The announcement of the 16 participants for Benidorm Fest 2023 has been postponed multiple times beyond the originally planned schedule. TVE has disclosed that a special program will air this Sunday night to reveal the artists chosen to compete in the second edition of its national pre-selection, with the date now shifted to Saturday, October 29.
This premiere will also feature more changes. Rodrigo Vazquez, known for hosting The Hunter, will guide the special alongside Julia Varela, who replaces Inés Hernand in the hosting lineup announced last week by TVE.
The new timing for the special, which will disclose the 16 selected contestants for Benidorm Fest 2023, also pushes back the rest of TVE’s previously announced schedule by several days. It is expected that on Saturday the 29th, the press conference scheduled for the 28th will be moved to the following week.
Assuming no further changes, the program will not only introduce the new slate of Benidorm Fest participants but also include performances by other artists and groups from the successful 2022 edition, when Chanel finished third at the Eurovision Song Contest held in Turin. The Spanish-Cuban artist, who captivated audiences across Europe with SloMo, is also slated to create the theme song for Spain’s National Team as it prepares for the World Cup in Qatar.
This broadcast will signal the end of a selection process that began on September 1 and is scheduled to conclude on October 10. A total of 876 applications were submitted, and the process will wrap up on Monday the 24th. A cross-functional team from RTVE, dedicated to listening and assessing proposals, will then select 16 acts to participate in Benidorm Fest 2023. The event will feature semi-finals on January 31 and February 2, with a grand finale set for February 4.