Ahead of the fifth competition: Spain announces significant changes to the Spanish Eurovision national selection format “Benidorm Fest” in 2026, aiming to develop and expand the contest to new audiences.
José Pablo López, president of the Spanish national broadcaster RTVE, announced that starting next year, for Eurovision 2026, changes will be implemented in the Spanish Eurovision national selection, “Benidorm Fest”. This contest has been used by Spain to select its Eurovision representatives for the fourth consecutive year since 2022. Among the changes revealed: appointing an artistic director and renewing the committee selecting songs for the competition.
Planned Changes and Strategy
In response to inquiries received on social media, José stated that they will make certain changes, without specifying how many or which ones, apart from the two mentioned – appointing an artistic director and refreshing the committee members selecting songs for the national selection. According to him, these steps are part of a strategy aimed at making the selection more representative of Spain and continuing to develop the competition to attract new audiences. Already now, based on the data he provided, the Spanish national selection has become a highly watched and beloved event in the country, attracting many viewers, especially in the entertainment sector.
Controversy Surrounding Israel’s Participation
It’s worth noting that just today, the president of the national broadcaster announced that he will raise the demand to disqualify Israel from Eurovision 2025 in the next board meeting of the local television network. This comes after being asked in the parliamentary oversight committee about actions to be taken following “civil society’s request” to demand Israel’s disqualification from the Eurovision 2025 competition by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
Spain in Eurovision 2025
“Esa Diva” is the title of the song that will be performed by singer Melody, representing Spain at Eurovision 2025, to be held in Basel, Switzerland, with the grand final on May 17. The song was written by Alberto Fuentes Lorite and Melodia Ruiz Gutiérrez and is performed entirely in Spanish.
The song redefines the concept of a “diva”. It describes a true diva as a simple, brave, and strong woman who doesn’t step on others to succeed. The song emphasizes that a diva is not defined by fame or wealth, but by her inner strength, freedom of expression, and ability to overcome challenges.
Spain is currently in 35th place in the betting odds for Eurovision 2025.
Melody – Who Are You?
Melodia Ruiz Gutierrez, known by her stage name Melody, is a Spanish pop star born on October 12, 1990, in Dos Hermanas, near Seville, Andalusia. Melody has an established and impressive career spanning over 25 years. She began her journey at a very young age, with her first hit “El Baile Del Gorila” released when she was only 10 years old, becoming one of the biggest summer hits of 2001 in Spain. Melody grew up in a family with strong ties to music; her father and some other family members played in a Sevillian fiesta band called “Los Quillos” or “Los Kiyos”, a Jackson 5-style children’s group.
Melody‘s musical career began when she was discovered by veteran producer and artist El Fary, after her father sent him a demo tape of her singing. Her debut album, “De pata negra”, was released in 2001 and became a massive hit, selling between 500,000 to 600,000 copies. The album earned double platinum certification in Spain and gold certification in the United States, and was also nominated for a Latin Grammy Award for Best Children’s Album.
Since then, she has continued to capture the hearts of fans and top the charts in more than 15 countries. Over the years, Melody has released six albums, with recent hits like “Bandido” and “Mujer Loba” continuing to strengthen her position in the music industry. In 2009, she even attempted to represent Spain at Eurovision with the song “Amante de la luna“.
Beyond her musical success, Melody has also proven herself as a successful television personality. She has participated in popular shows like “Tu Cara Me Suena” and appeared in Paco León‘s series “Arde Madrid”. Melody continues to be a leading figure in Spanish music, with a strong voice and striking charisma on stage.
Eurovision 2025: This will be Spain’s 65th participation in Eurovision. Spain joined the competition in 1961 and won it twice consecutively in 1968 and 1969. Spain has hosted the contest on its territory only once in 1969 and since then holds the longest waiting time since its last victory – 55 years.
Source: RTVE.
