ARCO has marked a highly memorable moment in the cultural calendar, and the scene unfolded with Blanca Paloma at its center. After earning Spain’s victory at Benidorm Fest and carrying the country’s banner at Eurovision 2023, the young artist stepped onto the Madrid stage this Thursday, graced by the presence of King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia. The setting was the opening night of this week’s Contemporary Art Fair, a moment that drew the attention of a national audience and a steady stream of international visitors alike. The event became a focal point not only for contemporary visuals but for the way music and art interact in a public square of celebration and dialogue.
On the very set where RNE prepared a special program around ARCO, Blanca Paloma delivered a performance that elevated the mood of the evening. She sang the song EAEA, her guitar accompaniment provided by José Pablo Polo, the composer and producer behind the track. The performance captured the eyes of royal observers and seasoned media professionals, turning the moment into a vivid anecdote of Spain’s vibrant arts scene. The guitar’s tones underlined a fusion of traditional artistry with modern pop sensibilities, echoing the fair’s broader aim to connect audiences with innovative proposals across disciplines.
Among the public faces present were not only Blanca Paloma and the monarchs but also a cadre of RTVE presenters and executives. Carlos Santos, Samanta Villar, and Ramon Arangüena, long-time announcers and familiar voices of A Media Mañana, shared the limelight with Elena Sanchez Caballero, the network’s director and president, as well as Maria Eizaguirre, the director of communications and engagement. Their presence underscored the collaboration between national broadcasting and contemporary art, highlighting how public media can amplify new artistic voices while weaving them into major cultural conversations. The atmosphere was charged with a sense of shared celebration, and the coverage reflected how broadcasters position art events within a national narrative.
Other notable attendees included Fernando Grande Marlaska, the Minister of the Interior, and Begoña Villacís, Madrid’s deputy mayor, who both observed the proceedings as the evening unfolded. The appearance of such figures at ARCO during a live broadcast—via Hablando Claro that Thursday—emphasized the fair’s role as a high-profile cultural crossroads where policy, culture, and public-service media intersect. The moment offered viewers a rare fusion of fashioning national identity through art and music while showcasing the accessibility of cultural programming for a broad audience.