RTVE, the Spanish national broadcaster, has announced that the Benidorm Fest 2026 winner will be awarded €150,000.
The Spanish national broadcaster will be publishing the rules and regulations for Benidorm Fest 2026 next week. The contract with a new artistic director for Benidorm Fest 2025 is in the process.
Jose Pablo Lopez (RTVE’s President) spoke at the Spanish Congress today where he shed more light on the Eurovision Song Contest and Benidorm Fest among other things.
RTVE’s official press release reads:
In light of the Eurovision Song Contest, José Pablo López has announced that the rules for the fifth edition of the Benidorm Fest will be published next week, and the hiring of the contest’s artistic director is being finalized.
He also announced that one of the main new features of this edition will be the introduction of a €150,000 prize for the winner “to ensure the musical career of whoever represents Spain at Eurovision and provide a financial cushion to further their musical career.”
Regarding the Eurovision Song Contest and RTVE’s request to the EBU the press release continues to read:
RTVE President José Pablo López reiterated the Corporation’s commitment to peace and respect for human rights in the Congress of Deputies this Thursday, and in reference to the Eurovision Song Contest, he stated that “entertainment is not an opportunity for irresponsibility and indifference.”
In his appearance before RTVE’s joint parliamentary oversight committee, José Pablo López emphasized that the Corporation’s stance regarding the Festival “has, for the first time in recent years, produced a movement within EBU that has been worthwhile.”
“It materialized in a letter from the Festival Director, Martin Green, last Monday, which, based on RTVE’s requests, calls for a joint reflection on Israel’s participation; for an agreed-upon reform of the voting and televoting system; for an independent external audit; for stronger measures to be adopted against external interference during the festival; and, finally, for sufficient guarantees of the festival’s independence from its sponsors.”
In his opinion, the EBU has not handled this matter correctly and he expressed his confidence that “all EBU countries can jointly adopt the necessary measures.” José Pablo López noted that RTVE will chair the Eurovision Reference Group starting June 15.
The president of RTVE supported the work of the Spanish delegation and congratulated the head of the delegation, Ana María Bordas, who will chair the Reference Group starting June 15, as well as César Vallejo, co-director of the Benidorm Fest; María Eizaguirre, Director of Communications and Participation at RTVE; and Sergio Calderón, Director of TVE.
