From the return of Sonia and Selena to the commitment to Inés Hernand: The keys to the more casual Benidorm Fest with a nostalgia effect

The city of Benidorm is already dressed to the nines because among the 16 Benidorm candidates is the next representative of Eurovision 2025. There remains a week full of events, presentations and three fundamental events: the two semi-finals and the grand final that will be held tomorrow, February 30 and February 1 respectively at the Palau d’Esports l’Illa in Benidorm. And although the votes, which this year are free for the first time through the RTVE Play application, have not yet been held, there has been no shortage of controversy. And the festival decided to fire the worker who leaked a performance by artists like Sonia and Selena or Melody through their social networks. Although he deleted all the content in a matter of minutes, the images had already spread in a big way.

It is the fourth edition of the Benidorm Fest, the festival that knew how to see the talent of Chanel with its ‘SloMo’ that made us come in third place, but at the same time it did not know how to see the bad result that Nebulossa could give us with its ‘Zorra ‘ and that finally happened (22 with just 30 points). The lesson has been learned because none of the candidates are similar to that of the Alicante team that represented Spain in Eurovision last year. All the songs, some of them with a more social and activist message, are by young, emerging artists, or some who are already veterans in the world of music such as Sonia and Selena or Melody. It seems that the festival wanted to put aside the controversy and preferred to make a whiter festival, where music is at the center. But also nostalgia.

When Sonia and Selena visited David Broncano in ‘La Revuelta’, few viewers could imagine that the group’s return would take place at the Benidorm Fest. Thus, the women who made half of Spain dance to the rhythm of ‘Yo Quiero Bailar’ now return as ‘Queens’, their song: a tribute to their career and their friendship. The favorite of many, and one of RTVE’s big bets, is without a doubt Melody. The Sevillian already tried in 2009, but there was no luck, and she hopes that with ‘Esa Diva’ she can represent the Spanish at the festival. Both Sonia and Selena and Melody are the most in the media, but they are just as favorites as La Chispa, the young woman from Cádiz who has sung vocals for Rosalía on more than one occasion and who is now looking for her own path with ‘Hartita de Cry’. Her song is one of the most listened to and she already has an army of fans asking for the bronze microphone for her.

RTVE’s commitment to the Benidorm Fest has grown over the years, not only in the musical quality (this year the jury is made up of eight members and four are international), but also in the commitment to television. For this reason, this year Inés Hernand, Paula Vázquez and Ruth Lorenzo are the presenters of each of the galas. At the same time, public television wanted to take advantage of the pull of Lalachus and the success of ‘Cifras y Letras’ so that both the collaborator of ‘La Revuelta’ and Aitor Albizua present the ‘post Benidorm Fest’ as well as the program after the final gala in which they will interview the Eurovision representative.

And there are also guests. Nebulossa will participate in some of the galas as well as Rigoberta Bandini, Amaral, Chenoa or Edurne. The fanatical army of Eurofans sold out the tickets for the final in five minutes, so the festival had to change the layout of the stage and this year it will also be new, larger.