Spain, es tu momento! The road to Eurovision takes us to Benidorm this week for the country’s national selection — Benidorm Fest 2025. The competition kicked off tonight with semi-final 1, where eight contestants battled for four spots in the next round: the final this Saturday.
The event unfolded at the iconic Palau Municipal d’Esports l’Illa de Benidorm — the very stage where Chanel (ESC 2022), Blanca Paloma (ESC 2023), and Nebulossa (ESC 2024) secured their Eurovision dreams.
By the end of the night, four acts secured their spot for another shot at winning over Spain and claiming their ticket to Basel this May.
Guiding us through the show were three absolute queens — Eurovision 2014 icon Ruth Lorenzo, joined by Paula Vázquez and Inés Hernand. And they’re not stepping down just ye — they’ll be back to bring the energy on Thursday and Saturday.
Benidorm Fest 2025: Semi-final 1
This year, the full semi-final results were kept secret to avoid influencing the grand final’s voting. During the live show, both the jury (50%) and the public (25% free app vote, 25% televote) selected their top four acts. From there, the hosts announced the final qualifiers after tallying the complete vote.
Results of the jury
The acts are listed in the order of performance:
- Kuve – “LOCA XTI” – top 4 finalist
- David Afonso – “Amor Barato”
- Chica Sobresalto – “Mala Feminista”
- K!ngdom – “Me Gustas Tú”
- Lucas Bun – “Te escribo en el cielo” – top 4 finalist
- Sonia y Selena – “Reinas”
- Lachispa – “Hartita de Llorar” – top 4 finalist
- Daniela Blasco – “Uh Nana” – top 4 finalist
Results of the public
- Kuve – “LOCA XTI” – top 4 finalist
- David Afonso – “Amor Barato”
- Chica Sobresalto – “Mala Feminista”
- K!ngdom – “Me Gustas Tú”
- Lucas Bun – “Te escribo en el cielo”
- Sonia y Selena – “Reinas” – top 4 finalist
- Lachispa – “Hartita de Llorar” – top 4 finalist
- Daniela Blasco – “Uh Nana” – top 4 finalist
Overall result
- Kuve – “LOCA XTI” – qualified for the final
- David Afonso – “Amor Barato”
- Chica Sobresalto – “Mala Feminista”
- K!ngdom – “Me Gustas Tú”
- Lucas Bun – “Te escribo en el cielo” – qualified for the final
- Sonia y Selena – “Reinas”
- Lachispa – “Hartita de Llorar” – qualified for the final
- Daniela Blasco – “Uh Nana” – qualified for the final
The final results reveal that, despite earning a top-four spot in the public vote, Sonia y Selena fell short of making it to Saturday’s grand final. Meanwhile, strong jury support for Lucas Bun likely gave him the edge needed to surpass them and claim his spot in the final.
Rising stars like Lachispa and Daniela Blasco, who have been building momentum in recent weeks, are among the qualifiers. In fact, Lachispa is currently the fan favorite among our readers to win Benidorm Fest this year.
Format
This year, the voting system for Benidorm Fest 2025 has been tweaked – just a bit. While three groups will still decide the outcome of tonight’s semi and the upcoming shows, the demoscopic vote (which previously made up 25% of the results) is being replaced by a free app vote. That means the final verdict now breaks down as follows: 50% jury, 25% free app vote, and 25% televote.
That’s right – history is being made at Benidorm Fest! For the first time ever, you can vote for free through an app. To take part, simply download the RTVE Play app (available for both Android and iOS users) and sign up by creating an account. Need a step-by-step guide? RTVE has all the details ready for you. Remember, you can only vote for free 1 time. Make it count!
Jury members
RTVE unveiled this year’s panel back in January. With members from Spain, Ukraine, and the Netherlands, there’s no shortage of diversity in the mix. Here’s the full line-up:
- Roberto Santamaría (Spain) – Serving as this year’s jury spokesperson, he is the current director of Radio Nacional de España.
- Javier Llano (Spain) – A recognised journalist with over 25 years of experience.
- Jaime Acero (Spain) – A TV producer with a broad career spanning both Spain and international markets.
- Claudia Orellana (Spain) – A music event coordinator with experience working alongside international artists.
- Oksana Skybinska (Ukraine) – Head of Delegation for Ukraine at Eurovision.
- Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen (the Netherlands) – Responsible in entertainment and music events at NPO (Nederlandse Publieke Omroep).
- Mariangela Borneo (Italy) – Director of International Projects and Festivals at RAI since 2011.
- Maja Tokic (Croatia) – Musical executive producer and of DORA (Croatia’s own Eurovision selection process).
What do you make of Benidorm Fest 2025 semi-final 1? Could any of the acts from this heat go on to win the whole thing? Show us your takes in the comment section… below!
