RTVE, the Spanish national broadcaster, has unveiled the Benidorm Fest 2026 Artistic director. core team members and dates.
The 2026 Benidorm Fest will be held in Benidorm on 10, 12 and 14 February. The 2026 Spanish Eurovision act and entry will be determined on Saturday 14 February.
Sergio Jaen, the multi facetted Spanish stage director has been appointed as the Benidorm Fest 2026 Aristic Director. Sergio Jaen has great experience when it comes to Eurovision as he was the man behind Bambi Thug’s ESC 2024 staging and behind three of this year’s Eurovision entries ( JJ– Austria, Erika Vikman-Finland and Theo Evan-Cyprus).
Notably Sergio Jaen was responsible for this year’s winning entry ‘Wasted Love’s staging.
Sergio Jaen was also the artistic director for UMK 2024 and has great experience when it comes to staging and shows.
Sergio Jaen says:
It’s a true honor to take on the artistic direction of Benidorm Fest 2026 and contribute my experience and vision to both the staging of the artists and the creative development of the show.
I am thankful and grateful to RTVE for trusting me to be part of such an important project for Spanish music and culture,and especially for the ambition to take it one step further. It’s a privilege to be part of this moment.
We’ll work closely with the artists to create thoughtful, well-crafted stage concepts that tell a story and reflect the essence of each proposal. We will collaborate with artists who are committed to authenticity and eager to explore their potential with ambition and honesty.
Cesar Vallejo ( Spanish Head of Delegation/ Benidorm Fest 2026 director) says:
We share a highly visual approach to staging that always serves the music and the artist. His appointment will allow us to explore new ideas and elevate the festival’s creative standards even further.
Jose Maria Payueta has been appointed as the Benidorm Fest 2025 Executive Producer. Merce Llorens will be the broadcast director for Benidorm Fest 2026. Ari Levelä will be the visual director of the competition.
Benidorm Fest 2026
The Spanish Eurovision entry and act via Benidorm Fest for the fifth consecutive time. The Spanish national broadcaster has published the rules and regulations for Benidorm Fest 2026. The song submission window for Benidorm Fest 2026 will run from 5 June- 24 September 2025.
Benidorm Fest 2026 will consist of three live televised shows ( two semi-finals and a grand final). A total of 16 acts will partake in the competition, eight acts in each of the two semi-finals. The top four acts from each semi-final will proceed to the Grand Final after a 50/50 public -jury deliberation.
Hence a total of 8 acts will battle for the golden ticket to Eurovision 2026 at the Grand Final of Benidorm Fest 2026.
RTVE reserves the right to extend the number of competing acts at Benidorm Fest 2026 both in the semi-finals and grand final if it deems that the quality of the songs is high.
The 2026 Spanish Eurovision act and entry will be determined via a 50/50 jury /public voting deliberation. The public voting will consist of 25% (app, televoting,sms) and 25% (demoscopic vote).
The winner of Benidorm Fest will be awarded €100,000 whilst the composers of the winning entry will receive €50,000.
The song submission for Benidorm Fest 2026 will take place via two different mechanisms:
- RTVE will extend a direct invite to established composers and artists
- Online public song submission
