Eurovision News 
Spain 
Spanish broadcaster RTVE has announced that Jesús Vázquez will return to host Benidorm Fest 2027, marking his second consecutive year leading the national selection. The sixth edition of the festival is set to take place from 26 to 30 January, featuring 18 artists vying for the chance to represent Spain.
Jesús Vázquez returns to Benidorm Fest
Jesús Vázquez is the first confirmed host for Benidorm Fest 2027. The popular Galician presenter will take the helm for the second year in a row, having made his debut at the fifth edition of the festival. RTVE is currently finalising preparations for the sixth edition of the contest, which will be held in Benidorm from 26 to 30 January, and promises to announce additional co-hosts soon.
Vázquez has had a distinguished career spanning over three decades in private television, fronting a variety of entertainment formats. This year, he has led several RTVE programmes, including the new contest ‘El túnel: avanza y gana’ on La 1, which combines knowledge, strategy, speed, and emotion. He also hosted the special ‘La Casa de la Música’ in May, showcasing RTVE’s historical commitment to music, and presented the third edition of the Spanish Fashion Academy Awards gala in June.
18 candidatures revealed for the sixth edition
Benidorm Fest 2027 will feature 18 musical proposals, showcasing a diverse range of genres, styles, and artistic backgrounds. The line-up includes Alba Morena, Andrés Koi, Bombai, Chema Rivas, dani dicostas, Fran Tuduri, GALE, Isabel Aaiún, Ladilla Rusa, Merche, Pipiolas, Polo Nández, Sebastián Llosa, ROSSA, Sara Abad, Sev’s, Suzete, Tami Tamako, and Vicco. Fans can look forward to hearing their songs when they are released on 17 December.
This year’s call for entries saw a significant response, with nearly 900 songs submitted during the 115-day submission period. A remarkable 350 proposals were received in the final 24 hours alone.
The first semi-final is scheduled for Tuesday, 26 January, followed by the second semi-final on Thursday, 28 January. The Grand Final will be held on Saturday, 30 January.
New collaborations and increased prize money
Benidorm Fest continues its collaboration with Spotify, which will once again recognise the most-streamed song of the edition. In 2026, Asha was the inaugural winner of this award within the festival. The sixth edition also expands its international reach with a new partnership with Univision, which will present a specific award tied to the competition.
In addition to the traditional bronze microphone trophy, the winning act will receive a gross prize of 150,000 euros: 100,000 euros for the performer(s) and 50,000 euros for the song’s authors.
Strong audience figures for the previous edition
The Grand Final of Benidorm Fest 2026 was the most-watched programme of the day and a leader in its timeslot, securing a 3.1-point advantage over its closest competitor. The gala attracted an average of 1,085,000 viewers, achieving a 12.1% audience share and reaching 4,134,000 unique viewers.
The festival particularly resonated with younger audiences, leading in all age groups from 4 to 64 years old. It achieved a 19.3% share among children aged 4 to 12, 21% among young people aged 13 to 24, and 28.4% among viewers aged 25 to 44. Across all three galas, the 2026 edition averaged an 11.5% share, 945,000 viewers, and over eight million contacts.
It is yet unclear if Spain will compete at the Eurovision Song Contest 2027 in Burgas, if RTVE is to compete then the winner of Benidorm Fest 2027 will be eligible to represent Spain at the ESC 2027.
