Engines are revving once again as Spain prepares its journey to Eurovision 2026. Benidorm Fest — the national selection that has determined Spain’s Eurovision entries since 2022 — is back for another edition in 2026. A welcome announcement for fans of the festival and Eurovision alike!
Earlier this week, RTVE unveiled the official rules and guidelines for Benidorm Fest 2026, and this new edition comes with noteworthy updates. From a revamped voting system to a broader line-up of competing artists, the competition is set to evolve in refined ways.
And there’s more: submissions are now open, and will remain open until 24 September. Artists and songwriters interested in taking part can already start preparing their entries. Since Benidorm Fest 2026 is once again intended to select Spain’s Eurovision representative, this move practically confirms the country’s participation in next year’s contest — despite RTVE stating it’s “too early to say” when asked specifically about the country’s ongoing inclusion alongside Israel.
Take a closer look below at the key rule changes and what they mean for Benidorm Fest 2026.
Changes in the Benidorm Fest 2026 voting system
Another year, another change — and 2026 is no exception. The voting system for Benidorm Fest 2026 has once again been adjusted. While the outcome will still be determined by three voting groups, a familiar face is making a comeback: the demoscopic jury.
This panel was part of Benidorm Fest in 2022, 2023, and 2024, but was removed for the 2025 edition. At the time, in December 2024, Spain’s Head of Delegation explained that including a demoscopic jury didn’t make sense alongside the newly introduced free app voting system. That stance appears to have shifted, as the demoscopic jury is now returning for 2026, once again holding 25% of the total vote weigh.
The demoscopic jury consists of a representative sample of the Spanish population, selected based on statistical and demographic criteria to reflect the diversity of the country.
Win some, lose some. The return of the demoscopic jury — without adjusting any of the other voting groups — means the new system will look like this:
Benidorm Fest 2026:
- Jury vote: 50%
- Audience vote: 50%
- 25%: SMS, phone calls and free app vote
- 25%: demoscopic jury
Benidorm Fest 2025:
- Jury vote: 50%.
- Audience vote (50%):
- 25%: SMS and phone calls
- 25%: free app vote
Compared to last year’s system, the inclusion of the demoscopic jury for 2026 effectively reduces the influence of the public televote by 25% — bringing it closer to the setup used from 2022 to 2024.
Cash prize
As if the chance to represent Spain at Eurovision wasn’t incentive enough, RTVE has sweetened the deal. As previously hinted in May, and now confirmed in the official Benidorm Fest 2026 rulebook, the winner will not only take home the trophy, but also a cash prize of €150,000 (gross).
Of that amount, €100,000 will go to the performing artist, while the remaining €50,000 will be awarded to the songwriters behind the entry.
Just like last year, all royalties from the winning song will remain with the author.
Introduction of an artistic team
For the first time, Benidorm Fest will feature a dedicated creative team, led by an experienced industry professional who will create, coordinate, and oversee the stage development of each entry.
RTVE explains that this initiative aims to bring greater aesthetic and technical coherence to the overall show.
However, as in previous editions, RTVE will still allow artists to work with their own external artistic teams if they choose. In such cases, RTVE’s creative director will collaborate with the external team to shape the final staging.
RTVE strengthens exclusivity
The artist who wins Benidorm Fest 2026 will face stricter contractual obligations compared to past contestants. They are expected to be available for RTVE events at least until July 2026, well past Eurovision, and will also need to take part in select activities during the next Benidorm Fest edition in 2027.
RTVE is imposing stricter media restrictions on participants as well. From the moment they are confirmed as competitors until the festival wraps up, artists won’t be allowed to appear in interviews or programs on channels outside of RTVE. For the winner, this exclusivity extends for an additional two months after Eurovision — unless they receive explicit permission from RTVE to appear elsewhere.
This policy appears to be a response to the recent controversy involving Melody. After not winning Eurovision 2025, she cancelled a planned interview with RTVE’s La Revuelta but is still appeared on various private TV shows, such as El Hormiguero on Antena 3, stirring some debate about RTVE’s control over its selected artists.
In May, Melody addressed her Eurovision participation and results publicly after cancelling much of her schedule following the contest in Basel. She explained that she wasn’t avoiding the spotlight but needed time to be with her family after months of dedicating herself fully to Eurovision.
Number of contestants potentially increased for Benidorm Fest 2026
RTVE will form a specialised jury responsible for reviewing all submissions received through the official website, as well as those invited directly. This jury will select up to 16 participants, along with six alternates, to advance to the next stage of the competition — the Third Phase.
However, if the overall musical quality of the entries is exceptionally high, RTVE reserves the right to increase the number of selected participants to a maximum of 20. This flexibility aims to ensure that the strongest acts have the opportunity to compete in Benidorm Fest 2026.
A notable new feature for this year is that RTVE may also require a vocal test if the submitted recording does not clearly showcase the candidate’s vocal abilities. According to the rules announced on 4 June:
“If the submitted file doesn’t adequately assess the vocal characteristics of the candidate, RTVE may, if deemed appropriate, request a test.”
This measure aims to guarantee a fair evaluation of each participant’s vocal talent during the selection process.
What do you think about Benidorm Fest 2026? Is there any change that has particularly surprised you? Let us know in the comment section below!
