Benidorm Festival 2023 is gearing up for its second edition, scheduled for the week spanning January 30 to February 5. RTVE announced the 18 competing songs in a press conference, confirming that all tracks will be available across platforms starting Monday at 1pm. The release marks a milestone moment for the event, signaling a wider engagement with audiences across Spain and beyond as preparations intensify for the forthcoming festival season.
In the wake of the nominations, early reactions from the participating artists began to surface. Maria Eizaguirre, RTVE’s Director of Communications and Engagement, noted a tremendous online response, reporting over 855,000 duplications and 3.8 million interactions in under 24 hours. The rapid engagement underscores the growing anticipation surrounding the festival and its potential to spotlight new and emerging talents on an international stage.
Sharonne – Weather
Sharonne presents a new entry titled Aire, a track she hopes will carry Spain to Eurovision 2023. She projects a calm confidence, explaining that taking a moment to breathe helps her manage the journey ahead. The artist describes the song as deeply personal and intimate, tuned to a setting that feels natural and meaningful. The choice of Weather as a metaphor reflects a contemplation of change and resilience, themes Sharonne believes resonate with audiences during the festival and beyond. The connection to the location where the performance will unfold adds an extra layer of significance, shaping the emotional landscape she hopes to share on stage.
Megara-Arcadia
Megara describes Arcadia as a myth-inspired piece that aims to fuse ancient imagery with a near-future sensibility. The band portrays Arcadia as a heavenly place on earth, reimagined through modern storytelling. The track centers on the dynamics of a relationship between two women within a video game world, exploring themes of companionship, aspiration, and the pursuit of a perfect moment. The artists emphasize how Arcadia blends myth with contemporary culture, inviting listeners into a narrative that is both nostalgic and forward-looking, a bridge between fantasy and reality.
Alfred – If you are
Alfred reflects on Since You’ve Been Here as one of his strongest compositions. He explains that the song emerged from a personal space, inspired by the feeling of love and how love reveals itself in various forms. The creative process, he notes, involved channeling emotion into melody and lyrics, resulting in a track that captures the transformative power of affection. The sentiment behind If You Are centers on presence and connection, portraying love as a living force that can reshape life in subtle and surprising ways. The arrangement and vocal delivery align with a sense of candid, heartfelt storytelling that has become a hallmark of Alfred’s musical journey.
White Dove – Eaea
Blanca Paloma returns with Eaea, revisiting a song she first performed at Benidorm Fest. In her remarks at the press conference, she reflects on the idea that to know where one is going, it helps to remember where one comes from. The track is framed as a lullaby that can be sung to a loved one, extending its tenderness beyond a child’s world to all generations. Paloma’s approach to Eaea blends nostalgia with a clear-eyed sense of direction, inviting audiences to consider personal history as a guide for future steps. The performance promises a poignant, intimate moment, layered with symbolic meaning and emotional clarity.
The 2023 edition of Benidorm Festival continues to build a narrative around contemporary Spanish music, while also embracing lyrical storytelling and bold, modern production. Each entry offers a distinct voice, rooted in personal experience yet designed to connect with a broad audience. As the event approaches, fans and critics alike anticipate not only the competition but also the cultural conversation that the festival consistently sparks across platforms and channels. The collective energy around the 18 finalists reflects a vibrant era for Spanish pop and its place on the international stage, with viewers eager to see how these songs will perform under the bright lights of the festival and the wider Eurovision circuit.