the four main languages of the country, as well as in Galician.

Unique – “Mejores”

Matt, Arman, Dany and Valen are Unique, a Spanish boy band that is becoming a sensation in Spain. Their music is all about Latin and urban sounds, next to producers who have worked with Spanish names like David Bisbal, Juan Magán or Chenoa. Their influences are a mix between Michael Jackson and Juan Luis Guerra.

Varry Brava – “Raffaella”

Fun, unprejudiced, shameless and hedonistic. Óscar Ferrer (voice), Aarön Sáez (keyboard) and Vicente Illescas (guitar) form the indie pop band that already has five studio albums out, and 13 years in the music industry. Their music has clear influences of Spain’s 80s pop like “Radio Futura” and includes disco and reminiscences of new romantic.

Xeinn – “Eco”

Xeinn is a 23-year old artist that comes from Madrid. He started his career early by uploading covers on YouTube. Today he has 222,000 followers and more than 18 million streams. This year, he has released his first studio album, with eleven tracks, with influences ranging from Justin Bieber or The Weeknd.

Benidorm Fest 2022

Spain’s selection phases 1 and 2 have culminated with the full lineup reveal. As RTVE explained today, their criteria for selecting the 14 lucky contestants focused on four areas: rigour, authenticity, tolerance and diversity of genre.

Knowing the names, it’s now game on for phases 3 and 4: the semifinals and the big finale. To many fans’ surprise, Benidorm Fest 2022 has already brought a change. Since the song selection quality was high, RTVE has decided to increase the confirmed artist limit to 14, instead of 12. This means the two semifinals of Benidorm Fest will feature seven acts each, instead of six. At the same time, the Finale boast eight finalists, instead of six. A total of four acts can qualify from each semifinal.

Also for this year, Spain’s participating contestants and future Eurovision representatives will now own 100% of their songs editorial rights. Ever since 1992 – and with the exception of 2008 – RTVE held 50% of every representative’s editorial rights. Spain’s broadcaster made this change to impove transparency and as an attempt to attract big names to Benidorm.

Benidorm Fest 2022 is expected to take place during the last week of January in the Palau Municial d’Esports l’Illa de Benidorm.

Who is your favourite on the Benidorm Fest 2022 lineup? Are you excited for Benidorm Fest? Let us know in the comment section below.