There were 825 songs in the Benidorm Fest 2024 race, with a bronze microphone as the symbol of Spain’s representation for the next Eurovision Song Contest. Only 16 artists would advance to the final, and the field for February narrowed to names already known to fans. Some stood out as household names, including María Peláe, Angy Fernández, Miss Caffèina, Lérica, Dellacruz, and Jorge Fernández. Others were new faces in this arena: Almácor, Mantra, Marlena, Nebulossa, Noan, Quique Niza, Roger Padrós, Sofia Coll, St. Pedro, and Yoli Saa. The festival is a platform where artists can present themselves to the public and aim for a breakthrough moment akin to Chanel or Vicco, who saw their careers take flight after performing at the Alicante edition.
Chanel, pictured during a recent concert in Mislata, has become an emblematic name associated with the Benidorm Fest circuit. The event has long been a springboard for rising talents, and its stages repeatedly test new acts against established performers, fueling anticipation among spectators and industry observers alike.
In the buildup to the third edition of Benidorm Fest, the upcoming event was announced for the schedule, with the public broadcaster RTVE preparing a gaming platform where fans could engage with the process. Sixteen songs would be performed across two semi-finals and a grand final, scheduled to take place in early February at the Palau de l’Illa in Benidorm. Unlike previous years, the festival made a deliberate choice to release the songs together with their corresponding video clips, inviting public reaction even before the live shows. Some selected artists teased the approach on social networks, while the public broadcaster did not comment on the matter initially. María Peláe and Miss Caffèina hinted at this option on older social accounts, hinting at a transparent and anticipatory rollout.
Benidorm Fest 2024 song tips
About a week after the songs went live, artists offered hints to stimulate enthusiasm for one of the festival’s biggest moments. Through short gaming prompts like “Describe your song in three words,” they shared small glimpses of what their entries might sound like. Those glimpses, observed across artist profiles and past works, suggested a festival that would rebound to a broader spectrum of musical styles after recent years. The lineup pointed toward pop, pop-rock, urban pop, indie, flamenco, Latin, and electropop, signaling a diverse palette. Common descriptors used to summarize the entries included sensitivity, honesty, fun, touches of Eurovision charm, freedom, love, danceable rhythms, and originality.
In this third edition, two representatives emerged from the Valencian Community: Almácor described his entry as “bright, lively and surprising,” while Mantra, a group member who previously performed with Auryn, framed their return with a theme he called “fun, festive and overwhelming.”
Another participant with a history in the competition was Jorge Fernández, who competed in prior editions but did not reach the final stages in 2009 and 2014. He returned with a song described as “sensual, provocative and Spanish,” and he promised a show that would ignite the stage with energy. Maria Peláe, a favorite among Eurofans, entered with a message that her entry carried “strength, history and courage,” signaling a performance built to leave a lasting impression. There was a sense of renewed ambition from Miss Caffèina, who aimed to fuse pop with electronic textures in a high-energy delivery.
Other participants were characterized in similar terms: Dellacruz proposed an entry described as “honest, energetic and motivating”; the Lyrics project leaned toward “energy, party and Eurovision” in spirit; Marlena spoke of “mojitos, energy and falling in love” as the emotional throughline; Nebulossa emphasized a danceable, direct approach with an animalistic edge; Noan offered a more paradoxical blend of “emotion, crying and jumping”; Quique Niza described theirs as an exploration of “emotion, freedom, and breaking free.” Roger Padrós framed his piece as “emotional, intimate and mid-tempo,” while Sofia Coll contributed descriptors of “intense, comprehensive and real.” St. Pedro captured a sense of “emotion, musicality and intrigue,” and Yoli Saa described her entry as “Spanish-sounding, unexpected and distinctly Yoli.”
The collective tone across these previews suggested a festival that intentionally sought a balance between heartfelt storytelling and radio-friendly energy. The emphasis on authentic emotion, bold rhythmic drives, and a spirit of experimentation pointed toward a Benidorm Fest that would celebrate both tradition and contemporary experimentation. This mix promised a broader appeal to viewers across Spain, with a credible prospect of resonating with international audiences through Eurovision’s broad lens. The festival’s dynamic lineup reflected a community of artists eager to express personal narratives while delivering performances capable of translating across languages and cultures, a hallmark of the Eurovision ecosystem.