Spain has a long history with Eurovision, marked by moments of struggle and surprising triumphs. For decades, the festival drew a faithful audience, and TVE never stopped presenting it with the same enduring energy. The show has always attracted big media attention, with acts like OT and Rodolfo Chikilicuatre emerging from Spain’s comedy and entertainment scene, underscoring how the contest could become a cultural phenomenon beyond the competition itself.
Since 1992, when audience measurements first became available, Eurovision in Spain has been a television event that connects with the public, despite the inevitable ups and downs. A notable fact from that year is that TVE reported an unusual incident, a moment that remains unique in the history of the contest. In recent years, Chanel’s performances on TVE-1 during the semi-finals on May 10 and 12 generated discussion and reflected the ongoing interest in Spain’s Eurovision journey.
In terms of viewership, one report highlights Eurovision 2002 as exceptionally strong in Spain, with a peak audience of 12,755,107 viewers and a remarkable 80.4% share. The year also featured the first major television spotlight for the winning act of that season, accompanied by a chorus of famous Spanish performers including David Bisbal, David Bustamante, Chenoa, Gisela, and Geno. The national audience felt a sense of shared pride as Spain watched its participant come close to victory once again.
The second place went to Chikilicuatre with the playful tone of Dance the chiki chiki, watched by 9,336,054 people, comprising 59.3% of the audience share. Silvia Abril, one of the performers, delivered a memorable performance on stage that year.
Third place on the Spanish tally was Beth with Tell me, achieving 8,790,173 viewers and a 58.4% share, with the participant from OT 2 taking the stage again in Spain’s strong Eurovision narrative.
Eurovision 2018 remains one of the most-watched festivals in Spain, driven by the OT phenomenon and a new generation of fans. Amaya and Alfred performed Your Song and finished 23rd, with 7,169,526 Spaniards glued to the screen, accounting for a 43.5% share.
The festival in 2004 also ranks high in audience memory, featuring Ramon, an OT 3 alumnus, who drew 6,826,202 viewers and a 50.1% share. The entry To fill me up with you placed tenth and left a lasting impression on Spain’s Eurovision timeline.
Pastor Soler contributed strong numbers in 2012, delivering 6,541,763 viewers and a 43.5% share with Stay with me, finishing tenth. Edurne, another vintage victory in the Spain-wide Eurovision story, reached 5,958,168 viewers (39.3%) in 2015, finishing in twenty-first as Dawn was performed on the stage.
Eurovision 2010 drew 5,760,317 followers (41.9%), a year notable for Daniel Diges, who performed a dramatic routine and later had to repeat part of his act due to an on-stage interruption. His team’s performance ended in fifteenth place.
In 2001, David Civera delivered a danceable performance of Dile que la Quiero, tallying 5,614,259 spectators and a 45.7% share, finishing sixth overall.
The top ten most-watched Eurovision festivals in Spain since 1992 culminated in 2019 when Miki Núñez led the performance of a group scene with 5,449,270 viewers, a 36.7% share.
Another notable milestone is the 2021 edition, where Blaise sang I will stay and finished twenty-fourth with 4,071,281 viewers and a 29.4% share. Despite the modest result, this edition reflected the evolving television landscape and shifting viewer preferences in Spain.
By contrast, the 2016 festival, featuring Barei with Say Yay, holds a record for the lowest Eurovision audience in Spain since 2007, while D’Nash performed I love you screw and drew 3,372,935 viewers for a 28% share. This contrast highlights how audience engagement has fluctuated over the years.
The 1992 entry by Serafim Zubiri with It’s all music remains a memorable benchmark, even though the festival aired on La 2 that year and drew 3,004,520 viewers (25.4%). The memory of this era is often recalled when discussing how the contest evolved in Spain.
Additional entries that defined Spain’s Eurovision story in the 1990s include 1994’s Alexander the High Priest with Ella no es ella and 1997’s Marcos Lunas with Without Kin, which tallied 3,037,471 (26.1%) and 3,224,010 (30.3%), respectively. These performances illustrate the breadth of Spain’s engagement with the event and its occasional missteps along the way.