After the Benidorm Festival 2023 RTVE presentation, held in the Costa Blanca’s tourist hub last Tuesday, the rules for entry to select the act that will succeed Chanel and represent Spain at the next Eurovision Song Contest were released.
Benidorm will once again host a music event early in the year, featuring three galas. The Alicante city, known for its skyline, will be alive with cultural and musical happenings throughout the year, with the SloMo theme acting as a springboard for the celebration. Benidorm Fest 2023 will include a dedicated area where fans can gather to watch premieres in real time.
Mónica Naranjo will present Benidorm Fest 2023 and Nacho Cano will chair the jury
So who will follow Chanel Terrero on the Eurovision stage? Bands and soloists interested in attending Benidorm Fest 2023 must pass through a formal selection process before stepping onto the festival stage, and RTVE has already published the requirements. The details are outlined below.
Requirements to attend Benidorm Fest
Any writer, composer or performer meeting the following criteria may enter the competition:
- Participants must be at least 16 years old before May 1, 2023, meaning they were born before May 1, 2007.
- Participants who are translators must hold Spanish nationality or be permanent residents of Spain. If a group enters, at least 50 percent of members must meet this requirement. For authors, at least one member must be Spanish by nationality or permanent residence.
- RTVE employees and their immediate family, plus anyone involved in or influencing the production of the Eurovision Song Contest, Benidorm Fest, the Benidorm City Council or the Generalitat Valenciana, or those related to these entities, may not participate.
- Each artist must own their stage name and ideally be registered.
- Contestants must not be bound by any contract that prevents the song from being used or alters the artist’s image, and must be available for RTVE and the European Broadcasting Union.
- Artists previously selected for other competitions or invited to represent another country at Eurovision 2023 are ineligible.
- Songs must be original in both lyrics and melody and must be unreleased. No part of the song may have been performed or distributed before September 1, 2022.
- The submitted song must run between 2 minutes 30 seconds and 3 minutes exactly.
- The lyrics must be present; instrumental pieces are not eligible. Songs may be in Spanish or the official languages of Spain, and portions in other languages are allowed if they do not exceed 40 percent of the total lyrics.
- Entries with inappropriate, offensive language or messaging, or any form of political or brand advertising, will be excluded.
- Written permission from all authors, composers and publishers is required to participate.
- Entries must include an audio file with the vocal track in MP3, MP4 or MOV video format.
- A maximum of six people may be on stage, including singers, backing vocalists, dancers and other performers.
- The song must be performed live, without distortions, and accompanied by a recording of the instrumental track provided to RTVE.
- Choirs may be live or pre-recorded. If pre-recorded, the choir voices cannot include the lead singer’s voice during the performance.
- During rehearsals and live broadcasts, only RTVE technical staff may control sound. Other technicians must not operate the equipment during performances.
- Participants must cover their own participation costs.
Those who wish to take part in Benidorm Fest 2023 should complete the submission form available on RTVE.es. The form requires several data points, and applicants should prepare the following materials.
- Basic artist information (full name, stage name, number of tracks, date of birth, contact details).
- The song title and lyrics in PDF format, along with author details and the first publication date.
- Details of the manager or contact person, including address, phone number and email, plus any management, record label or publishing contracts.
- Identification of the person completing the form.
- High-resolution artist photos on a neutral background, including at least one horizontal image.
- A publishable bio with links to all social media accounts.
- The model and other required documents signed as stated, submitted digitally in high quality with a maximum file size of 60 MB, including song ideas, audio cues and the final arrangement for the song.
The submission window on RTVE.es opens at 10:00 on September 1, 2022 and closes at 23:59:59 on October 10, 2022, both dates inclusive.
Additionally, to ensure top quality and broad participation, RTVE will invite established artists from the current music scene or well-known writers to propose entries for the selection process.
Benidorm’s homage to music
Those wishing to participate in Benidorm Fest 2023 should complete the submission form on RTVE.es, which will request at least the following information. The process is designed to gather essential details about the artist, the song and the team behind the project.
- Artist data including legal name, stage name and contact details.
- Song title, full lyrics in PDF, author details and first publication date.
- Manager or contact person details and any contractual information with a label or publisher.
- Form submitter identification and artist photos in high quality.
- Publishable biography with social media links.
- Digital submission package including audio and video materials with song ideas and cues for final arrangement.
The deadline for the RTVE.es form is set for September 1, 2022 at 10:00 and ends on October 10, 2022 at 23:59:59.
In parallel, RTVE may directly invite respected figures from the music scene to submit proposals to the selection process to guarantee high standards of participation.