🇪🇸 Hosts, stage, and jury of Benidorm Fest 2024 revealed

Spain’s broadcaster RTVE has revealed a massive amount of news about Benidorm Fest 2024, their national final for Eurovision. Between announcing the hosts, revealing the stage, and introducing the jury, all following the song reveals last month, Benidorm Fest 2024 is now really taking shape.

Say hello to your hosts

Benidorm Fest 2024 is set to be presented by three hosts, with one of them being a very familiar sight for Eurovision fans. Fan-favourite Ruth Lorenzo, who represented Spain in 2014, will be one of the tree hosts on the night. Since then, she has hosted and presented multiple TV programmes, and also was the host for Pre-Party ES 2022, the Madrid Eurovision pre-party. Joining her on stage are journalist and presenter Marc Calderó, and journalist and reporter Ana Prada.

Speaking of the stage

RTVE also revealed the stage the presenters will host Benidorm Fest 2024 from. The 581m² stage consists of two key pieces. The floor is a circle with a large, circular LED screen in the centre. Two LED-screen lined walls are surrounded by tunnels that connect to the back of the stage. At the back you find the large, oval LED screen that will serve as the backdrop for the performances. In the article showing the stage, RTVE also showed the Green Room and where the audience will sit.

Who’s got jury duty?

The Benidorm Fest 2024 jury is made up of 8 people, split 50/50 between Spanish and international jurors. The Spanish jurors are:

• Beatriz Luengo (Latin Grammy winning musician, actress, singer, dancer. Spokesperson of the jury)
• Guille Milkway (DJ, composer, lead singer of La Casa Azul, with whom he competed in the 2008 Spanish national final)
• Angela Carrasco (Latin Grammy winning singer-songwriter and actress)
• Carlos Baute (Singer, composer, actor, presenter)

While the international half of the jury consists of:

• Lee Smithurst (Head of Delegation for the UK)
• David Tserunyan (Head of Delegation for Armenia)
• Twan van de Nieuwenhuijzen (Head of Delegation for the Netherlands)
• Nicoline Refsing (Artistic director of Eurovision 2014)

But wait, there’s more!

And that’s not all! RTVE also made announcements regarding the programming around Benidorm Fest 2024. Ahead of and during the competition, Inés Hernand and Jordi Cruz will offer exclusive interviews with the artists and some surprises to viewers. First from the festival carpet on January 28, and then with the return of Benidorm Calling starting January 30. Both can be watched on RTVE Play and social media. Following that, Inés Hernand will team up with Aitor Albizua to present La Noche del Benidorm Fest, in which the viewers gets taken backstage for even more excitement, interviews, and more happening during the national final. La Noche del Benidorm Fest will air after each round of Benidorm Fest 2024.

What is Benidorm Fest?

Following a decade and a half interval, Spain’s national broadcaster RTVE revived the Benidorm International Song Festival, and transformed into Spain’s selection show for Eurovision. This is not the first time RTVE has experimented with pre-existing formats to select it’s Eurovision entrants; having previously intermittently used Operación Triunfo. Though this time was to much greater success, as inaugural winner Chanel ultimately finished third at the 2022 contest in Turin. Originally held between 1959 and 2006, the winner of the contest would go on to receive the prestigious award the Sirenita de Oro (trans. The Golden Mermaid). Though the winners of the current iteration of the contest receive a bronze microphone instead.

As the contest is at its heart a celebration of Spanish music, the lyrical contest of each song must be at least 60% from on of the official languages of Spain. Voting in Benidorm Fest consists of a hybrid system, with three voting methods: jury, demiscopic, and televote. the jury consists of music professions ranking the competitors, and makes up 50% of the vote. The demiscopic vote is a weighted system meant to balance the vote based on the demographic make up of Spain, and makes up 25% of the vote. The final 25% of the vote consists of simple televote.

Spain’s Eurovision Journey

Spain debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1961 with Conchita Bautista’s “Estando Contigo”. The country earned its first win in 1968 with Massiel’s “La La La”, and won again in 1969 with Salome’s “Vivo Cantando” in an infamous four-way tie. Although they have yet to win again, Spain earned several 2nd place finishes, most famously with Mocedades’ “Eres tu” in 1973 and Anabel Conde’s “Vuelve conmigo” in 1996.

In 2023, Spain selected Blanca Paloma to carry on the success of Chanel in 2022. As part of the Big 5, Blanca Paloma did not need to qualify to the Grand Final from the semi-finals. At the close of voting, her song “EAEA” finished 17th, with a total of 100 points. Of these, 95 points came from the jury, whilst 5 came from the televote.

What do you think of all this Benidorm Fest news? And who do you think will succeed Blanca Paloma? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow “That Eurovision Site” on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Tiktok as we gear up for Benidorm Fest 2024!

News Source: RTVE

Photo Credit: RTVE